The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Los Angeles' City Planning Department offers a layman's introduction to the many forms of zoning codes, from Euclidean to Performance to Incentive.

January 24 - Los Angeles Department of City Planning

Following unsuccessful attempts to move the Oakland Athletics to San Jose (an area controlled by the San Francisco Giants), team owner Lew Wolff is resistant to a plan to move the team to a waterfront location.

January 24 - San Jose Mercury News

Completed in 1880 as a company town by railcar tycoon George Pullman, the 300-acre Pullman Historic District in Chicago could be a beautiful addition to the National Park System.

January 24 - The Architect's Newspaper

Sears, Macy's, and J.C. Penney are among the national retailers who've announced substantial store closings recently. Retail industry experts believe the closures are just the beginning of an approaching "tsunami" of shrinking and shuttering stores.

January 24 - CNBC

The much maligned "Prius tax", an annual registration fee for hybrid and electric vehicles to ensure they pay their share of road costs that was part of former Va. Governor Bob McDonell's landmark transportation bill last year, may soon be history.

January 24 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Recent trends in declining car ownership, along with the Millennial generation’s widely-reported abhorrence for driving, have some wondering if the era of car dominance is over. But what if the decline just comes down to trouble paying the bills?

January 24 - The Globe and Mail

Mayor de Blasio's goal of building or preserving 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next 10 years goes beyond what previous mayors have been able to achieve. How realistic are his chances of reaching this "lofty goal"?

January 24 - Jonathan Nettler

On Places, Simon Sadler explores the magical thinking and many contradictions of the TED Talks.

January 23 - Places Journal

21 months after Chicago's Infrastructure Trust was launched by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the program finally has its first approved project. After delays and substantial downsizing, Bank of America will invest $13 million in energy efficiency improvements.

January 23 - Chicago Tribune

Developers are seeking allowances to gut the historic Boyd Theatre in Philadelphia to build an eight-screen movie complex.

January 23 - PlanPhilly

With the launch of a new website, the city of L.A. has begun an exciting experiment in community-based placemaking. The "People St" program will soon accept applications to convert underused street space into plazas, parklets, and bicycle corrals.

January 23 - LA.Streetsblog

Outcry over the potential sale of post offices in Berkeley and the Bronx has prompted those areas’ respective Congressional representatives to seek federal legislation to put the brakes on the Postal Service’s rush to sell historic properties.

January 23 - Washington Post

You've heard of road rage. Electric vehicle drivers at Silicon Valley workplaces where EVs substantially exceed chargers may experience "charge rage" when a "top-off" can take as long as eight hours.

January 23 - San Jose Mercury News

Supporters call a new Dallas ordinance banning protests near freeways a “pro-safety” measure rather than an “anti-protest” measure.

January 23 - Dallas News

Across the Intermountain West, paper plats and half-completed subdivisions are straining budgets and threatening the quality of life. A new report from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy identifies treatment and prevention measures.

January 23 - At Lincoln House

Oil is now flowing through the southern leg of the controversial Keystone pipeline. The southern pipeline is still the subject of a number of lawsuits, and the northern portion of the pipeline is pending approval from the State Department.

January 23 - Washington Post

BLOG POST

The best solution to many transportation problems is to improve transport system diversity so travelers can choose the best option for each trip. This requires more comprehensive and multi-modal planning. Not everybody is ready.

January 23 - Todd Litman

After a decade of phenomenal growth and transformation, a survey of D.C. residents reveals widespread agreement on neighborhood improvement, but also concern that the changes are only benefiting the city's affluent residents.

January 23 - The Washington Post

The developers of a transit-tracking app have some for exciting news for public officials: There's a way to improve transit rider satisfaction without reducing fares, buying new vehicles or expanding service. Just give your users more information.

January 22 - The Atlantic Cities

The American Planning Association has announced the 18 Excellence Award and 10 Achievement Award winners for 2014. The selections for the Planning Pioneer and Planning Landmark awards are likely to generate some discussion.

January 22 - American Planning Association