The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A boat floats on a bright green Chicago River lined by skyscrapers.

BLOG POST

An Urbanist’s Guide to St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

Festivities in these five U.S. cities and towns honor Irish and Irish American culture with an urban planning twist.

March 15 - Mary Hammon

Close-up of Californis state capitol dome with U.S., California, and POW/MIA flags on flagpole.

California's Lone Ballot Measure: Too Close To Call

Unlike on prior election days, California voters had only one state proposition to decide on March 5, a combination $6 billion general obligation bond and a restructuring of an income surtax, both dealing with behavioral health and homelessness.

March 15 - Los Angeles Times

Close-up of blue and white wheelchair ramp sign with arrow pointing right.

America’s 15 Most Accessible Cities

These cities are the easiest to navigate for people in wheelchairs or with mobility challenges.

March 15 - Yahoo Finance

Two black modular units with glass doors and wood accents in an industrial warehouse.

Policy Prescriptions for Modular Housing

Tweaks to building codes, zoning regulations, and financing mechanisms could unlock the potential of modular construction in the United States.

March 15 - Center for American Progress

Man with sunglasses and cane sits on bus stop shelter bench.

Making Trip Planning Easier for Vision-Impaired Transit Riders

The app provides navigation using audio and haptic cues to improve accessibility for people with low vision.

March 15 - Next City


Close-up of American flag sticker on a silver subway train.

How Public Transit Became Political

A number of factors explain the partisan divide in support for transit.

March 14 - Governing

Intersection in downtown Los Angeles with pedestrians crossing, vintage building across street, and modern glass office tower in background.

LA Zoning Reforms Could Yield Up to 250,000 New Homes

A draft plan would speed up permitting for residential projects with an affordability component and make more buildings eligible for adaptive reuse.

March 14 - The Center Square


Close-up on dozens of anti-climate change signs at protest with people not visible.

Resilience Matters: Building Sustainable Futures

A new e-book highlights the work of people and organizations planning more resilient cities.

March 14 - Island Press

Group of people planting a small tree.

Southern California Water District Offers $100 Rebate for Planting Trees

Residents and businesses can choose from a list of eligible trees to support efforts to boost urban tree canopies and help with stormwater retention.

March 14 - Smart Cities Dive

Aerial view of 238 freeway in Oakland, California cutting through neighborhood with small houses

Federal Government Awards Reconnecting Communities Grants

States and cities received over $3 billion in grant funding aimed at redressing the damage caused by freeways.

March 14 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

Wooden beachside boardwalk with benches in Salisbury, Massachusetts.

Storm Erases $500,000 Massachusetts Sand Dune

A protective dune built with funds from city residents lasted just three days before being washed away in a storm.

March 14 - The Daily Beast

Man with red bicycle walks bike down 'open street' with vendor booths in New York City.

New York Open Streets Shrinking Dramatically

As city funding runs out, the number of miles in open streets projects has dwindled from 83 to just 20.

March 14 - Curbed

Aerial view of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with dense, low-rise housing in foreground.

BLOG POST

A Better Understanding of Smart Growth Benefits

Smart Growth creates compact, multimodal communities where residents consume less land, drive less, and rely more on non-auto modes. Planners have important stories to tell about the benefits of Smart Growth.

March 14 - Todd Litman

Bird-s eye view of multi-lane road intersection with medians and crosswalks.

Opinion: What American Transportation Engineering Gets Wrong

And how transportation decisions could more effectively prioritize safety.

March 13 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Close-up of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum entrance arch with title and Olympic rings.

Feds Award LA Region $900 Million for Transportation Projects

The funding will support efforts to make improvements to transit and pedestrian infrastructure ahead of the 2028 Olympics.

March 13 - KTLA

Worker in safety vest and white hard hat installing rooftop solar panel.

New Solar Capacity Outpaces New Fossil Fuels in the US

Solar energy still makes up just 5 percent of the nation’s energy mix, but could grow faster in coming years.

March 13 - Popular Mechanics

Aerial view of Salt Lake City skyline

Utah’s Affordable Housing Supply Dwindling

Rents and home prices are skyrocketing, forcing many residents to make difficult decisions or move out of major cities.

March 13 - KUTV

Light rail train at station in St, Paul, Minnesota.

St. Paul ‘Arterial BRT’ Could Be Faster, Cost Less Than Streetcar

Officials are eyeing a plan that could replace a proposed streetcar line with a bus rapid transit line.

March 13 - Star Tribune

White microbus with yellow stripe on rural road with empty road and blue sky in background.

Minnesota, Vermont Experiment With Rural Trip Planning Websites

Pilot programs in the two states aimed to make transit information more accessible for riders in rural areas, where on-demand and microtransit services make trip planning more complex.

March 13 - The Daily Yonder

White gazebo with blue roof next to beach in Sea Isle City, New Jersey.

New Jersey Beach Town Gains State’s Highest Flood Management Rating

Sea Isle City, where homeowners once feared they would be unable to buy insurance due to poor flood management practices, is now leading the state in flood control planning.

March 13 - Smart Cities Dive

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Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

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.