The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Skyline and Beach

Largest Desalinated Water Reserve Ever Unveiled in Abu Dhabi

The UAE has created a storage facility under the desert that can provide up to 100 million liters per day in the event of an emergency.

January 17 - Quartz

Streetcars Coming to the OC

The conservative bastion of Orange County will soon begin on construction on the mode of transit favored by the Obama Administration: the "modern streetcar."

January 16 - OC Register

Seattle

Two Kinds of Affordable Housing Policies for Two Kinds of Affordable Housing

A short and simple "explainer" post makes sense of why there seems to be so little ground on affordable housing issues in expensive urban areas.

January 16 - Vox

San Francisco Bay Bridge

Airbnb Sheds Thousands of Hosts in San Francisco

New registration requirements have proven an effective disincentive for thousands of short-term rental hosts in San Francisco.

January 16 - San Francisco Chronicle

Fort Lauderdale

Higher Cost Estimates Could Doom Fort Lauderdale Streetcar

While the 2.8 mile Wave Streetcar project has secured $195 million, proposals for design and construction are coming in higher than expected, which would leave Broward County and Fort Lauderdale responsible for half the extra cost.

January 16 - Sun Sentinel


14th Street Traffic

A Growing D.C. Corridor Gets Badly Needed Bus Service

The new 59 bus route down 14th Street in Washington, D.C. represents a major win for transit advocates.

January 16 - Greater Greater Washington

Chicago Divvy

Divvy's Top Rider Talks About Getting African-Americans Onto Divvy Bikes

Kerida Roland is an African-American delivery man based in Chicago's South Loop who put more than 6,000 miles on Divvy bikes in 2017.

January 16 - The Chicago Reader


Brooklyn Brownstones

The Perpetuation of Segregation

A new book describes segregation as a cycle of social structuring: segregation begets segregation.

January 16 - Pacific Standard

Georgetown

Rent Down 3.9% for Apartments in the Nation's Capital

After years of rising rents D.C., 2017 brought a bump in new apartment supply and a dip in apartment rents around the city.

January 16 - Bisnow

Georgia

Mapping the World's Proximity to Urban Areas

When it's said that most people live in cities, a significant portion of that number are people living in suburbs near cities. A new map shows just how far everyone travels to get to a big city.

January 16 - My Modern Met

Broken Bus

BLOG POST

Why Is Transit Ridership Declining?

Over the past two years or so, transit ridership has begun to decline. It seems that this decline has been most widespread among cities with relatively weak transit systems.

January 16 - Michael Lewyn

South Korea

'No Driving Day' in Seoul Means Free Transit Rides

South Korea has made public transit a key part of its approach to cleaning the air.

January 15 - The Korea Times

Louisiana

Downtown Revitalization Comes to Louisiana

Like many cities before it, Shreveport's downtown is transforming through the renovation of historic buildings.

January 15 - Shreveport Times

Transportation Network Companies

New Study Provides a Counter-Narrative for Ride-Hailing Companies

A new study finds evidence that ride-hailing trips are at least as efficient, and often more efficient, than private, personal automobile trips.

January 15 - San Francisco Chronicle

Virginia Freeway

In Final Days in Office, Virginia Governor Extends Express Lanes at No Cost to Taxpayers

The Australian toll road company, Transurban, will build two, 10-mile reversible express lanes for Virginia Department of Transportation and provide $277 million for a new bridge in the corridor. Free for carpools, others will pay a variable toll.

January 15 - The Washington Post

South Carolina Region Future City Competition

Middle Schoolers Plan the 'Future City'

The deliverables in the Future City competition—open to children in grades six through eight—include a virtual city design (using SimCity), a scale model, a project plan, and more.

January 15 - The Mercury News

'An Adult Day Care on Every Corner:' Aging in the Rio Grande Valley

In a region where most people “age in place,” facilities offering services and socialization give primary caregivers a much-needed break.

January 15 - The Texas Observer

The Embarcadero

Trial Over San Francisco Waterfront Development Height Limits Begins

The State Lands Commission filed suit shortly after San Francisco voters approved Prop. B in June 2014, requiring waterfront developments exceeding height limits to obtain voter approval rather than go through the Planning Commission process.

January 15 - San Francisco Examiner

High Bridge

The Real Benefits of Congestion Pricing

Like so many other transportation policies, congestion pricing risks being sold for the wrong reasons.

January 15 - StreetsBlog NYC

Bean06_Crop

Reexamining Notions of Placemaking

Surveying the public discussion for answers about how to make sense of placemaking.

January 15 - Arch Daily

Post News

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.