The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Native Americans

Native American Population Almost Back to 1492 Levels

An estimated 5 million Native Americans lived in the area that would become the United States when Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. After reaching a low in the late 19th century, the Native American population has almost fully recovered.

May 20 - Get Data

Friday Eye Candy: See Boston's Invisible Poems

The "Raining Poetry" art installation hides poetry in plain sight—the words of poets like Langston Hughes are stenciled on sidewalks around Boston and only revealed when water is added.

May 20 - The Boston Globe

Traffic and Speed

Explained: Calculating Vehicle Impacts on Road Surfaces

Pedal Fort Collins explains the math used to calculate the impacts of various sized vehicles on the roads they travel.

May 20 - Pedal Fort Collins

Trump Tower

How Donald Trump Earned His Reputation as a Developer

Perhaps no development is more associated with the presumptive Republican presidential nominee than Trump Towers, which established his reputation as a developer with little regard for historic preservation and revealed his character in business.

May 20 - Planetizen

Empty Park

'First National Study of Neighborhood Parks' Finds Few Taking Advantage

Most neighborhood parks go relatively unused by adult populations and women, giving young children, mostly boys, the run of the place.

May 20 - Pacific Standard


Seattle Sailboats

Friday Funny: A Scathing Comeback to Seattle's NBA Arena Trolls

Samantha Bee has seen the misogynistic conduct of NBA fans in Seattle after the City Council decided not approve a plan to build a new NBA arena in the city's SoDo neighborhood.

May 20 - Crosscut

Vancouver Skyline

BLOG POST

World Cities Report 2016 Released by UN-Habitat

The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has published a flagship report intended to inform preparation of the New Urban Agenda at the Habitat III meetings in Quito in October.

May 19 - Bruce Stiftel


The Hills of Governors Island

BLOG POST

The Power of Prospect: A First Look at the Hills of Governors Island

In the tradition of great urban landscapes, the Hills of Governors Island will soon challenge the status quo and create a dynamic new type of park for all people to enjoy.

May 19 - Mark Hough

Rent

Is Supply Finally Coming to Rescue the Rental Market?

The relief that renters have been seeking might finally be on the way, if several market indicators are to be believed. If and when rent does fall, supply might have finally caught up with demand.

May 19 - City Observatory

Metro STation

Parking Concerns Raised Around L.A.'s New Expo Line

Good news: Metro Los Angeles will open the long-awaited Expo Line extension, connecting Santa Monica and the the beach to Downtown Los Angeles, this weekend. Bad news: the public waited until now to worry about the parking around new stations.

May 19 - Los Angeles Times

View of Portland, Oregon from Pittock Mansion

Portland Digs Into Data on Seismic Vulnerabilities

With an earthquake due to shake up the Pacific Northwest in the not so distant future, Portland has provided an online map to identify potentially vulnerable buildings in danger of suffering major damage when the big one hits.

May 19 - The Oregonian

Housing Construction

Comparing Housing Permits Around the Sun Belt

It might not come as a surprise, but the Sun Belt cities permitting fewer new single-family homes are the Sun Belt cities permitting fewer new homes.

May 19 - The Urban Edge

Denver Golf Course

Denver Stormwater Plan Ruffles Feathers

The Platte to Park Hill project would install new stormwater detention facilities at a golf course near Downtown Denver. Opponents to the project say it’s a burden on the neighborhood and a benefit to development interests farther down the watershed.

May 19 - The Denver Post

Toronto Bike Locks

New Ten-Year Bike Plan Proposed in Toronto

Toronto planners have proposed a new ten-year bike plan that focuses on connecting and improving the city's current network of bike infrastructure.

May 19 - The Toronto Star

W-S_125_pipe_yard

Feds Approve New Natural Gas Pipeline Despite Corruption Probe

Federal regulators approved a pipeline critical to a natural gas power plant currently embroiled in a federal corruption investigation.

May 19 - Politico New York

Beijing Bike

What a 'Bicycle Stress Map' Reveals About the Streets of Montgomery County

A new map quantifies the stress levels for bike riders on the streets of Montgomery County, Maryland.

May 19 - CityLab

D.C. Streetcar

A Sneak Peak at D.C.'s Streetcar Extension Plans

With the controversy about the value of its newly opened streetcar ongoing, Washington, D.C. has commenced with a planning process for extending the line to Georgetown.

May 18 - Greater Greater Washington

Hybrid Bus

Gold Line Busway Planning Moves Forward in Suburban Minnesota

The cities of Oakdale and Lake Elmo made their opposition to a proposed busway connecting to St. Paul known by withdrawing their support for the project. Now Gold Line transit planners are refocusing their efforts on station location decisions.

May 18 - Star Tribune

San Francisco STreetcar

Uber Partners With San Francisco Landlord to Subsidize Car-Free Tenants

A large development in San Francisco would limit parking spaces by paying for its tenants to go car free. Uber is paying part of the bill.

May 18 - The Verge

Loss of 'Situational Awareness' Caused Fatal Amtrak #188 Crash

The nation's transportation safety board determined that a distracted engineer caused one of the worst crashes in Amtrak's history, killing eight and injuring over 180 people just north of Philadelphia.

May 18 - RT&S (Railway Track & Structures)

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