The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Four Steps to More Affordable Housing in San Diego (and Elsewhere)
San Diego is one of the most expensive housing markets in the country and has the fourth highest homeless population. Planning activist Murtaza Baxamusa identifies four needed measures.

Pollution Does Discriminate in Orlando’s Parramore Neighborhood
Poor air quality has decimated the health of residents in this predominantly black community ringed by highways.

Breaking Down Barriers
Making streets, sidewalks safer for people with limited mobility.

Death Warrant Signed for Austin's Graffiti Park
The Hope Outdoor Galley, as Graffiti Park is officially known, will relocate to a decidedly less central location.

NIMBYs, but for Rats
Neighborhood groups around Detroit are taking the city's rat problem into their owns hands.

Surveying Atlanta's Transit Oriented Development Boom
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is taking a victory lap while underway with a wave of construction projects, developed through its Transit Oriented Development program.

FEATURE
Urban Planning Trends to Watch in 2018
Referencing three major themes can help make sense of urban planning news throughout 2018.

On the Life-Saving Potential of Leading Pedestrian Intervals
Giving pedestrians a head start at crosswalks is a simple fix that could save lots of lives. New York City has already seen a significant reduction in fatalities and injuries.

Value Capture Takes Prominent but Controversial Role in Fixing New York Subway
Value capture, collecting tax increment from subway adjacent properties to help provide money needed to repair the 114-year old subway system, is proposed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and opposed by the New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Zoning Changes to Battle 'Slot Homes' in Denver
An unintended consequence of the zoning regulations approved in Denver 2010 zoning code has been the proliferation of "slot homes": like rowhouses but without the street-facing entryways and engagement with the public realm.

China's Largest Online Retailer Using Artificial Intelligence to Tackle Congestion
A subsidiary of Alibaba, the massive online retailer, will deploy cloud computing and artificial intelligence to help relieve congestion in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

'America’s First Climate Refugees' Are Still on the Island
The 99 residents of Isle de Jean Charles have $48 million to relocate together, but that doesn’t make it easy.

One Obstacle to ADU Construction in California: The Price of Permits
The price of a permit to build an accessory dwelling units in the city of Thousand Oaks in Southern California is prohibitive—putting the permitting fee in opposition to the stated intent of the city's zoning code and state law.

Why Change Can Be Hard for Transit Agencies
Jarrett Walker discusses some reasons why transit authorities can be resistant to change. It all comes down to considering their point of view.

Embracing the Future of City Streets
Streets will have to evolve, again.

Desalination Projects Get a Big Boost in California
Desalination is often suggested as a potential panacea for California's ongoing struggles with drought. The catch in the announcement of $34.4 million in state funding for desalination projects shows why desalination is not there yet.

Affordable Housing Fallout From Tax Reform
Despite saving tools like the low-income housing tax credit, affordable housing will still take a hit.

Concord, New Hampshire to Draft a Form-Based Code
Concord will become the latest city to add a form-based code to its menu of development regulations.

How British Investments Enabled American Segregation
Exploring the surprising origins of the American suburbs.

Millennials and Housing Markets: Case Studies From Houston and Phoenix
Researchers from Arizona State University have produced a new working paper that examines efforts to attract and retain Millennials to downtown neighborhoods in Houston and Phoenix.
Pagination
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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