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The Resource Cost of Where We Live
Environmental impact isn't just a measure of what people buy, where we live affects the environment more than what we own or choose to drive.
30-Story Mixed-Use Tower Planned for Downtown Austin—Without Parking
Thanks to the elimination of minimum parking requirements downtown, a vacant one-story building "could be transformed into a 30-story tower with 135 luxury apartments, office space, a restaurant and a bar," reports the Austin-American Statesman.
A Watershed Moment for Ferries in the San Francisco Bay Area
With BART showing its age and struggling to meet growing demand, water-borne vehicles a potential panacea for transit in the San Francisco Bay Area?
Methane Emissions Replace CO2 Emissions— Is This Progress?
For the first time, electricity generated from burning natural gas will surpass coal, largely due to fracking of shale. While that means that carbon dioxide emissions will continue to drop, it also means that methane emissions will increase.

Anchorage Plans for the Future
Municipal officials and staff in Anchorage, Alaska, are hard at work drafting an updated land use plan that incorporates modern planning principles in the city's vision for development.
Should San Diego Imitate Indianapolis by Building a Downtown Stadium?
In the debate over two ballot initiatives in San Diego that would facilitate a combined convention center and stadium project, proponents have pointed to Indianapolis's Lucas Oil Stadium as a successful example. But is it?
Looking for a Planning Job? Practice the Art of the Interview
Urban planning students at University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill’s Department of City and Regional Planning recently participated in a valuable career–building workshop: the mock interview. Below are tips on how to organize a similar event.
Transit May Not Reduce Congestion—But It's Still Important
Laura Bliss argues that rather than promise to reduce congestion, Los Angeles Metro should embrace its real beneficiaries: non-drivers.
Los Angeles' Plan to Keep 'Bootleg' Units Affordable
Los Angeles is moving toward creating a path to amnesty and affordability for habitable, but unpermitted residential units.
Colorado Releases New Resiliency Guide for Local Governments
Colorado Department of Local Affairs releases "Planning for Hazards: Land Use Solutions for Colorado," a guide and website to help Colorado agencies prepare for natural disasters and reduce risks through resilience and hazard mitigation.
California Environmental Law Continues to Frustrate Bike Planning (for Now)
Help is on the way. The law that requires the governor's planning office to devise an alternative method for measuring vehicle traffic for environmental compliance will also take up where an earlier law that exempted bike lanes from CEQA left off.
TOD: The 'T' Stands for 'Trail'
Planning for active transportation is the new trend in urban development, according to the Urban Land Institute—and it pays off.
AIA Honors the Best in Housing Design
The American Institute of Architects recently announced the winners of the 2016 Housing Awards.
Broward County, Florida Advances One-Cent Transportation Sales Tax
A one-cent transportation sales tax took a major step forward to being placed on the Broward County November 2016 ballot with the 7-1 approval of the Broward County Commission. It now goes to the Broward County Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Sidewalk Labs Launches Urban Technology Blog
Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs announced the launch of Sidewalk Talk — a blog and forum for urbanists and technologists to converse and collaborate.
Using Highway Medians for Carbon Sequestration
Americans are thinking about undeveloped land alongside and between roadways as a low cost and widely dispersed strategy for carbon sequestration

Six Good, Duplicable Ideas for Cities
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Here's hoping these winning ideas for cities are exported around the country.
Virginia Railway Express Adding New Tracks to Increase Capacity
A Richmond Times-Dispatch article details a pair of projects to add third tracks to Virginia Railway Express stations—one set to complete this month and one just getting ready for construction.
Revitalization and Baseball in Downtown Houston
The recent on-field success of the Houston Astros is matched by a wave of building in the neighborhood around their home ballpark. All of that means baseball fans might have a harder time finding a place to park this season.
'Community Partners Program' Offers $5 Memberships for Capital Bikeshare
The new Community Partners Program will help Capital Bikeshare respond to concerns about the system's lack of access for low-income and minority residents.
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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
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.