The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Los Angeles County's 30x30 Strategy Earns National Recognition
L.A. County's Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+) received a 2023 achievement award from the National Association of Counties (NACo).

Albuquerque Poised to Legalize Accessory Dwelling Units
Allowing ADU construction on parcels previously zoned exclusively for single-family detached housing is one component of the Housing Forward ABQ initiative, a larger effort to reform zoning practices in Albuquerque.

Report: Austin’s State Roads Deadlier Than City Roads
Traffic fatalities and serious injuries grew on state-owned roads in the Texas capital, even as city-owned streets saw death rates plateau.

Who Benefits Most from Land Conservation Efforts?
A new study estimates that recent land conservation generated $9.8 billion in wealth nationally through the housing market and that wealthier and White households benefited disproportionately.

Richmond Repeals Parking Minimums, Encourages Off-Street Parking and Transit
The Virginia city is replete with underused off-street parking lots, which city councilors hope to make available for parking at more times while encouraging transit use.

Lack of Multi-Family Zones Contributes to Nashville’s High Housing Costs, Study Says
Nashville and surrounding communities allow for a relatively small amount of multi-family housing, according to a new zoning atlas of Middle Tennessee. A regionally focused nonprofit is using the atlas to push for zoning reforms.

New York Subway Begins Accessibility Improvements
The MTA is putting its effort to improve the system’s century-old stations to make them more universally accessible in high gear, adding elevators, boarding upgrades, and mechanical improvements.

Activists Mourn Potential Death of Bay Area Transit With Mock Funeral
In an action meant to draw attention to the financial crisis facing California’s public transit agencies, activists held a mock funeral for BART and Muni, citing the cause of death as ‘neglect.’

Proposed Short-Term Rental Tax Would Fund Affordable Housing in California
A state bill would impose a tax similar to a hotel tax on short-term rental owners, with the revenue funding affordable housing projects.

The Challenges of Aging in Place
Seniors in one Bay Area community want to stay in their communities, but many find the cost of living and maintaining older homes prohibitive.

The Rise of the ‘Night Mayor’
More cities are acknowledging the unique role of nighttime activities in urban life and the need for special ‘night governance.’

Milwaukee’s First BRT Line Celebrates Grand Opening
The nine-mile route covers the city’s busiest east-west corridor and will offer free rides through the summer.

D.C. Preservation Board Includes Parking Lot in Historic Designation
The decision to protect a non-historic parking lot as part of designating an adjacent historic bank building is being derided by critics as another form of exclusionary zoning.

Decatur Approves New Food Cart Program
Mobile food vendors can now apply for permits to operate in several of the city’s public spaces.

New York’s ‘Right to Shelter’ Mandate Threatened
A rule requiring the city to provide shelter for unhoused people is being eroded as city officials claim local agencies can’t keep up with growing demand.

Few Landlords Pay San Francisco Vacancy Tax
Less than 3 percent of properties potentially subject to a new vacancy tax were filed as vacant in the last year, but empty storefronts in the city persist.

In Spite of Affordability Crisis, Richmond Rejects Manufactured Housing Plan
After declaring a housing crisis, the Virginia capital’s city council voted against a proposed manufactured home warehouse that would distribute replacements for aging manufactured housing stock.

A Planning Commission Podcast Journey: The 1,000 Joys of Planning
The Commissioners explore the facets of the planning profession that fill their cups with joy.

Provincetown Proposes New Car-Free Trail
An underused highway could become a pedestrian and bike trail connecting the Cape Cod town to its beaches.

California Moves to Limit Autonomous Trucks
A bill passed by the State Assembly and moving on to the Senate would require autonomous semi trucks to have a trained human operator in the vehicle.
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