The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Detroit Streetcar

Detroit's New Streetcar Line Now Open For Business

Sights and scenes from Detroit's new streetcar system: The QLine

May 16 - Modern Cities

Donald Trump

Trump Looks to Saudis to Help Finance Infrastructure Plan

President Trump will take his first trip abroad on Friday to Saudi Arabia, where he hopes to secure a $40 billion investment for his $1 trillion infrastructure plan. At home, Trump's plan was rebuffed by Texas legislators.

May 16 - Bloomberg Politics

DTLA Mural

The Rise of Corporate Murals in LA

Downtown Los Angeles, styled DTLA by its new enthusiasts, has long been a site for street art and murals of dubious legality. Now, developers are paying artists to paint them.

May 16 - Los Angeles Downtown News

Highland Park Fire Department

A Rejuvenation Plan for Detroit's Highland Park

Along with Hamtramck, Highland Park is one of two tiny cities entirely surrounded by the city of Detroit. Here's how its leaders want its center to develop over the next five to ten years.

May 16 - Curbed Detroit

Observation Wheel

New Ferris Wheel Proposed for St. Louis

In Delmar Circle, a long-closed Church's Chicken and its parking lot may be the site of a 20-story Ferris Wheel.

May 16 - Next STL


Church

How Aging Urban Churches Can Be Saved

Churchgoing in Washington, D.C. is on the decline, and neighborhood churches are finding it hard to pay the bills. One solution is to go mixed-use and share space with new development.

May 16 - Washingtonian

California Cap-and-Trade Overhaul and Extension Emphasizes Dividend and Equity

While California cap-and-trade survived a legal challenge last month, a haze still surrounds the program. Carbon permit sales are low, and the program's longevity is threatened after 2020. A new bill was introduced to transform the program.

May 15 - Vox


Subway Construction

Inside Downtown Los Angeles' Subway Tunneling Project

It's not the only subway under construction in Los Angeles, or event the most famous (it doesn't have the PR ring of the "Subway to the Sea"), but the Regional Connector will provide a critical link through the heart of the city's downtown.

May 15 - Los Angeles Times

Presidio San Francisco

San Francisco Moving Forward on its First Teacher Housing Project

The mayor of San Francisco announced plans to convert an old administrative building, owned by the school district, into housing for teachers. It’s a long-awaited idea that has finally come to fruition.

May 15 - San Francisco Chronicle

Exurban California

California Growth Shows an Exurban Pattern

The "back to the city" narrative might make for good headlines, but an analysis of California's growth patterns tell a different story. Take San Diego County as an example.

May 15 - Voice of San Diego

Seattle the Newest 'Urban Bird Treaty City'

A gap in the "Pacific Flyway" has been filled, after the city of Seattle has agreed to protect the migratory routes of birds.

May 15 - KUOW

Wind

Maryland Positions Itself as Nation's Leader in Offshore Wind Power

In a few years, Maryland is expected to be the nation's leader in offshore renewable wind power made possible by the Public Service Commission's approval on May 11 of credits to two projects by U.S. Wind and Skipjack Offshore Energy.

May 15 - Planetizen

University of Denver

BLOG POST

Has Placemaking Become Cliché?

There’s very little that differentiates proposals by four distinguished planning and design firms to better connect my university to its immediate neighborhood and the wider city. Why is that, and does it have to be that way?

May 15 - Dean Saitta

Toronto from the CN Tower

The New Frontier of Internet-Enabled Cities Slated for Toronto

Sidewalk Labs is preparing to launch a big experiment on the smart cities concept.

May 15 - Bloomberg

Threats and Opportunities for Low-Income Community Development Investment

Community development finance institutions (CDFIs) have tapped into the bond market, and the potential for investment is huge, but the Trump Administration could erase the progress of CDFIs.

May 15 - ImpactAlpha

Downtown Flint Michigan along Saginaw Street

25 Best Examples of Innovative Government Programs

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University will award $100,000 to a grand price winner for the Innovations in American Government Awards.

May 15 - Harvard Kennedy School

new York City

Looking Back at 30 Years of the 'America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places' List

On the 30th anniversary of the annual "America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places," the National Trust for Historic Preservation took a look back at the successes of years past.

May 14 - CityLab

Ghost Bike

Op-Ed: 'Share the Road' PSAs Aren't Enough to End Bike Fatalities

An op-ed wonders when enough bike fatalities will be enough.

May 14 - The Orange County Register

San Jose, California

San Jose Approves Tenant Protections, Studying a Ban on Voucher Discrimination

The city of San Jose, California is crafting regulations to give renters and low-income residents more rights and access to fair housing.

May 14 - The Mercury News

Op-Ed: The High Cost of Free Electric Vehicle Parking

Two New York city councilmembers are hoping to entice more residents to buy electric cars by offering free parking for the electric vehicles on Saturdays. Not so fast, says an op-ed for Streetsblog USA.

May 14 - Streetsblog USA

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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.