The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Akron, Ohio

A New Housing Strategy for Akron, Ohio

The city of Akron has lost 93,000 residents since 1960, so it has room to grow. Now it has a draft housing plan that uses a tax abatement program modeled on examples in Cleveland and Cuyahoga Falls.

February 6 - Akron Beacon Journal

Baltimore Students Have to Adjust to Newly Limited Access to Buses

A local politician resorted to holding a bake sale to help fund free bus service for students.

February 6 - The Baltimore Sun

Legislation to Toll Indiana Interstates and Hike Gas Tax Introduced

Tolls on interstate highways are being pushed in Indiana as a means to increase road funding, no easy task even if a waiver is given. The bill would also increase the gas tax and charge electric vehicle owners a fee for road maintenance.

February 6 - Governing

Oklahoma Gas Tax Hike Faces Multiple Hurdles

Oklahoma is among a number of Republican-controlled states considering gas tax legislation, particularly since it faces a budget gap of $900 million. Bills to hike the tax are expected to be proposed this month, but they face formidable challenges.

February 6 - StateImpact Oklahoma

Rental Construction

Freddie Mac Releases its 2017 Multifamily Housing Market Forecast

A new report from Freddie Mac predicts rising rents and rising vacancy rates in the national multifamily market. The report also compares submarkets.

February 5 - MultifamilyBiz


Metro Gold Line

SoCal's Gold Line Extension Delayed Two Years

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) planned Gold Line extension is now scheduled to finish construction in 2025.

February 5 - The San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Cincinnati Over-the-Rhine

Black Entrepreneurship in a Gentrifying Cincinnati Neighborhood

As Over-the-Rhine becomes a more prosperous neighborhood, some have undertaken efforts to make sure the long-time residents don't get left behind.

February 5 - Next City


Sweden

Sweden Targets Carbon Neutrality

As the lawmakers in Washington, D.C. prepare to gut the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, environmentalists got inspiring news from the country of Sweden.

February 5 - Climate Home

Governor Larry Hogan

Maryland Transportation Planning Decisions Under Civil Rights Scrutiny

The infamous cancellation of the Red Line, a decision made by Gov. Larry Hogan shortly after he took office, is a high-profile example of how the state's transportation decisions are short-changing people of color.

February 5 - Streetsblog USA

Midway Airport

Homes Near Chicago's Midway Airport to Receive Soundproofing

The city of Chicago intends to soundproof more homes this year than any in the 20-year history of the city's soundproofing program, insulating homes from the noise generated by the city's south side airport.

February 4 - Chicago Tribune

The Tenderloin

Nation's First Transgender Cultural Historic District Coming to San Francisco

Developers will fund the Compton's Cafeteria Transgender, Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual District to quell opposition to a proposed mixed-use development in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco.

February 4 - The Architect's Newspaper

Indianapolis Street

Indianapolis City Council Has Yet to Sign Off on Voter-Approved Transit Tax

Waiting for the funding to back up a transit plan can be brutal—especially when the calendar says February you thought you approved a transit-funding tax in the November election.

February 4 - Nuvo

The Fair Housing Battleground Returns to Texas

All eyes are on Texas to see whether fair housing policies enacted by the Obama Administration will have any chance to stick.

February 4 - Next City

Muslim Ban

Immigration Tied to Economic Success

City Observatory's Joe Cortright examines how immigration rates affect regional economic development. This research indicate that policies that exclude immigrants are not only mean, they are also stupid.

February 4 - City Observatory

Telegraph Avenue

Oakland's Telegraph Avenue: A Resounding Example of Street Redesign Success

Oakland's Telegraph Avenue underwent a dramatic reconfiguration in April 2016. Since then traffic collisions have declined and walking and biking is way up.

February 3 - Streetsblog California

Steptoe Butte State Park

Defending Washington's Growth Management Act

Washington state's 1990 Growth Management Act (GMA) is facing a renewed round of attacks from Republican legislators in the state. A post on The Urbanist says the latest bills designed to weaken the GMA go further than other recent examples.

February 3 - The Urbanist

An Ode to Public Transit

Public transit is for everyone.

February 3 - Design Observer

Mixed-use waterfront

Lessons in Brownfields: Phase One Report Reform Ain't Working

This second of a series on brownfield remediation and development is a funny and sarcastic primer about the process and its failures. Written by Environmental attorney Richard Opper.

February 3 - UrbDeZine

Utah Public Lands

Federal Lands Transfer Bill Withdrawn

Facing backlash from hunting and angling groups, Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz withdrew legislation that would have transferred millions of acres of federal lands to state governments in the West. But news wasn't good for other environmental bills.

February 3 - The Washington Post

Bike Commute

Friday Eye Candy: Bike Maps That Look Like Transit Maps

Stylized maps of bike routes, similar to the example set my London transit maps. This is the best kind of mashup.

February 3 - CityLab

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.