The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Los Angeles' Plan to Keep 'Bootleg' Units Affordable
Los Angeles is moving toward creating a path to amnesty and affordability for habitable, but unpermitted residential units.
Colorado Releases New Resiliency Guide for Local Governments
Colorado Department of Local Affairs releases "Planning for Hazards: Land Use Solutions for Colorado," a guide and website to help Colorado agencies prepare for natural disasters and reduce risks through resilience and hazard mitigation.
California Environmental Law Continues to Frustrate Bike Planning (for Now)
Help is on the way. The law that requires the governor's planning office to devise an alternative method for measuring vehicle traffic for environmental compliance will also take up where an earlier law that exempted bike lanes from CEQA left off.
TOD: The 'T' Stands for 'Trail'
Planning for active transportation is the new trend in urban development, according to the Urban Land Institute—and it pays off.
AIA Honors the Best in Housing Design
The American Institute of Architects recently announced the winners of the 2016 Housing Awards.
Broward County, Florida Advances One-Cent Transportation Sales Tax
A one-cent transportation sales tax took a major step forward to being placed on the Broward County November 2016 ballot with the 7-1 approval of the Broward County Commission. It now goes to the Broward County Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Sidewalk Labs Launches Urban Technology Blog
Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs announced the launch of Sidewalk Talk — a blog and forum for urbanists and technologists to converse and collaborate.
Using Highway Medians for Carbon Sequestration
Americans are thinking about undeveloped land alongside and between roadways as a low cost and widely dispersed strategy for carbon sequestration

Six Good, Duplicable Ideas for Cities
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Here's hoping these winning ideas for cities are exported around the country.
Virginia Railway Express Adding New Tracks to Increase Capacity
A Richmond Times-Dispatch article details a pair of projects to add third tracks to Virginia Railway Express stations—one set to complete this month and one just getting ready for construction.
Revitalization and Baseball in Downtown Houston
The recent on-field success of the Houston Astros is matched by a wave of building in the neighborhood around their home ballpark. All of that means baseball fans might have a harder time finding a place to park this season.
'Community Partners Program' Offers $5 Memberships for Capital Bikeshare
The new Community Partners Program will help Capital Bikeshare respond to concerns about the system's lack of access for low-income and minority residents.

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The Neighborhood Veto and the 'Missing Middle'
Community resistance may explain why smaller apartment buildings are hard to build.

Friday Funny: The Death Star's Transit System Is the Best
If you've been waiting for a nice crossover of the Star Wars universe and the planning and urban design universe, here it is.
Is Tesla Ready for an Apple Moment?
A Quartz article describes the recent announcement of the Model 3, and the subsequent response by the market, as a "slow-motion disruption of the global auto industry."
On the Risk of Terrorist Attack on Public Transportation in the U.S.
The administrator of the Transportation Security Administration says public transportation systems in the United States are relatively safe from terrorist attack. His reasons for that assessment might surprise.
While Commodities Sink, Solar Power Rises on Farmland
Some of the nation's new clean energy capacity is being built on land that formerly grew crops. The sun, quite literally, is worth more than peanuts.
A Critical Take on Public Engagement
Zelda Bronstein makes plenty of points likely to inspire disagreement among planners in this argument calling for a better form of public engagement—one that's substantive and integral, not an afterthought.
Library Hours in New York City Show Huge Improvements
A study by the Center for Urban Future reveals library hours in New York City to have improved a great deal in recent years—while still lagging behind state and national averages.
Kentucky Governor Signs No-Toll Bill, Likely Sets Back Ohio River Bridge 10 Years
As promised, Gov. Matt Bevin signed the P3 bill that allows private funding, but bans tolls, to pay for the $2.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge project over the Ohio River that connects Covington, Ky. to Cincinnati. Now he needs to find the funding.
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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.