The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Soaring Property Insurance Rates Threaten Affordable Housing Development
Rapidly rising insurance premiums are forcing affordable housing developers to cut back on programming, lay off staff, and even sell. To add insult to injury, some insurers also seem to be adding penalties or withdrawing coverage for housing voucher holders.
California EV Owners To Lose Carpool Lane Privilege
A program that began in 1999 to encourage more electric car ownership is set to expire next year without Congressional and state action.
San Jose Is Training AI to Identify Homeless Camps
Images captured on cameras mounted on a municipal vehicle are being used to train a private technology companies’ AI algorithm to detect tents and signs of habitation in vehicles.
California's Top-Rated Park for Hikers Is Inside the City of LA
According to AllTrails, a popular fitness and travel mobile app, Topanga State Park has many highly-rated trails, most of which are of moderate difficulty and vary in length from three to seven miles.
Is the City Moving to the Suburbs?
Is the recent trend to build more walkable suburbs a sign of sustainable change?
Dallas to Make Accessibility Improvements Near Bus Stops
The city approved over $30 million in contracts to fix broken sidewalks and add curb ramps near DART stations.
Report: One-Third of Vacant Lots in Chicago Near Transit
Vacant lots pose challenges for the city’s goals of promoting transit-oriented development.
Out-of-State Investors Buying Up More Mobile Home Parks
In a trend that has accelerated since the pandemic, over one in five mobile home parks in Maine are owned by out-of-state investors.
Protecting Bridges From Ship Collisions
A civil engineer outlines the federal regulations and mechanisms aimed at preventing the damage and loss of life seen in the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
Seattle Area Developers Target Areas Around Light Rail Extension
The East Link line, which will connect Redmond and Bellevue to Seattle in 2025, is spurring transit-oriented development near future stations.
State DOTs Don’t Resemble Their Constituencies — And That’s a Problem
Streetsblog calls attention to the lack of representation of women, people of color, and other groups in state departments of transportation that are largely dominated by white men.
Preserving LA’s Dark Skies
Learn about the importance of dark skies for the health and enjoyment of individuals and wildlife, and how L.A. County's Rural Outdoor Lighting District is helping to reduce light pollution.
Dubai Launches Free Smart Umbrella Rental to Improve Walkability
By helping residents walk comfortably in the rain or blazing sun, Dubai hopes to advance its 2040 master plan goals of sustainability and becoming a “20-minute city.”
NYC Releases Pre-Approved Outdoor Dining Designs
Four designs cater to various street conditions and locations.
California Updating Outdoor Recreation Plan
State Parks is working on the 2026-2030 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) which serves as a vision for public outdoor recreation grant priorities in urban and rural neighborhoods, cities, and regions.
Boston Gets a New Planning Department
After 67 years since its formation, the Boston Planning and Development Agency is no more.
FEATURE
Want to Reduce Traffic Congestion? Cash Out Employer-Paid Parking
Employer-paid parking will undermine New York City’s congestion tolls. But parking cash-out policies like those in California and Washington D.C. can solve the problem.
Opinion: Cities Must Take Action on Blighted Downtown Parking Lots
Surface parking lots take up as much as a third of downtown land in some cities, dragging down tax revenue and redevelopment prospects.
BLOG POST
How Persuasive Are Arguments Against Statewide Zoning Reform?
A leading scholar of state and local government argues that local governments’ need to regulate business should take priority over the state and national interests in lowering housing costs. Are his assumptions persuasive?
Texas Court Vacates Federal Emissions Rule
The decision vacates a USDOT rule that would have required states to establish emission reduction plans.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.
