The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Trailer Park

How a Portland Trailer Park Saved Itself from Redevelopment

Dozens of Portland trailer parks closed in the real estate bubble of the early 2000s, but in 2016, a group of tenants, the Housing Bureau, and an anti-displacement coalition worked to save one of the city's last places for very low-income renters.

December 6 - OPB

Seattle Transit

King County Expands Fare-Free Transit for Riders in Need

The victory for homeless and very low-income transit riders is a reminder of the importance of grassroots organizing.

December 6 - Seattle Transit Blog

St. Paul Skyway

Minneapolis Skyways Headed for Minneapolis Landfills?

New codes intend to make skyways more accessible for all Minneapolans, but some say that no improvements can go far enough to make Minneapolis as walkable and lively as it would be without them.

December 6 - Next City

Death Toll at 36 in Friday Night's Fire at Oakland Warehouse

Lax code enforcement is one of the concerns being raised by the devastating fire that occurred during a rave-style party, Artists had taken up residence in the building, which was not permitted for either general assembly events or residences.

December 6 - Los Angeles Times

Chariot Commuter Shuttle in San Francisco Expands 50 Percent After Ford Acquisition

Chariot shuttle service, recently acquired by Ford Motor Company, may soon be a more formidable competitor for San Francisco's public transit provider, Muni, due to an expansion to 150 vans. Expect new routes, five-minute headways, and $4 rides.

December 6 - San Francisco Chronicle


Ventura County Transportation Commission

What it Takes To Pass a Transportation Sales Tax Measure in California

Ventura County's transportation sales tax measure failed after receiving almost 57 percent of the vote, illustrating the difficulty in passing tax measures intended for transportation improvements in California.

December 6 - Ventura County Star

Biketown, Portland, Bike Share

Are Bikeshare Programs Successful?

Bikeshare programs were first introduced in the U.S. seven years ago. Outside Magazine investigates whether they "are actually benefiting cities and their residents."

December 6 - Outside


L.A. Streetcar

Route Approved for Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar

Construction on the Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar could begin as soon as 2018.

December 6 - Studio City Patch

Julian Castro

What Will A Trump Presidency Mean for Fair Housing?

Rules protecting minorities' access to housing have been strengthened under the Obama administration. That progress could be lost under a HUD Secretary who opposes Fair Housing altogether.

December 6 - CityLab

What Mobility Leaders Think About Car Connectivity

As autonomous vehicles prepare to disrupt transportation systems, Ford Motors President & CEO Mark Fields, L.A Chief Sustainability Officer Matt Petersen, and rideshare company Chariot co-founder Ali Vahabzadeh opine on tomorrow's mobility ecosystem.

December 6 - The Planning Report

Parking Lot

App Detects Open Parking Spaces with 99% Accuracy

Technology startup Parkifi seeks to use the Internet of Things to address the long-lamented problem of congestion created by drivers seeking parking.

December 5 - The Denver Post

New 'Peanutabout' Reinvents the Roundabout for Diagonal Streets

Diagonal crossings can be the most dangerous for pedestrians and bikers, the "peanutabout" could protect bikers and drivers alike.

December 5 - Streetsblog USA

Athens, Georgia, Broad Street

Athens, Georgia: Where Broad Street Is Too Broad

Athens, Georgia has come to the conclusion that the city's Broad Street may just be a tad too broad. Now what to do about it?

December 5 - Flagpole

Flooding

Public Service Announcement: What Not to Do in the Event of a Flood

Many people don't realize it, but flooding is the most common weather-related disaster. What should people know about dealing with this persistent threat when it happens in their community?

December 5 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gas Drill

After the Boom (and the Bust) in Marcellus Shale Country

Tioga County, Pennsylvania provides lessons of a post-oil-boom economy.

December 5 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Powersource

A New Twist for Downtown Dallas Big Box Proposal

A Dallas County judge threw a wrench in a controversial plan to build a 100,000-square-foot Sam's Club near Cityplace in Dallas.

December 5 - The Dallas News

recycled water sign

California Using Data To Maximize Water Conservation Efforts

Even as the Golden State has a wetter fall, California's water leaders have launched a new tool to leverage information technology and available information to support decisions around local water reliability.

December 5 - The Planning Report

Columbus

A Showdown Looms as Developers Seek New Building Heights in Columbus

The region surrounding Columbus, Ohio could add a projected one million people by 2050, and developers are looking for new ways to meet growing demand for urban living.

December 5 - The Columbus Dispatch

Washington D.C. - The White House

BLOG POST

The Trump Administration: Good for Transit?

The conventional progressive wisdom is that the Trump Administration will be bad for cities and for transit users. But in recent decades, a unified Republican government has been better for public transit than a divided government.

December 5 - Michael Lewyn

Complete Street

BLOG POST

Defending Multi-Modalism

An efficient and equitable transport system must be diverse to serve diverse travel demands. Planners need better tools to quantify and communicate the benefits of walking, cycling and public transit to sometimes skeptical decision makers.

December 5 - Todd Litman

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.