The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Arizona Streetscape

Institutional Investors Gaining a Larger Footprint in the Housing Market, Report Says

The locations with the fastest growing populations are seeing the most dramatic increase in investor-owned single-family housing rentals.

July 19 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

Intersection on Manhattan street with yellow cabs and black cars waiting for stoplight.

BLOG POST

The Urbanist Case Against Congestion Pricing

And why it is wrong.

July 18 - Michael Lewyn

Silicon Valley

New Plans for Palo Alto: Updated Zoning and 6,000 Housing Units

The city of Palo Alto, a city central to the geographic and economic might of Silicon Valley, is planning a significant overhaul to its plans for the future, making space for over 6,000 new housing units in the next eight years.

July 18 - Palo Alto Weekly

Red and silver Muni trolley bus connected to overhead wires on San Francisco street

Report: Trolley Buses Best Zero-Emissions Option for San Francisco

To decarbonize its bus system, a new study recommends adding more substantial battery packs to the city’s historic—and all-electric—trolley bus fleet rather than replacing trolley buses with electric buses that require lengthy charging periods.

July 18 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Close-up of yellow dandelion flower poking through crack in broken concrete

How to ID Urban Wildflowers

Ever wonder what those flowers growing through a crack in the sidewalk are? This guide from Streetsblog has you covered.

July 18 - Streetsblog Massachusetts


Graphic of gray Oklahoma City rapid bus against photo of Oklahoma City skyline

Oklahoma City Solicits Public Input on New BRT Lines

City officials presented preliminary plans for new bus routes aimed at connecting neighborhoods previously underserved by transit.

July 18 - The Oklahoman

Vacant run-down houses in Gary, Indiana

Commentary: Place-Based Policy Must Target Chronically Poor Areas

As more evidence shows that neighborhood-level factors heavily impact future outcomes, place-based policies should use more accurate measurements to ensure persistently poor places don’t fall through the cracks.

July 18 - Route Fifty


Two-story houses on tree-lined street in Richmond, Virginia

Richmond Poised to Make ADUs By-Right

A new ordinance would reduce costs and delays for building or converting accessory dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods.

July 18 - Greater Greater Washington

View of large HOLLAND TUNNEL sign tollbooths with blurred red taillights in foreground

Report Proposes $15 Peak Hour, $3 Off-Peak Toll for New York Congestion Pricing Plan

As New York City’s congestion pricing program gets closer to implementation, a proposed pricing scheme would charge $15 at peak traffic hours.

July 18 - StreetsBlog NYC

The historic San Diego City and County Administration Building in Southern California.

San Diego Camping Ban Set to Take Effect, but Details Remain Murky

The city plans to crack down on unhoused people camping on city property, but has yet to identify parks and school zones targeted for enforcement under the new ordinance.

July 17 - Voice of San Diego

Rendering of Brightline West high-speed train with southwest desert mountains in background

Las Vegas-to-L.A. High-Speed Rail Project Passes Another Hurdle

The segment between Rancho Cucamonga and the high desert town of Victorville received a key approval, with groundbreaking scheduled for later this year.

July 17 - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Zoning map of New Hampshire

National Zoning Atlas Makes Headway

The project aims to bring zoning data from around the country into one database, making it easier for planners and researchers to compare policies and their impacts.

July 17 - PD&R Edge

Greyhound bus at Philadelphia bus station

Shuttered Bus Terminals Cause Problems for Riders, Cities

The closure of intercity bus stations is putting passengers out on the curb.

July 17 - Governing

Blackfoot memorial statue in Glacier National Park of Native American sitting on horse

BLOG POST

Public Lands in the United States, Part Two: The Conservation Turn and ‘America’s Best Idea’

As Western expansion reached its geographic terminus, the U.S. government began tightening rules around land use and designating protected areas such as national parks and wilderness areas, often displacing local Native Americans in favor of a Wester

July 17 - Diana Ionescu

Black plume of smoke rising from petrochemical plant fire in Houston, Texas

EPA Grant Will Fund Air Pollution Tracking in Houston

The city wants to monitor air quality and measure cancer-causing emissions near two petrochemical plants, one of which announced plans for expansion last year.

July 17 - Smart Cities Dive

View of green Bklyn-Qns Expwy sign on freeway

How Close Is the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to Collapse?

The crucial freight connection is ‘crumbling,’ but a decision on how to move forward with repairing and supplementing it continues to elude the city.

July 17 - Curbed

Encampment set up by unhoused residents in Portland, Oregon

Tent Encampments: Will the Legal Restraint be Lifted?

A controversial U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2018 that has hindered the ability of western cities to clear tent encampments on public spaces will likely be revisited and overturned by the Supreme Court, predicts a popular CNN host.

July 17 - OPB

A map of the planned and proposed route of the La Brea Ave Bus Priority Lanes Project in Los Angeles, runn9ing from Sunset Boulevard to the north and the E Line to the south.

New Bus Priority Lane Under Construction in Los Angeles

La Brea Avenue will soon gain a new bus priority lane, with plans for more to come still gathering community feedback.

July 16 - The Source

An eastbound Amtrak Empire Builder passes through the Cascade Mountains as the trees turn fall colors in Skykomish, WA

A Look at Amtrak’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

The agency wants to add new lines, improve service, and modernize its fleet as part of a $75 billion plan to revive U.S. train travel.

July 16 - Bloomberg CityLab

View of houses and buildings in Portland, Maine

Maine Program Funds Rural Affordable Housing

Developers can access up to $185,000 per unit to build affordable multifamily rental housing in small towns.

July 16 - Next City

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