The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Second Avenue Subway

Value Capture Takes Prominent but Controversial Role in Fixing New York Subway

Value capture, collecting tax increment from subway adjacent properties to help provide money needed to repair the 114-year old subway system, is proposed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and opposed by the New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

January 31 - The New York Times

Denver, Colorado

Zoning Changes to Battle 'Slot Homes' in Denver

An unintended consequence of the zoning regulations approved in Denver 2010 zoning code has been the proliferation of "slot homes": like rowhouses but without the street-facing entryways and engagement with the public realm.

January 30 - The Denver Post

Malaysia

China's Largest Online Retailer Using Artificial Intelligence to Tackle Congestion

A subsidiary of Alibaba, the massive online retailer, will deploy cloud computing and artificial intelligence to help relieve congestion in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

January 30 - Quartz

Floodplain

'America’s First Climate Refugees' Are Still on the Island

The 99 residents of Isle de Jean Charles have $48 million to relocate together, but that doesn’t make it easy.

January 30 - CityLab

California

One Obstacle to ADU Construction in California: The Price of Permits

The price of a permit to build an accessory dwelling units in the city of Thousand Oaks in Southern California is prohibitive—putting the permitting fee in opposition to the stated intent of the city's zoning code and state law.

January 30 - Thousand Oaks Acorn


Transit Fail

Why Change Can Be Hard for Transit Agencies

Jarrett Walker discusses some reasons why transit authorities can be resistant to change. It all comes down to considering their point of view.

January 30 - Human Transit

urban park

Embracing the Future of City Streets

Streets will have to evolve, again.

January 30 - New York Magazine


Desalination

Desalination Projects Get a Big Boost in California

Desalination is often suggested as a potential panacea for California's ongoing struggles with drought. The catch in the announcement of $34.4 million in state funding for desalination projects shows why desalination is not there yet.

January 30 - The Mercury News

Wood Construction

Affordable Housing Fallout From Tax Reform

Despite saving tools like the low-income housing tax credit, affordable housing will still take a hit.

January 30 - The New York Times

New Hampshire

Concord, New Hampshire to Draft a Form-Based Code

Concord will become the latest city to add a form-based code to its menu of development regulations.

January 30 - Concord Monitor

Baltimore, Maryland

How British Investments Enabled American Segregation

Exploring the surprising origins of the American suburbs.

January 30 - Building Suburban Power

Phoenix

Millennials and Housing Markets: Case Studies From Houston and Phoenix

Researchers from Arizona State University have produced a new working paper that examines efforts to attract and retain Millennials to downtown neighborhoods in Houston and Phoenix.

January 29 - The Urban Edge

A $48 Million Bet on the 'L.A. Model' of Juvenile Justice

With Campus Kilpatrick, Los Angeles County has made a serious investment in progressive design to support progressive programming.

January 29 - Metropolis Magazine

Electric Car Charging Station

Gov. Jerry Brown Calls for Five Million ZEVs on California Roads by 2030

The executive order calls for $2.5 billion for rebates and electric charging and hydrogen fueling stations, subject to approval by legislature. His earlier executive order called for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2025.

January 29 - San Francisco Chronicle

Bed Stuy view

New HUD Rule Could Redefine the Geography of Section 8 Voucher Payments

A new rule will make it easier to send vouchers for rent assistance to wealthier neighborhoods. The Trump Administration is not a willing partner in this effort.

January 29 - Next City

Cupertino

How Amazon's Second Headquarters Could Retrofit the Suburbs

It's possible Amazon could select a suburban campus for its second headquarters. Here's why that possibility could be a benefit to suburban environments everywhere.

January 29 - CityLab

Marina City House of Blues parking

BLOG POST

Fun Parking Facts

Parking requirements are the dark matter of the urban universe: they affect transport and land use in mysterious ways. These fun facts illustrate the costs and impacts of economically excessive parking supply.

January 29 - Todd Litman

Expo Line

L.A. Transit Ridership Drops 15 Percent in 5 Years Despite New Light Rail Extensions

Bus riders, comprising about three-quarters of Los Angeles Metro ridership, declined 21 percent since 2013, But it wasn't just bus routes—two light rail lines also lost riders.

January 29 - Los Angeles Times

Vacant Home, Cleveland

Cleveland Still Experiencing Fallout From Great Recession

National economic indicators may look good, but some areas are still clawing their way back from the 2008 recession. Cleveland's Slavic Village, an "epicenter" of the foreclosure crisis, is one of them.

January 29 - Marketplace

Washington D.C. Row Houses

Is Washington D.C. Preserving Buildings or Hoarding Them?

A piecemeal, reactive approach to historic preservation in the capital may burden the future with too many buildings of "middling merit."

January 29 - Greater Greater Washington

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