The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Late Election Result: Transportation Sales Tax Appears to Pass in San Mateo County, Calif.
Transportation advocates have been patiently waiting since Nov. 6 for the results of a half-cent, 30-year county sales tax measure, 50 percent of which would benefit Samtrans bus and Caltrain needs and 5% bike/ped. It needs 66.67% of votes to pass.

Compact Cities Are Environmentally and Economically More Sustainable
Sprawl leads to more emissions, but the economic costs are also high. Policies and strategies that ensure compact growth are essential.

Report: 'Segregation Tax' Depresses Home Values in Majority-Black Areas
According to a study, residential segregation and anti-black bias combine to devalue properties in majority-black neighborhoods by an average of $48,000 per home.

Study Casts Doubt on Streetcars' Ability to Spur Development
Examining Portland and Seattle's much-talked-about systems, the authors highlight the importance of treating streetcars as a viable transport option, rather than just a means to stimulate development.

NASA's Urban Plan for Space Settlements
A 1977 NASA publication laid out a plan for the future of space settlements. The future of space looks very urban.

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Vertical Cities: Can Mega-Skyscrapers Solve Urban Population Overload?
Vertical cities could be much more than monolithic luxury towers, but the idea has its skeptics.

Philadelphia’s Skyline History
The city didn’t have tall buildings until the 1980s. Then its skyline took off.

Planned L.A. Crenshaw Line Rollout Prompts Argument
Already delayed, the Crenshaw Line has now sparked debate between stakeholders who favor opposing visions of how the light rail service should link up with the existing Green Line.

Plan Changes for Chicago’s Lincoln Yards Project
The massive proposed development project on the Chicago River is facing a host of questions about density, open space, and infrastructure.

Feds Let the Transit Funding Flow
It was a big week for long-awaited transit funding from the Federal Transit Administration.

U.S. Life Expectancy Continues Downward Trend
Drug overdoses and suicides caused American life expectancy to drop in 2017 for the second consecutive year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most notable is the gap between the urban and rural suicide rate.

A Regional Breakdown of Climate Change in the U.S.
No corner of the county will escape unscathed.

Boston's Metropolitan Area Planning Council Announces Resilience Grant Program
The Accelerating Climate Resiliency Mini Grant Program will award grants to six to 15 projects, policies, and actions to protect people from the impacts of climate change.

Ontario Orders a 'Carbon Trust Fund' to Replace its Cap-and-Trade Program
Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives party have left their mark on Ontario's signature climate change policy.

Price Triples for Keeping Asian Carp Out of Lake Michigan
It's been expensive year for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' efforts to prevent environmental catastrophe in Lake Michigan.

Freeway's Demise Will Fund Light Rail Grade Crossing Improvements in Pasadena
The final nails have been put in the coffin of the I-710 extension, and now communities like Pasadena are getting ideas about how to spend Measure R funding once reserved for the unwanted freeway.
Waterfront Ballpark Plans in the Work in Portland
The Portland Diamond Project is trying to bring Major League Baseball to Portland.

New Report Assesses Threat From Urban Flooding
Researchers from the University of Maryland and Texas A&M surveyed stormwater officials and synthesized the results. Their conclusion: "Rainwater is taking its toll on metropolitan America"

France Drops Road Tolling Plans Amid Fuel Tax Protests
Controversial London-style congestion pricing won't be coming to French cities due to concerns sparked by the 'Yellow Vest' protests over an upcoming fuel tax hike, but President Macron stated the fuel tax increases will go forward in January.

The New Rental Market: Get Less for More
New analysis from RENTCafe finds apartments shrinking while prices are expanding.
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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
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