The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Connecticut

Lawyers Taking the Single-Family Zoning Fight to a Connecticut Town

Open Communities Alliance, along with law students and professors at a fair housing development clinic at Yale Law School, have proposed a development meant to trigger the exclusionary zoning code in the town of Woodbridge, Connecticut.

October 1 - The Connecticut Mirror

MARTA Green Line

Transit Sales Tax Hinges on Local Control in Suburban Atlanta

Gwinnett County voters living have rejected proposals to pay taxes for the MARTA transit system before, so the latest proposal for a transit sales tax is going to great lengths to prove its local control bonafides.

October 1 - SaportaReport

Manhattan

Judge Throws Out Plans for New Residential Skyscraper on Manhattan's Upper West Side

A residential skyscraper proposed for Manhattan's Upper West Side included a mechanical void that predated new rules in the city prohibiting the height-enhancing building practice. A judge still rejected the project as planned.

October 1 - Gothamist

Project Connect, Capital Metro

BLOG POST

How COVID Impacts the Future of Light Rail in Austin

The budget for Austin’s massive transportation plan was cut by nearly a third in the wake of the pandemic, but a tax rate increase to help pay for it is still on the ballot for November.

September 30 - Katharine Jose

People on Bikes

Starting Today: The Idaho Stop Is Legal in Washington State

A law passed in March allowing people on bikes to treat stop signs as yield signs when conditions permit takes effect today in Washington State.

September 30 - KUOW


San Antonio, Texas

Alamo Master Plan Thrown Into Disarray

Remember that $450 million plan to renovate The Alamo in time for the 300th anniversary of the battle? It's in trouble.

September 30 - San Antonio Business Journal

Airbnb logo over Dresden

Airbnb City Portal Offers Transparency, Addresses Safety Concerns

A new Airbnb Portal gives cities a much-requested glimpse into the short-term rental company's books. Now operating in 15 cities, the Airbnb City Portal is poised for implementation on a global scale.

September 30 - Bloomberg CityLab


Suburban Homes

FEATURE

An Academic Debate With Very Real Consequences: Land Use Regulations and the Cost of Housing

An article from the journal Urban Studies is inspiring debate and controversy over a year after publication, presenting opposing opinions on fundamental questions about how land use regulation affects the housing market.

September 30 - James Brasuell

Interstate 77

Local Opposition to Ohio DOT's I-77 Widening Plans Near Akron

The Ohio Department of Transportation wants to add lanes to Interstate 77 outside Akron to reduce congestion. Some local officials think the project will connect the region to the East Coast; others think the money would be better spent locally.

September 30 - Cleveland.com

Apartment Construction

Rent Control Debated in the Nation's Capital

District council members and local tenant advocates are engaged in a bit of tug of war about how far the District should go to limit the amount landlords can raise rents.

September 30 - DCist

New Jersey Power Plant

Landmark Environmental Justice Law Signed in New Jersey

New Jersey is now home to one of the "most stringent" environmental justice laws in the country.

September 30 - Next City

Brooklyn, New York City

Adaptive Reuse More Popular Than Ever, Study Says

The past decade saw more old commercial buildings transformed into residential buildings than any decade previous.

September 29 - RentCafé

Space X

Tampa Area Spending $1 Million to Study the Hyperloop

Another regional transit authority isn't as skeptical about the Hyperloop as many critics in the transit and technology press.

September 29 - Naples Daily News

Houston Bayou

Houston Officials Draft Ordinance to Protect Natural Areas

With more than 50,000 acres of parkland, Houston is one of many cities to notice an increase in use of natural areas. Natural Resources Manager Kelly Ondracek is drafting a plan to protect the natural lands from development.

September 29 - Next City

Wall Street

Lessons from the Last Housing Crisis: How to Get Control of Properties

How to keep affordable apartments and single-family homes out of the hands of institutional investors if the coronavirus pandemic leads to a giant wave of evictions and foreclosures.

September 29 - Shelterforce Magazine

Cincinnati Area

New Form-Based Neighborhood Development Code Approved in Covington, Kentucky

Covington, Kentucky, located just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, has implemented a fundamental shift in the city's planning philosophy by adopting a new form-based Neighborhood Development Code.

September 29 - The River City News

Houston, Texas

Environmental Study Released for $7 Billion Houston Highway Project

The final environmental impact statement for the controversial North Houston Highway Improvement Project is available for public comment, courtesy of the Texas Department of Transportation.

September 29 - Community Impact Newspaper

Society Hill Historic Buildings

Newly Exclusionary Zoning Expected for Approval in Philadelphia Neighborhood

The Philadelphia City Council is expected to approve new zoning for Society Hill over the objections of the Planning Commission and city planning staff.

September 29 - KYW

Park Slope, Brooklyn

As Vacancy Rates Climb in New York's Rental Market, Landlords Blame New Rent Control Law

Vacancy rates in New York City have climbed to unexpected heights in 2020, and landlords aren't pinning all the blame on a pandemic-induced urban exodus.

September 29 - The Real Deal

Is it a COVID Car or Mask-Optional Car? Rail Commuters Decide

A midwestern commuter rail line found a unique, if controversial way to achieve 100 percent mask compliance on its trains: Set aside one car, though preferably not the bike car, for riders who opt to travel maskless.

September 28 - Streetsblog Chicago

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.