The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A Case for Integrating Housing and Healthcare Services
Connecting affordable housing and healthcare programs can improve both—especially for seniors and disabled people.

Unexpected Good News for Children Arises from an Environmental Devastation
Hurricane Katrina may have devastated much of New Orleans, but in its wake, literally, unexpected good work was done. Clean sediment was deposited over lead-contaminated soil, one reason why lead levels in children decreased.
A Side-by-Side Comparison of Infrastructure Policy Platforms
The Republican and Democratic parties both claim to understand the importance of infrastructure, but they show support in vastly different ways.

On Bike Infrastructure, Cities Can Do Better
Urban bike infrastructure is plagued by three related problems: design, politics, and security.

Phoenix Planning for a New Approach to its Urban Forest
A city famous for tall palm trees wants to find some shade.

South Side Location Selected for the Obama Library
The eagerly anticipated selection of the future site of the Obama Presidential Library has leaked to the press. A formal announcement is expected soon.

FEATURE
Airbnb's Listings Expanded in 2015, but Many Don't Last Long
A new statistical analysis of Airbnb listings shows the short-term-rental service is growing worldwide, but suggests that many hosts don't stick with it. Intermittent commercial uses of residences could be seen in the planning context of "mixed use."

Less Than the Olympic Ideal
A long-read in The Nation pokes large holes in the narrative of the Olympics as a beacon of equality and unity. The effect in Brazil, according to the article, has been quite the opposite.

A 'Housing New York' Report Card
The de Blasio Administration set lofty goals for the creation and preservation of housing in New York. So how's that going?

Good News on Car Sharing
Car sharing networks that allow the vehicle to be returned to any location were found to have the impact of removing seven cars for each rented car in San Diego in a three-year study released July 19.

California Studies Standards for Recycled Drinking Water
California is considering piping recycled potable water directly into people's homes.

Akron Putting Finishing Touches on Bus System Overhaul
Akron Metro RTA recently announced the details of an overhaul of its bus system—the reorganization will affect every one of the system's 36 fixed bus routes.
Denver's B Line to Westminster Now Open for Service
After Monday's celebrations at the new, electrified commuter rail line's only two stations, Union Station and Westminster Station, commuters now have the option of taking an 11-minute, six-mile ride to Denver, costing $2.60.
$760 Million in Transportation Grants Coming Soon; South Side Chicago Projects Not Included
Illinois, Cook County, and city of Chicago officials were disappointed in their first effort to attract FASTLANE funding authorized by the U.S Department Transportation

The 'Place Cells' in the Brain That Connect Memory to Location
New research in mice finds that the brain has two levels of memory connected to place—one for the task of creating mental maps, and another for recalling locations of emotional significance.

D.C. Metro to Consider Reduced Rail Service Hours After SafeTrack Concludes
What was thought to be a temporary end to late night weekend service could become a permanent reality on the tracks of Metrorail.

Google Maps Adds New 'Areas of Interest' Overlay
A new Google Maps redesign hopes to help make it easier to explore your surroundings. As with everything based on a mobile phone, the potential exists that it might also help ignore your surroundings.

Walkability Reaches a Tipping Point
With the rise of globalization, and urbanization, people are rethinking how cities should be structured in terms of transportation and mobility. Is it possible to reconfigure auto-centric cities into pedestrian-friendly spaces?

Pondering the Continued Existence of the 'Rust Belt'
A recent spate of articles has pondered the concepts and planning strategies at work in the region of the country described as the Rust Belt.

BLOG POST
Trump to Cities: You're Dead to Me
Donald Trump invokes the darkest days of urban decay and crime to appeal to his base. The facts speak to an urban triumph that has led to greater national prosperity and higher standards of living for tens of millions of Americans.
Pagination
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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.