The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Revisiting ‘Third Places’ as a Pandemic Recovery Tool
In Chuck Wolfe's latest piece on downtown recovery for GeekWire, he proposes revisiting a multifaceted ‘third place’ agenda as a focus for downtown recovery.

Group Urges L.A. to Build Housing on Vacant Lots
A survey of city-owned vacant lots identifies properties that could be developed into affordable housing or shelter.

Can Insurance Woes Finally End Sprawl?
Environmental risks are becoming too much for the home insurance industry to bear. Could this be the first signs of the collapse and reversal of sprawling land use patterns?

FEATURE
The Top Schools For Urban Planners
The 7th Edition of the Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs, now available, includes an updated ranking of the Top 25 master’s programs in urban planning, city planning, regional planning, and community planning.

Milwaukee BRT Proves Popular With Riders
The newly opened line is already reaching pre-pandemic ridership levels.

Study: FEMA Buyout Program Could be Accelerating Segregation
A new analysis of the relocation patterns of households that participate in FEMA’s flood buyout program reveals a pattern of increased racial segregation.

Details Start to Emerge for Revived Baltimore Red Line
The long-awaited east-west transit line is moving forward with support from a new governor, but still has a long road ahead.

How Urban Design Fails Families
For parents of small children, amenities like public restrooms or shady parks can vastly improve—or deteriorate—the experience of navigating cities.

Newly Opened Regional Connector Redefines Light Rail Transit in Los Angeles
Three rail lines have become two rail lines in Los Angeles, providing one-seat rides from four corners of Los Angeles County.

Should ADUs Count as Affordable Housing?
Without regulations or monitoring systems to ensure accessory dwelling units are rented at affordable rates, citing ADU construction toward affordable housing goals is a disingenuous way to avoid building multi-family housing.

Coastal Climate Resilience to Receive $2.6 Billion Federal Investment
The Biden Administration announced the second massive investment of federal funds for coastal resilience on June 6. The Inflation Reduction Act allocated $3.3 billion to NOAA. In March, the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act added $562 billion.

A Housing Crisis Spreads in Yellowstone Gateway Communities
Last year’s flooding caused damage to already strained affordable housing supplies in towns near the national park.

Chicago Adding to Electric Bus Fleet
The city is working toward its goal to fully convert its transit fleet to electric buses by 2040.

Report: Housing Affordability a Problem in Almost All U.S. Counties
The ‘housing wage’ needed to afford housing in most communities is well above minimum wage.

Coalition Keeps up the Fight Against Maryland Highway Project
Environmentalists and community groups are asking a federal judge to rule in their favor to require Maryland’s department of transportation to conduct a thorough environmental review before expanding Interstate 270.

Miami Ranked Least Affordable U.S. Housing Market
South Florida residents are spending as much as 79 percent of their income on housing.

Seniors Over 50 Make up Almost Half of California’s Unhoused Population
A new study finds that low-income seniors are increasingly unable to find affordable housing.

Lessons From People’s Park
The University of California, Berkeley faced bitter opposition to new student housing. What does this mean for universities—and for democracy?

Arizona ‘Car-Free’ Neighborhood Nears Opening
Culdesac Tempe bans personal cars in exchange for access to scooters, bike facilities, and free transit. Is that enough to reduce car ownership in auto-centric Arizona?

Southwest Coming to Grips With Water Crisis
Will banning lawns and limiting water use be enough as new communities continue to sprout up across the drying west?
Pagination
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.