The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

New York Plans to Improve Access to Hart Island, the Nation's Largest Public Cemetery
Managed for decades by the Department of Corrections, the island could soon become a public park with regular ferry service and expanded visiting hours.

Bus Lane Plans Continue Retreat in New York City—This Time it's Fifth Avenue
The de Blasio administration caved to the interests of a Manhattan real estate developer and shelved a plan to prioritize bus transit over private automobiles on one of the most famous corridors in the world.

COVID Vaccination Strategy: What the U.K. and U.S. Could Learn from Israel
Cases are surging in the U.K. despite 68% of its population being fully vaccinated. Experts say that U.K. officials should observe how Israel, with 63% of its population fully vaccinated, managed to reduce transmission after a similar surge.

Plan Bay Area 2050, Approved Last Week, Makes the Opinion Page
A traditionally controversial planning exercise, the regular update of the 30-year plan for the San Francisco Bay Area, has crossed the finish line again. Opponents aren't letting the issues rest, however.

Tesla 3 Now the Best-Selling Car in Europe
For the first time ever, an electric vehicle was the most sold car in Europe—with Tesla's Model 3 outselling all other cars on the continent in the month of September.

What COVID Taught About Mobility Justice
Transit agencies are waking up to the inequities in transportation systems—highlighted by the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Spiking Rents Putting More People at Risk of Eviction
Housing costs across the country are becoming more and more unaffordable for low- and moderate-income households, a trend that began even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saudi Arabia Promises 'Net Zero' Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2060
Cue a grain of salt.

Signs of Financial Distress Among Office Properties
The foreclosure risk facing a pair of high-profile office buildings highlight the debt difficulties facing the office sector as it deals with the fallout of the pandemic. The trend could be on the verge of picking up steam.

Amazon Shifting From Land Lessee to Land Owner
Amazon has been tending to buy when previously it would have leased, and the trend has massive implications for the industrial real estate market.

Greyhound Sold to the King of European Intercity Bus Operators
With revenue tanking during the pandemic, Greyhound has been sold from one European company to another—the new owner also happens to be the new kid on the Intercity bus block.

How Street Configuration Impacts Equity
With urban pollution and traffic violence disproportionately affecting communities of color, better management of public space and streets could improve equity in cities.

Portland and Multnomah County Push for Lower Speed Limits on Bridges
The Portland Bureau of Transportation and Multnomah County agree on a 30 mph speed limit on five downtown bridges, but the state's department of transportation denied the change on two key spans.

Study: Half as Many Metro Areas Affordable to Low-Income Homebuyers in 2021 as in 2020
Over 13 million potential first-time homebuyers were priced out this year, putting homeownership out of reach for low-income households in most of the largest U.S. cities.

Watch: Even With Bike Lanes, 'Right Hooks' Are a Risk
An eight-minute video explains the importance of bike lanes for traffic safety and illustrates some of the risks for people on bikes even with higher-quality bike lane infrastructure in place.

A Car-Free Vision for Downtown Brooklyn—Updated for the Covid-Era
In December 2019, the Downtown Brooklyn Public Realm Vision set ambitious goals for removing cars from one of New York's central business districts. Then came the pandemic and new tests for those ambitions.

FEATURE
Top Websites for Urban Planning – 2021
Planetizen's annual list of the best of the urban planning Internet.

California Governor Declares Statewide Drought Emergency
The declaration applies to all of California's 58 counties, with agencies and households urged to implement stricter conservation measures as the historic drought deepens.

New 'Housing Accountability Unit' to Enforce California's Housing Goals
Part of the state's Housing and Community Development Agency, the unit will focus on enforcing existing laws around housing production and ensure cities build the housing needed to alleviate the current crisis.

Widespread Neighborhood Opposition to Atlanta's Comprehensive Development Plan
A generational comprehensive planning effort hangs in the balance in the city of Atlanta.
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.