The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Ambulance driving down New York City street

BLOG POST

Ambulances vs. Pedestrians

Are the needs of emergency response vehicles inconsistent with nondrivers’ needs for slower, safer streets? Maybe not.

November 21 - Michael Lewyn

MBTA Bus

MBTA Announces Improved Bus Frequencies, Redesigned Route Map in Boston

A large system redesign is nearing implementation in and around Boston, but the new system map will require more drivers than the MBTA currently employs.

November 21 - The Boston Globe

Victorian two-story buildings with retail shops in downtown Nashvile, Tennessee

Nashville Sets Downtown Parking Maximums

Nashville is the latest city to enact a substantive change to the parking requirements set by the city’s zoning code—doing away with parking minimums and setting parking maximums in the city’s Urban Zoning Overlay.

November 20 - The Tennessean

California Shelter-in-Place

Office Vacancies Could Cost San Francisco $200 Million by 2028

The fiscal toll of the pandemic is only beginning to reveal itself. The challenges presented to growing office vacancy rates are not unique to San Francisco.

November 20 - Bloomberg

A small dam located in a rural location.

Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History Clears Final Regulatory Hurdle

Four dams are coming down along the Klamath River. The final decision to remove the dams is a milestone political and legal victory for indigenous tribes living in Southern Oregon and Northern California.

November 20 - High Country News


The  Rue Sainte-Catherine in Bordeaux is crowded with pedestrians in a lively European scene.

European Cities Act on Density

The sprawling mass of suburbia has been a disaster for the environment. But now smaller, denser cities herald a renaissance in city living.

November 20 - Wired Magazine

"No homeless sleeping" stenciled on grey dumpster in urban alley

‘Dignity Village’ Threatened by Anti-Camping Law

Portland’s ‘aggressive’ new camping ban could threaten the city’s most stable community of unhoused people, the two-decade old, self-governing Dignity Village.

November 18 - Next City


Kansas City streetcar with colorful wrap at Union Station

Kansas City Streetcar to Extend to Rockhurst

A new extension to the Kansas City Streetcar will open up the free transit line to Rockhurst University students.

November 18 - The Rockhurst University Sentinel

Washington Street Road DIet

Hoboken-Jersey City Bikeway Opens

The new lane will let riders travel between the two cities in a protected bikeway designed to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

November 18 - TAPintoJerseyCity

Rendering of pedestrians and cyclists in Hospital Square surrounded by buildings and trees

Atlanta Launches Website for Highway Cap Project

Residents can view plans for the 14-acre project that include public plazas and green spaces connecting local landmarks, employment centers, and transit stations.

November 18 - Urbanize Atlanta

Walkable Street

Report: Sustainability Goals Go Unmet in Many Global Cities

Cities around the world are failing to achieve progress toward their sustainability and public health goals, new research finds.

November 17 - Brookings

Aerial view of circular street pattern with buildings in Sun City, Arizona with desert mountains in background

Arizona’s Growth Threatens Water Supplies

New communities are popping up across Arizona’s desert, evading water consumption restrictions and straining the state’s groundwater supplies.

November 17 - KJZZ

Aerial top-down view of multicolored big rig trucks in lines at the Port of Los Angeles

Los Angeles County Launches Environmental Justice Department

The new department will develop plans for addressing the impacts of air and water pollution, extreme heat, and climate change on vulnerable communities.

November 17 - Los Angeles Daily News

Blue FLEX bus with "Request & Go" text on side, woman rider boarding

Microtransit Gains Momentum With Public Transportation Agencies

On-demand van services are competing with ride-hailing and filling some crucial gaps in public transit networks.

November 17 - InTransition Magazine

Aerial view of Interstate 35 bridge over river into downtown Austin, Texas with skyline in background

Highway Expansion Moves Forward in Austin Despite Local Opposition

The Texas Department of Transportation plans to build an elevated freeway segment as part of its plan to widen Interstate 35 through central Texas.

November 17 - KUT

View of cars in traffic from behind with visible tailpipe emissions

BLOG POST

Comprehensive Transportation Emission Reduction Planning

Many jurisdictions have ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and are developing plans to achieve them. This column discusses the factors that should be considered in this planning process.

November 17 - Todd Litman

Multicolored four-story New York City buildings with storefronts on ground floor

New York’s Small Landlords Protest for the Right to Exclude

Landlords with fewer properties say rent stabilization, eviction moratoriums, and rising costs for repairs and maintenance are making it impossible for them to keep their businesses going.

November 17 - Curbed

Rock Creek Park Washington D.C.

Road in D.C.’s Rock Creek Park to Stay Car-Free

The National Park Service has decided to make permanent a road closure that went into effect in April 2020.

November 17 - National Park Service

Market Street San Francisco

San Francisco Could Strike Deal on New Tower

The city is leveraging height increases and density bonuses to acquire more properties for affordable housing.

November 16 - San Francisco Chronicle

Silicon Valley

Palo Alto Includes Industrial Rezonings in its State-Mandated Housing Element

Palo Alto, a Silicon Valley city with a history of exclusionary zoning tactics, has produced a new Housing Element that calls for more than 6,000 housing units to be built in the city by 2031.

November 16 - Palo Alto Online

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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.