The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
On the Risk of Terrorist Attack on Public Transportation in the U.S.
The administrator of the Transportation Security Administration says public transportation systems in the United States are relatively safe from terrorist attack. His reasons for that assessment might surprise.
While Commodities Sink, Solar Power Rises on Farmland
Some of the nation's new clean energy capacity is being built on land that formerly grew crops. The sun, quite literally, is worth more than peanuts.
A Critical Take on Public Engagement
Zelda Bronstein makes plenty of points likely to inspire disagreement among planners in this argument calling for a better form of public engagement—one that's substantive and integral, not an afterthought.
Library Hours in New York City Show Huge Improvements
A study by the Center for Urban Future reveals library hours in New York City to have improved a great deal in recent years—while still lagging behind state and national averages.
Kentucky Governor Signs No-Toll Bill, Likely Sets Back Ohio River Bridge 10 Years
As promised, Gov. Matt Bevin signed the P3 bill that allows private funding, but bans tolls, to pay for the $2.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge project over the Ohio River that connects Covington, Ky. to Cincinnati. Now he needs to find the funding.
The Transportation Policy of Four Presidential Candidates
An article for Next City reveals the transportation policy platforms of Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders, asking the question of whether any of them will shift new support to public transit.
Feds to Investigate Possible Misuse of Funds for Controversial Bay Delta Tunnel Project
A highly controversial project that would build a system of tunnels to divert water from the Sacramento River, and a signature project of California Governor Jerry Brown, now finds itself in trouble with federal investigators.
Golf's Physical Footprint Shrinking Quickly in Michigan
The real estate boom that brought about a boom in golf course construction is a thing of the past. Now golf courses are closing around the country as the sport recedes from its peak popularity.
BLOG POST
Community Engagement Highlights from APA 2016
As I do every year at the APA National Conference, I did my best to catch as many community engagement sessions as possible. Here are highlights, takeaways, and the common threads I noticed this year.
BLOG POST
Bruce Rauner's Highway to a Shrinking Chicago
How a proposed expansion of Chicago's I-55 could further disperse Chicago's population.
New Frequent Buses Will Arrive More Frequently in Seattle
A few weeks after a major restructure of bus service, King County Metro Transit in Seattle is adding additional bus trips to a few particularly crowded lines.
Boston Working to Keep Construction Hiring Local and Diverse
The city of Boston is working to ensure that a diverse collection of residents are benefitting from the fruits of the city's current building boom.
South Bend Reactivating Vacant Lots
Formerly vacant homes are now vacant lots in South Bend, Indiana. Returning the lots to productive uses presents a new kind of challenge for community groups and local officials.
BLOG POST
The Best Reasons to Go to Grad School in Planning
As the 2016 admission season winds down, thoughts turn to the 2017 application process. For students considering the idea, there are several good reasons to attend graduate school in 2017, and a few that may cause problems later.
Moonshine, Basketball, and the Power of Place
Like a random encounter on the street, sometimes disparate ideas converge in interesting ways. Today, Kentucky Mist Moonshine and the Project for Public Spaces shed some light on municipal branding.
Environmentalists Disagree On Bikes in the Wild
Environmental groups are split over legislation that would remove the nationwide ban on bicycles in the wild.
Starter Homes Are a Non-Starter
As prices rise, especially in desirable urban markets, what used to be called "starter homes" rarely come up for sale. And when they do, they go for more than first time home-buyers can afford.
What Eminent Domain Means in North Philadelphia
A panel discussion convened in Philadelphia recently to discuss the effects of eminent domain, that critical and troubling tool that makes redevelopment possible.
Second Avenue Subway to Bring Boon to Upper East Side Neighborhood
For residents of Manhattan's Yorkville neighborhood, life, and property values, will be greatly improved when the Second Avenue Subway opens in December. Until then, construction noise and long slogs to the Lexington Avenue subway continue.
FEATURE
Better Parking, Better Cities
Reformed parking regulations will improve the quality of urban environments. They might even allow to once again construct building types we appreciate only in older cities, but could never imagine building with today’s parking requirements.
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.
