The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Philadelphia to Consider Bus System Redesign
Philadelphia is one of many American cities suddenly beset with declining bus ridership numbers, likely in part as a result of the popularity of transportation network companies.
In a Perfect World, Maintenance Is the Coolest Trend in Infrastructure
The New York Times opinion section includes a call for society, politicians, and business leaders to recognize the importance of maintenance.
BLOG POST
A Boring Lesson for Planners
Elon Musk's vision for transportation networks made of tunnels and powered by magnets may or may not come to pass. But planners can still take a cue from his vision for infrastructure development.
Bikes That Talk in a World of Self-Driving Cars
The question of whether self-driving cars will make streets and roads a safer place for humans depends on whether technology can protect the most vulnerable users.
Congress Confirms a Controversial Number Two at the Department of the Interior
The confirmation of David Bernhardt as Deputy Secretary of the Interior has upset environmentalists and advocates for public land.
Traffic Concerns Sink Light-Rail-Adjacent Development in San Jose
The city of San Jose has a mixed record of moving forward with land use changes that complement its existing and expanding transit systems.
Op-Ed: To Lower Housing Costs, Make it Cheaper and Easier to Build Housing
The argument in the headline, put more specifically: inclusionary zoning, fees, legal challenges, and minimum apartment sizes are counter-productive. The only policy that will add housing stock, is to make it much cheaper to add housing stock.
Gov. Jerry Brown's High-Speed Gamble
To secure needed votes to pass a vital cap-and-trade bill, Brown made a deal with California's Republican lawmakers that could cost him his legacy infrastructure project—the high-speed train from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
Texas Bill Would Immunize Property Rights From Zoning Code Changes
The Texas Legislature and executive branch is continuing to wage a battle against local control, this time pursuing a land use law that would undermine zoning code changes, such as the current CodeNEXT process in Austin.
BLOG POST
First Mile-Last Mile, Intermodalism, and Making Public Transit More Attractive
As planners seek to leverage public transit investments with enhanced first mile-last mile connections, it is critical that market analysis guide those initiatives and that impacts and cost effectiveness are part of the performance assessment.
D.C.'s Circulator Bus System: Metro Out, DDOT In
The well-documented problems facing the D.C. Circulator bus system came to head earlier in July.
A National Day of Telecommuting
Companies and workers in the country of Japan are less likely to work from home than in the United States. The government hopes to increase the number of telecommuters during the 2020 Olympics, however.
FEATURE
To Learn About a City, Visit Its Neighborhoods
Tourists are often drawn to downtown museums, sightseeing tours, and high-end restaurants. But if these travelers want to truly understand a city’s full story, they may need to take a bit of a detour.
Study: 'Eyes on the Street' Have Real Value for Neighborhood Safety
The first study to make an attempt at quantifying the value of "eyes on street"—an idea most eloquently described by Jane Jacobs—offers reason to support a mix of uses, with businesses operating later in the evening.
State Transportation Officials Ask Congress to Hike Transportation User Fees
It's not funding Trump's much-talked-about infrastructure package, but the 2020 termination date of the FAST Act has state transportation officials urging Congress to hike fuel taxes to sustain the Highway Trust Fund.
Police Departments Budgets Grow, but Cities Aren't Any Safer
A Next City article argues that investing in job programs and other public goods would do more to make those communities safe than investing in police departments.
Reality Checking Elon Musk's Hyperloop Nothing Burger—Again
Elon Musk's desire to tunnel a path to freedom from congestion refuses to die.
Caltrain Electrification Broke Ground on Friday
Gov. Jerry Brown, Peninsula congresswomen, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and state legislative leaders gathered in Millbrae with shovels-in hands to mark the beginning of a four-year construction project to electrify Caltrain.
Are Form-Based Design Standards Easier Than Form-Based Codes?
Randall Arendt looks at how communities can achieve results similar to Form-Based Codes through a simpler set of form-based design standards (FBDS).
Amazon's Mobile Stores Rolling Out Nationwide
Amazon's Treasure Trucks hawk everything from GoPros to poke bowls and Harry Potter books.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.
