The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Spawning Salmon Are Changing the Natural Environment
In the course of spawning, salmon are uplifting sediment and changing the course of watersheds.

Speed Limit Changes Coming to L.A.
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation announced proposed speed limit changes and enforcement budgets. Changes to the speed limit will mean an increase in most places.
Atlanta Beltline Acquires Major Piece of the Future Eastside Trail
The Atlanta Beltline will be realized one step at a time, and this was a big one.

Minnesota Investing $346 Million in Affordable Housing
A $988 million bonding bill approved by Minnesota state legislators earlier this year is paying off in funding for affordable housing projects around the state.
An Architectural Review of Toyota's New Texas Headquarters
Toyota Motor Company of North America has arrived in Texas.

California to Implement Wood Smoke Reduction Program
The program is voluntary, providing incentives to replace older, uncertified wood stoves for cleaner replacements or alternatives. In addition to decreasing air pollution, it reduces emissions of a "super climate pollutant," black carbon.

Spokane Voters to Decide Whether to Regulate Oil and Coal Trains
Proposition 2, the Safer Spokane Initiative, would require railroads to reduce health and safety risks posed by certain types of oil and coal trains traveling through specified parts of the city or risk being fined.

Seattle's Bus Ridership Growing While Rest of the Country Goes the Other Direction
Transit malls and voter support have buoyed a system that continues to attract commuters and other riders.

Study: Pollution Kills 9 Million People Every Year
The Lancet Commission study comes at a time when the Trump Administration is rolling back environmental regulations from a number of sectors.

Massive Newhall Ranch Deal Will Expand L.A. County's Footprint
FivePoint Holdings will pay $25 million for environmental preservation, in exchange for access to the undeveloped L.A. County land.

Florida's Brightline to Break Ground on Delayed Orlando Leg
The second phase of the highly anticipated Brightline express train service is finally moving forward after unanticipated delays.

Integrating Environmental Justice Into Planning Processes
National City, California pioneered a model for implementing environmental justice considerations into planning processes—state law compels states to follow National City's leadership.

Navigating the Unchartered Waters of U.S. Housing Policy: Current Challenges and Solutions
Vincent Reina, Penn IUR Faculty Fellow, writes about the current state of U.S. housing policy.

Friday Eye Candy: Mapping a World of Water Words
Cultures and geography have created a dictionary's worth of words for water. A new video from Vox maps (most of) them out.

Wildfire Destroys Santa Rosa Neighborhood Outside of Fire Hazard Zone
The Wine Country wildfires destroyed Coffey Park, a subdivision within the urban boundaries of the Bay Area's fifth largest city, and outside of the state's severe fire hazard zones. But the cause wasn't a mystery to wildland fire scientists.

San Francisco Mayor Calls for Quicker Approvals for New Housing
San Francisco Mayor, Ed Lee, released his directive saying the city should be approving the building or renovating of 5,000 units a year.

Chicago to Use Vacant Lots to Capture Stormwater
Chicago's Planning Department is putting eight city lots to work as "Stormwater Parks."

Suburban Office Parks Gain New Life As Millennials Grow Up
With some tweaks and upgrades, surburban office parks are reinventing themselves to attract new tenants and the millennials ready to start families in the 'burbs.

Friday Funny: Crass Bumper Sticker Finally Coughs Up its Traffic Data
You know the bumper sticker. It's the one that begins with the words "How's My Driving?" and ends with a 1-800 number.

Car2Go Says Goodbye Smart Car, Hello Mercedes
Car2Go is giving an upgrade to its car sharing service in Portland, OR by phasing out the tiny Smarts in favor of larger Mercedes-Benz luxury vehicles.
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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.