The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Griffith Park

Key Facts from L.A. County's Park Needs Assessment Study

L.A. County's Parks and Rec Dept. has just completed a major study of the county's park needs. Departmental Facilities Planner Clement Lau explains the study and below are a few things that came to light.

July 19 - UrbDeZine

Bay Bridge Toll

Op-Ed: Highway Tolling Can Have Multiple Benefits

The editorial board of the Toronto Star picks a side in the policy debate over highway tolling.

July 19 - The Toronto Star

Community Engagement Book

BLOG POST

The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean It Up

Dave Biggs interviews author James Hoggan about his new book, "I'm Right and You're An Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean It Up."

July 19 - Dave Biggs

Which Came First: the Road Diet or the Reinvestment?

According to a recent article in Urban Milwaukee, plans for a road diet have preceded a wave of reinvestment in the Walker's Point neighborhood.

July 19 - Urban Milwaukee

Dallas City Hall

What Mayors Talk About When Everyone Is Listening

An annual report analyzing the "State of the City" speeches of 100 mayors finds remarkable consistency in messaging.

July 19 - Next City


Disneyland, Main Street

Urban Taxidermy: When Authenticity and Artificiality Collide

A new breed of preservation has sprung up in Toronto, where existing structures are partially preserved to give new building's old facades. But is this attempt to preserve the existing streetscape actually succeeding?

July 19 - Treehugger

Intersection

FEATURE

Macabre Ethical Dilemmas: Just the Tip of the Iceberg for Robot Cars

The ethical quandaries that will confront self-driving cars as they navigate the world pose a lot of difficult questions. Antonio Loro charts a course for answering these tough questions.

July 18 - Antonio Loro


Ground Transportation

Taxis Taking a Back Seat to Uber and Lyft at Airports

The Bay Area provides a case study of the effect of transportation network companies on ground transportation to and from airports.

July 18 - The San Jose Mercury News

Telephone Pole

Broadband Inheriting the Discriminatory Patterns of Previous Infrastructure Systems

The challenges of bridging the digital divide are exacerbated by the racist legacies of previous infrastructure systems, according to a recent presentation to the New York Regional Plan Association.

July 18 - RPA Lab

Opening of Denver's B Line Bittersweet for Commuters From Northwest Suburbs

The 6.2 mile, two-station electrified commuter rail line is opening as expected next Monday, July 25, but future service to the northwestern counties of Broomfield and Boulder will be delayed due to an unexpected funding shortfall.

July 18 - The Denver Post

Caltrain

$1.25 Billion Approved for Caltrain Electrification; More Funding Needed

At their July 7 meeting, the Caltrain Joint Powers Board, a 3-county body that administers the crowded San Jose-to-San Francisco commuter rail line, unanimously approved $1.25 billion in contracts to rail and infrastructure firms for electrification.

July 18 - Streetsblog SF

Albuquerque, Route 66

Opponents Delay Albuquerque's Bus Rapid Transit with Lawsuits

A well organized opposition to a planned Bus Rapid Transit line in Albuquerque, New Mexico has stalled the beginning of construction on the new transit line with lawsuits.

July 18 - Albuquerque Journal

Parking Sign

Portland Seeks Affordability By Subtracting Parking

Portland's City Council has sided with housing advocates against neighborhood groups who wanted new developments to include parking spaces.

July 18 - Willamette Week

Minneapolis, Park, Bossen Field

Changing Tastes Push Minneapolis' Parks From Baseball to Soccer

In a move to address changing preferences, some Minneapolis' parks are slowly eliminating baseball diamonds and tennis courts in favor of adaptable fields and multi-purpose courts.

July 18 - Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune

US - Canadian Border at Chief Mountain

Borders From Above Are More Than Just Lines On A Map

International borders viewed from above show how different patterns of political, urban and agricultural development often collide.

July 18 - Medium

Pokémon Go

Planetizen Week in Review: July 18, 2016

The Planetizen Week in Review is back.

July 18 - Planetizen

Coyote

BLOG POST

A Connected, Walkable City: Building for Urban Wildlife

More than any other place, wildlife have impact on human health, quality of life and aesthetics in urban areas. Thinking about city planning at the terrestrial wildlife scale could support mutual objectives of city planning.

July 17 - Steven Snell

Alleys as a Community Asset

Often overlooked, alleys can be transformed into valuable community spaces

July 17 - CityLab

Miami Temperature

A Guide to Cooling the House in Summer Heat

Christopher Ingraham does everyone a favor and produces a how-to guide for cooling your house "like a wonk."

July 17 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Shopping Cart

Dallas to Offers a $3 Million Carrot for Grocery Store Development

Hoping to attract investments in grocery stores in the food desert of southern Dallas, the City Council recently approved a $3 million enticement.

July 17 - The Dallas Morning News

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.