The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

View from across the street of Rosa Parks Transit Station in Jacksonville, Florida.

Mixed-Use TOD Planned in Jacksonville

The project will include affordable housing and retail space near the Rosa Parks transit station.

December 17 - Jax Today

Vacant commerical parking lot in front of shuttered strip mall.

Opinion: Strip Malls Are a Huge Untapped Source for Housing

Redeveloping just the best-suited 10 percent of America’s strip malls could result in 700,000 new affordable homes nationwide.

December 17 - Next City

Large solar panel field in the Mojave Desert with desert mountains in background.

AI-Powered Permitting is Speeding up Solar Deployments in California

AI-powered permitting is accelerating solar deployments in cities across California, automating compliance checks and approvals for efficient and rapid solar project installations.

December 15 - Canary Media

Aerial view of the cover park over I-70 and surrounding neighborhood with downtown Denver in background.

Opening of Denver’s New Freeway Cap Park Triggers Gentrification Fears

Local residents fear rising housing costs and displacement with the opening of a new four-acre park built on a deck bridge over the newly reconstructed and widened I-70 interstate.

December 15 - High Country News

View from above of wood-frame multifamily housing under construction next to green trees.

Federal Bank Awards $28M in Affordable Housing Funds

The bank’s annual subsidy funds new housing and upgrades to existing affordable housing stock.

December 15 - Financial Regulation News


Green lawn in city park full of people sitting on lawn chairs with urban high-rises in background.

BLOG POST

All We Want for the Holidays is…

Here are a dozen timely gift ideas for creating better communities.

December 15 - Todd Litman

Close-up of hand scrolling through text website on tablet lying on table.

FEATURE

Planetizen’s Top Posts of 2023

The most-read articles on Planetizen in 2023.

December 14 - Diana Ionescu


Amtrak train on Southern California coast.

State Leaders Warn of Risks to Southern California Rail Corridor

Coastal erosion and rising sea levels threaten one of the nation’s most scenic—and strategically important—rail corridors.

December 14 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Above-ground downtown Plano train stop in front of red brick multifamily housing building.

New Guidance to Repurpose Transit Properties for Affordable Housing

No-cost land transfers of underused transportation assets to develop transit-oriented affordable housing could be a game changer for local governments.

December 14 - Urban Institute

Row of white electric vehicle chargers in an outdoor parking lot.

National EV Charging Effort Kicks Off

The first charging station funded by the federal infrastructure law just began operating in Ohio.

December 14 - Reuters

Texas Capitol Building

Texas Judge Reverses Three Austin Zoning Reforms

The ruling impacts ordinances passed in 2022 aimed at increasing housing density and supporting mixed-use development.

December 14 - Austin Monitor

View of Washington D.C. Capitol dome through high-rise buildings in various states of construction.

DC ‘Vacant to Vibrant’ Properties Remain Vacant

The city auctioned off 58 lots at low prices to stimulate housing development. Half are still vacant.

December 14 - The Washington Post

White house surrounded by several inches of tidal floodwaters.

A Different Approach to Managing Climate Displacement

As climate-driven flooding and storms put increasing pressure on coastal communities, some say the piecemeal nature of federal recovery and mitigation efforts aren’t cutting it.

December 14 - Bloomberg CityLab

View of city skyline with overlay of icons indicating smart city connectivity.

BLOG POST

How Smart Cities Influence Real Estate Investment

By integrating technology and infrastructure, smart cities are attracting investors with their potential for improved quality of life, efficient resource management, and innovative urban development projects.

December 14 - Devin Partida

Millbrae, California

Article 34 in Action: Bay Area Suburb Uses 1950 Initiative to Block Homeless Housing

Next year, California voters will determine whether to repeal a 1950 initiative that requires local voter buy-in for government-supported low income housing, but that hasn't deterred Millbrae from using it to sue San Mateo County.

December 13 - The Mercury News

View of residential neighborhood with large homes with tall mountains and cloudy sunset sky in background in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Will Salt Lake City’s Zoning Reforms Create More Affordable Housing?

The city’s new rules allow for more flexibility in housing development, but other market forces could limit production.

December 13 - KUER

Aerial view of Gillespie Bridge with metal framing and black rock mesa in background in Gillespie, Arizona.

Gila River Canal Project Pairs Water Conservation With Solar Energy

Local leaders view the first solar panel-covered water canal in the Western Hemisphere as a ‘major win’ for Indigenous water sovereignty.

December 13 - The Independent

Neighborhood of large houses in suburban Austin, Texas.

Austin Approves Upzoning

Combined with the recent decision to eliminate parking minimums, the move to end single-family zoning could help make housing more affordable.

December 13 - The Austin Chronicle

Phialdelphia skyline at sunset with close-up of bridge in foreground.

How Effective are Philadelphia’s Keystone Opportunity Zones?

The impacts of a tax break designed to create jobs, stimulate development, and reduce blight are proving hard to track.

December 13 - Next City

Aerial view of mobile home community in rural area with homes lined up diagonally next to small road.

Report Highlights Housing Issues in Rural America

Rising costs and an aging housing stock are squeezing rural households, with the impacts felt unevenly across ages and ethnicities.

December 13 - The Daily Yonder

Post News

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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.