The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Auto Companies Prepare for Decline of Car Ownership

It's no longer just transit agencies that are trying to meet the first mile-last mile challenge—auto companies have also jumped in by offering "mobility services." And it's more profitable than selling cars!

December 27 - The New York Times

Uber's Self-Driving Cars Leave Hometown for Warmer, and Friendlier Climates

California's loss is Arizona's gain. That's how Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey see's Uber's decision on Thursday to haul their fleet of self-driving Volvos from San Francisco to Arizona after the company refused to secure the necessary operating permits.

December 27 - San Francisco Chronicle

Artists' Housing, Beyond the SoHo Loft Model

New York has promised to create 1,500 affordable live/work spaces for artists. Architect Emma Fuller believes that careful consideration of building typologies could make it easier to reach this target.

December 27 - Soft City

Do Factories Belong in Dense Urban Environments?

"Vertical Urban Factory," an in-depth visual and written study of urban industrial structures, is reviewed by urban environment author Carol Berens.

December 26 - UrbDeZine

Wanted: High-Speed Rail Operator for California

The California High-Speed Rail Authority has taken the first official step to find a train operator for the initial operating segment of the 800-mile project: connecting the Central Valley to the Silicon Valley, with estimated completion by 2024.

December 26 - Progressive Railroading


Seattle Mixed Use Development

New Seattle Loan Fund Finances Affordable Housing

As excitement builds around Seattle's voter-approved transit expansion plan, the REDI Fund will preserve space for low and middle-income residents in new transit-oriented developments.

December 26 - Next City

School Buses

Op-Ed: Exclusionary Zoning Worsens Education Gap

Pete Rodrigue pulls from multiple studies, arguing that zoning contributes to an education gap between rich and poor students. Housing costs lie at the heart of the problem.

December 26 - Greater Greater Washington


Aerial views during an Army search and rescue mission show damage from Hurricane Sandy to the New Jersey coast, Oct. 30, 2012.

How Rising Seas Threaten the NYC Metro Area

A report from the Regional Plan Association maps out what might happen under 1, 3, and 6 feet of sea level rise. In the worst cases, several dense and populated regions are affected.

December 26 - RPA Lab

Speed Limit

Austin Still Needs Permission From Texas to Lower its Speed Limits

A decision by the city of Austin to support lower speed limits on some city streets will remain a symbolic gesture until the state allows local governments to establish their own speed limits.

December 25 - Austin American Statesman

Detroit Motor City

Holiday Cheer from Detroit: Downtown Office Vacancies Have Rebounded in a Big Way

A new report on office vacancies in Downtown Detroit shows just how far Downtown Detroit has come in ten years.

December 25 - The Detroit News

Homeless in New York City

New York City Relying on Hotels to House the Homeless

Throughout 2016, New York City has expanded the practice of renting hotel rooms to house homeless people. Now the city is looking for a vendor to shoulder some of the work of finding rooms for those in need.

December 25 - Politico New York

It's A Wonderful Life

The Place-Based Magic of 'It's a Wonderful Life'

An examination of the commentary on place found in the classic Christmas movie, "It's a Wonderful Life."

December 25 - CityLab

Cicylists

A Christmas Gift From Cambridge: A 'Watch for Bikes' Sticker

Drivers get a sticker for their rear view mirrors, and bikers get the gift of knowing that people behind the wheel share the responsibility for road safety.

December 25 - The Boston Globe

Protected Bike Lane

The Best New Bike Lanes of 2016

The annual list of the best new bike lanes from around the country is brought to us by PeopleForBikes.

December 24 - People for Bikes

City Streets Signed Over to a Developer in Downtown Atlanta

In a move that will enable the $350 million redevelopment of Underground Atlanta, the city has agreed to hand over ownership and control of public streets to the developer.

December 24 - Creative Loafing

Seattle

Looking for Concrete Goals in Seattle's Pedestrian Master Plan Update

With the plan update process for Seattle's Pedestrian Master Plan underway, one writer wonders why the plan is setting firmer goals for increased mode share.

December 24 - The Urbanist

The Anaheim Streetcar Project Is Officially Off the Table

A new City Council has ushered in a new agenda for the city of Anaheim. Not on that agenda is a controversial proposal for a streetcar connecting Disneyland, the city's convention center, and the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center.

December 24 - The Orange County Register

New York Bus

Checking in on Two of de Blasio's Big Transportation Promises

Mayor Bill de Blasio made a couple of promises about new the transportation technology that would be available to New Yorkers in 2016. The results of those promises reveal good news for drivers and some bad news for bus riders.

December 24 - Politico New York

Portland Statue

Inclusionary Zoning Now the Law in Portland, Oregon

Portland's new inclusionary zoning policy will go into effect in February.

December 23 - The Oregonian

France Opened the First Solar Roadway Built For Cars

A bike path in the Netherlands has been generating solar power since 2014, but the first example of a solar roadway built for cars opened this week in France.

December 23 - The Guardian

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