The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Southern California

How Regional Planning Can Be Antiracist

Under new board president Rex Richardson, the Southern California Association of Governments—the country's largest MPO—has pledged to combat racism through regional planning, including equitable housing development.

September 2 - California Planning & Development Report

workspace

Interior Architects and Designers Decide the Fate of the Traditional Office Space

Coronavirus-mitigating design interventions make their debut indoors as interior architects and designers ponder the possibilities for traditional office spaces.

September 2 - Chicago Tribune

Empty Homes

Neighborhood Homes Investment Act Picks Up Momentum

A proposed tax credit designed to stabilize single-family neighborhoods facing growing numbers of vacancies is making its way through Congress.

September 2 - Shelterforce Magazine

New York City Coronavirus

BLOG POST

The Media Can't Stop Talking About the End of Cities

The latest installment of Planetizen's ongoing effort to track the stories about the future of planning in a world forever changed by COVID-19 notices a recurring theme.

September 2 - James Brasuell

Highway 65 Construction

Zoning Reforms Underwhelm in Minneapolis as Development Market Holds Course

As one of the first city's to comprehensively allow for residential density, Minneapolis was probably hoping for more than what it's achieved so far.

September 2 - City Pages


Jersey City

Costs, Delays Ballon on Hudson River Tunnel Project

Developers are baling the latest delays and cost increases for the Hudson Tunnel Project on uncertainty surrounding federal environmental review.

September 2 - ENR New York

Sidewalk Parking

Parking on Sidewalks Could Be Prohibited Throughout the U.K.

The United Kingdom could preempt local laws that allow drivers to park cars on sidewalks. The policy would provide clearer paths for people with disabilities and people choosing active transportation modes.

September 2 - The Guardian


Transit Planning

East Link Light Rail Plans Provoke Controversy in Seattle Suburb

A proposal to link local and regional buses with the East Link light rail expansion in Mercer Island, already under construction, threatens to boil over into the courtroom.

September 1 - Mercer Island Reporter

University of Arizona

Coronavirus Wastewater Testing Yields Positive Results at Universities

Wastewater testing is being hailed as a success at the University of Arizona, credited for stopping a COVID outbreak. In Utah, wastewater analysis forced almost 300 students to quarantine for four days while awaiting their test results.

September 1 - The Arizona Republic

Portland, Oregon

Portland Transit Station to Get Multi-Modal Mixed-Use Overhaul

The regional transit agency for Portland, Oregon is working on a development plan that would drastically multiple the planning considerations at a local transit station.

September 1 - Bike Portland

Hollywood Sign

Another Defeat for Statewide Zoning Reform in California

Another year, another defeat for sweeping changes to the status quo of single-family zoning in the state of California. SB 1120 would have allowed duplexes in areas previously zoned for detached single family zoning.

September 1 - Los Angeles Times

City Apartments

Eviction is Not the Answer

The Eviction Lab at Princeton University is using data to tell the story of thousands of tenant evictions. Matthew Desmond, the Lab's director, shares stories of tenants and insights about the compounding danger of mass evictions and COVID-19.

September 1 - The New York Times

Los Angeles County

Micro-Units Considered as Affordable Housing Option

Long Beach, California is the latest city to consider small residential units, 350 square feet and smaller, as one way to combat the rising cost of housing.

September 1 - Signal Tribune

Social Distancing

Gas Tax to Climb More Than 9 Cents a Gallon in New Jersey

A 2016 law that locked in a specific amount of gas tax revenue for project funding every year has required a boost in the tax rate in New Jersey as drivers leave their car at home during the pandemic.

September 1 - WPVI

Philadelphia

A Development Bonanza in Philadelphia

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the real estate interests with designs on remaking the Penn's Landing site on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. But the team's vision for the waterfront reaches far beyond a single parcel.

September 1 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Traffic

The Outdated Models That Continue to Guide Transportation Planning

Transportation demand models offer predictions that are used to make important decisions, but their accuracy is questionable. The real issue, however, might be about the goals of planning and how urban life and livability are quantified.

August 31 - Vice Magazine

The old and the new

'The City' Documents Formative Planning Advocacy on Film

Streaming on YouTube, the 1939 film "The City" is a powerful cinematic account of advocating for planned communities.

August 31 - The New Yorker

Northern California Wilidfires

Wildfire Smoke Affecting Communities Across the Country

Wildfires in California and Colorado are spewing out smoke that is traveling to other parts of the country. The health effects of the dirty air are substantial, and they could last long after the fires are out.

August 31 - Inside Climate News

Carew Tower

Cincinnati Program Helps Renters With Security Deposits

For low-income renters, security deposits can be a hurdle they cannot overcome. Cincinnati's “renters’ choice” program aims to help with that challenge by providing alternatives to traditional security deposits.

August 31 - Huffpost

Chicago Lake Michigan Trees

Addressing Equity by Strategically Planting Millions of Trees

As part of the Trillion Trees Initiative, cities across the country are pledging to plant trees and restore urban forests to fight climate change and cool off disadvantaged communities.

August 31 - Bloomberg CityLab

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.