The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The Chicago Bean At Sunrise

The New Enemy of the Alt-Right: Modern Architecture

Are the iconic symbols of modern architecture a new front line in the new era of culture wars?

July 9 - CityLab

Philadelphia City Hall

It's Official: Philadelphia Planning Offices Reorganized

The new Philadelphia Department of Planning and Development combines agencies that formerly oversaw housing, development, and planning.

July 9 - PlanPhilly

Phoenix Dust Storm

Survey: What's the Biggest Risk Facing Cities

Politico Magazine put out a big question to "mayors, urbanists and other thinkers": what are the biggest threats that American cities currently face?

July 9 - Politico Magazine

Washington D.C. Bus

The Math That Explains the Struggles of Local Buses

The D.C. Circulator is struggling with maintenance costs and system performance. The balkanization of local bus systems in the region might be to blame.

July 9 - Greater Greater Washington

urban swing art piece in montreal

The Three Factions of Contemporary Planning and Urbanism

This post is sure to inspire debate. The hope, however, is that it will inspire coordination.

July 9 - Forbes


Retailer

Macy's Looking To Monetize Unused Parking Lots

Macy's sees opportunities to improve the shopping experience by activating empty parking lots.

July 8 - Modern Cities

Dakota Access Protest

Law of Unintended Consequences Backfires on Anti-Pipeline Activists

Anti-fracking activists in New York who helped ban fracking and construction of a natural gas pipeline in the Empire State now have to contend with trucks transporting compressed natural gas from fracking operations in Pennsylvania.

July 8 - The Oneonta Daily Star


Homeless

Tacoma Relocates Homeless Residents to City-Owned Encampment

Tacoma, Washington is attempting to approach homeless encampments from a public health perspective.

July 8 - knkx

Louisville, Kentucky

The Penalty for Fourth of July Fireworks: A Spike in Air Pollution

It's not just the ears of dogs that suffer the consequences of the nation's loudest celebration—it's also our lungs. Louisville provides the proof.

July 8 - Courier-Journal

Meter Maid

Tickets Keeping Detroiters in Poverty

Michigan suspends approximately 100,000 driver’s licenses every year when drivers can't afford to pay tickets and fines.

July 8 - The Detroit Free Press

Observation Wheel

120-Foot Ferris Wheel a No-Go in St. Louis

A 120-foot-tall Ferris wheel, proposed in the St. Louis neighborhood of Delmar, was dead on arrival with residents.

July 7 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A Next Generation Kerfuffle for Telecommunications Infrastructure

The rollout of "5G" wireless Internet technology was already creating political controversy in local cities and communities. Then the California State Legislature proposed a bill that would streamline the approval process for 5G installations.

July 7 - Los Angeles Times

Ohio River

Kentucky-Cincinnati Connection Will Give Commuters a Summer-Long Headache

The already congested Brent Spence Bridge between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky will be partially closed this summer for repairs. The project still won't fix larger problems with the bridge.

July 7 - The Wall Street Journal

Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta

Lawsuits Slow Progress of California's $17 Billion WaterFix Project

Environmentalists and the fishing industry filed lawsuits just a few days after a massive plan to build tunnels to move water under the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta in California received a green light from the federal government.

July 7 - The Mercury News

Twins Logo Sign

Twin Cities Regional Forecast Foresees Steady Growth and Big Changes

The Metropolitan Council has released "The Twin Cities Regional Forecast to 2040: Steady Growth and Big Changes Ahead" to provide a foundation for coordinated planning by the Metropolitan Council and local governments.

July 7 - Metropolitan Council

Homeless Encampment

L.A. Now Has Real Money for Homelessness but No Real Plan

L.A. has a new bond issue and a new sales tax for homelessness. But Mayor Eric Garcetti and the City Council actions to alleviate homelessness have been tepid and slow. Affordable housing developer and Michael Russell has some suggestions.

July 7 - UrbDeZine

Mount Hood Clackamas

Oregon's $3 Billion Transportation Funding Legislation Has a Tax for Almost Everyone

The package, which doesn't tax walking and running shoes, went to the legislature on June 30. It includes a ten cents per gallon gas tax, a 0.10 percent payroll tax, a $15 tax on new bikes costing at least $200, and a potential toll on I–205.

July 7 - KGW

Vancouver

Evidence that Foreign Buyers Aren't to Blame for High Housing Prices

Vancouver's exploding housing prices are caused by income inequality, housing scarcity, and a housing bubble, not by foreign investors and vacant housing units.

July 7 - Sightline

NYC Subway Riders

New York Crowdsourcing Solutions to Subway Challenges—$3 Million in Rewards Offered

Three "genius" citizen planners will be awarded $1 million in return for the best and brightest ideas for improving the New York subway.

July 7 - The New York Times

Zoo

Friday Eye Candy: A Solar Farm Shaped Like a Panda

A solar farm shaped like a panda recently began pumping electricity to the grid in Shanxi province, China.

July 7 - Inhabitat

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.