The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Retro Streetcar

Post-Pandemic Transit Plan Announced in San Francisco

The recently announced post-COVID plan for public transit in San Francisco looks a lot different than the pre-COVID days.

June 22 - San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

BaltimoreLink System Map

Baltimore Could Reallocate Police Funding to Public Transit

Baltimore is taking steps to divest from policing and makes decisions about where to invest $22 million in reallocated funds. One proposal: use the money to support public transit.

June 22 - Greater Greater Washington

Scottsdale, Arizona

Lower Colorado River States Used Less Water in 2019 Than Any Year Since 1986

The states drawing water from the Colorado River's lower basin—California, Arizona, and Nevada—used less water from the river in 2019 than any year since the mid-1980s.

June 22 - Circle of Blue

Florida Sign - Welcome to Florida

Model Predicts Next U.S. Coronavirus Epicenter

For the third consecutive day, COVID-19 cases in the Sunshine State have set records, exceeding 4,000 for the first time. PolicyLab in Philadelphia now predicts Florida will be the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. by mid-July.

June 22 - WTSP-TV

Millennial Commerce

Report Assesses Equity Outcomes for the Opportunity Zone Program

Critics have raised doubts and concerns about the potential misuse of the federal Opportunity Zone program since it was approved in 2017, but a new report finds some evidence that the program is working toward its promoted intention.

June 22 - Urban Institute


Street plan.

North Lake Shore Drive Redo Falls Short of Bus Priority Expectations

Strong criticisms of the project alternatives under consideration by the Illinois Department of Transportation for the closely watched North Lake Shore Drive project.

June 22 - Streetsblog Chicago

Brooklyn Bridge Bike Lane

Bike-Centered Brooklyn Bridge Redo Under Consideration

City officials in New York are discussing the possibility of converting a car traffic lane on the Brooklyn Bridge for use by people on bikes.

June 22 - Brooklyn Paper


Miami, Florida

11 Years Later: Miami 21 Zoning Code Ready for an Update

Miami 21 was approved in 2009 and heralded as a sign of a new era in zoning. Since then, Miami 21 has been both credited and blamed for the city's transformation.

June 22 - Miami Herald

Coronavirus

City vs. State: Mayors Want Power to Require Mask Wearing to Slow Coronavirus Spread

Coronavirus cases are surging in the Lone Star State's urban areas, so mayors of nine of its largest cities asked Greg Abbott for the power to mandate the wearing of masks or facial coverings, prohibited by executive order, to slow viral spread.

June 21 - The Texas Tribune

Al Fresco Gelato

Prioritizing Open Air Spaces in Pandemic Recovery Efforts

Businesses and public health officials are working together to develop guidelines to provide goods and services to the public safely. They're visioning creative ways to bring businesses outdoors and promoting al fresco spaces.

June 21 - The Urbanist

Pollution

The Trump Administration's Environmental Policies Have Consequences for Black Lives

A Trump administration decision not to tighten Clean Air Act restrictions on soot pollution will have more consequences for Black Americans.

June 21 - Vox

COVID-19

CDC Documents Racial Disparities of COVID-19 Illness

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides the federal government's most complete picture of the demographic data of COVID-19 illness.

June 21 - Yahoo News

Granny Flat

PLANOPEDIA

What Are Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)?

Sometimes referred to as mother-in-law units or granny flats, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are a hallmark of contemporary planning as jurisdictions of all sizes and histories legalize the construction of these supplementary residential units.

June 19 - James Brasuell

New Orleans Musicians

New Rockefeller Foundation Program Supports 'Credit Invisible' Communities in Crisis

The Rockefeller Foundation is launching a grant program intended to prevent displacement as Black and Latino communities experience the worst public health and economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

June 19 - Smart Cities Dive

Eviction

Black Americans Facing Eviction on a Massive Scale

Many Americans won't be able to pay the rent in July. Black people are more likely to rent and will bear the brunt of a wave of evictions.

June 19 - Politico

Housing protest

The Case for Letting Developers Pay Not to Build

Inclusionary zoning requires new developments to include affordable units, but many cities allow developers to bypass this by paying an off-site fee. Is the fee-out option getting unfairly demonized?

June 19 - Shelterforce Magazine

Black Lives Matter

BLOG POST

Disorder is Not Destiny

Do protests and riots inevitably lead to crime waves and flight to suburbia? Not always.

June 19 - Michael Lewyn

Cincinnati Streetcar

Emilio Estevez Advocates for Cincinnati's Streetcar

Emilion Estevez, star of Repo Man, a favorite of urbanists with a taste for the dystopic, now lives in a hip neighborhood in Cincinnati, and he's spent recent days pushing for the city to restart service on the Cincinnati Bell Streetcar.

June 18 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Monuments

Slow Streets Are Coming to D.C.

Seven streets in Washington, D.C. will have speed limit reduced to 15 miles per hour following a District-wide 20 miles per hour local road speed limit set at the end of May.

June 18 - Urban Turf

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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.