The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Coal Power Plants to Retire Faster Under Trump

Coal plants will retire faster than analysts had figured under the Clean Power Plan, which the Trump administration is repealing, yet the Department of Energy proposes to make building new coal plants a centerpiece of its energy policy.

May 15 - Forbes

Pasadena Bike Infrastructure

Shouting Down Road Diets

In car-dependent communities, road diets and bike lanes can be a tough sell.

May 15 - CityLab

North Carolina

How to Save Charlotte's Dying Bus System

The epidemic of falling ridership has struck no American city as hard as Charlotte, but there's plenty that could be done to recover.

May 15 - The Charlotte Observer

Sports Utility Vehicle

SUV Boom May Be Tied to Jump in Pedestrian Deaths

The number of fatalities from SUVs is up more than 80 percent in the United States since 2009.

May 15 - Jalopnik

Refueling

Car Manufacturers Worried After Trump Administration Gave More Than Expected

The auto industry lobby is meeting with Trump Administration officials to convince them to ease off the throttle.

May 14 - The New York Times


recycled greywater

The Real Cost of Clean Water in One Kansas Town

Pretty Prairie has water with very high levels of nitrates, and lots of farmers that need to use nitrates if they want to keep the local economy going.

May 14 - Harper's

Houston

Post-Harvey Homeowners Face an 'Army of Speculators'

In Houston, investors are snapping up damaged homes that will be dependent on flood insurance.

May 14 - Houston Chronicle


Chicago Commuter Rail

Chicago's Metra Will Try One-Day Pass

Along with a scheme to simplify fares, Metra will roll out a one-day pass and a set of federally mandated safety updates.

May 14 - The Chicago Tribune

Driving

The Future of the American Auto Industry: Not Cars

The American passenger vehicle fleet is being transformed into bigger, fuel-thirstier, and more dangerous models (for those hit by them). Americans have shown a preference for light trucks, and manufacturers are responding by ditching cars.

May 14 - Car and Driver

Food Trucks

Defeating SB 827 Did Not Discourage the YIMBY Movement

Though the California housing bill was a high-profile failure for pro-development activists, there are initiatives all over the country that carry its spirit.

May 14 - CityLab

Elon Musk Gigafactory

Behold: Elon Musk's First Tunnel

Take a first look at the fruits of the Boring Company's labor. According to Elon Musk, the tunnel will be open to the public for free rides later this year.

May 14 - Los Angeles Times

New York City

Rents Falling in New York City; New Supply Gets Credit

New York City is seeing an adjustment in the rental market as landlords struggle to compete for renters in a suddenly crowded market.

May 14 - Bloomberg

Brightline

Brightline Ready to Run the Fast Trains in Florida

The privately funded Brightline "fast-travel" rail system announced an opening day of May 19 for service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach.

May 14 - Miami Herald

Oceanside

BLOG POST

The Conscience of a Radical

Why local governments can not always be trusted to run housing policy.

May 14 - Michael Lewyn

School Buses

Campaign Launched to Electrify School Buses

U.S. PIRG wants states to use funding from multi-billion dollar Volkswagen settlements to convert the nation's school bus fleet, 95% of which is diesel-powered, to zero-emission buses to reduce children's exposure to toxic air pollution.

May 13 - U.S. Pirg

San Francisco

Bay Area Home Prices Rise Despite Out-Migration

Kathleen Pender, business columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, points to two reasons why home prices rise amidst a Bay Area exodus to other states. On a state level, out-migration shows California's strong but dysfunctional economy.

May 13 - San Francisco Chronicle

Roanoke, Virginia's Evolving Economy Moves Beer-ward

Once, trains dominated the city’s economy, now it's "brains, bikes and beer," according to city officials.

May 13 - Governing

Los Angeles

If You're Ignoring Transportation, You're Not Much of a Climate Mayor

Encouraging compact land use by allowing density, building near transit, and eliminating parking minimums can have a powerful effect on the emissions a city generates.

May 13 - Streetsblog

London Bus

UK's Labour Party Proposes Free Bus Fare for All People Under 25

Young people make less money and spend a greater share of their incomes on transit than their older peers. Labour thinks subsidizing travel for young people could be a boost to young people and the economy.

May 13 - The Guardian

Bird

Cities as ‘Powerhouses of Evolution’

A new book on urban ecology shows how quickly wild species living in cities can adapt to their surroundings.

May 12 - National Geographic

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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.