The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Sarasota County, Florida, has approved a plan to pave over forested wetlands and build parking for a Whole Foods Market. To compensate, the developer is donating another plot of wetlands to the public.

February 10 - Quartz

BLOG POST

The new International Housing Affordability Survey contains various errors and biases. The author even claims that compact housing reduces fertility. Really? Smart policies can create affordable and family-friendly housing.

February 10 - Todd Litman

It's possible that the ill effects of NIMBY obstructionism are enabled by a lack of understanding about how and why NIMBYism works.

February 10 - CityLab

A study published February 9 in the Journal of the American Medical Association points to three reasons for the life expectancy being lower for Americans than in other developed nations. Care to guess what they are?

February 10 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Several big stories, all rolled into one, are emerging in Portland. Changes in zoning have paved the way for high-rises that are proposed for the existing location of the city's famous food stalls.

February 9 - The Oregonian

Census data shows that Seattle jumped Baltimore to become the country's tenth most densely populated city. Is Seattle on the cusp of a changing of the guard when it comes to density and population growth?

February 9 - The Seattle Times

A book review of the newly released book, "Dream Cities," by Wade Graham.

February 9 - The New York Times

New research says land use patterns have increased the costs of wildfire protection, so strategic land use planning would help lower the costs of wildfire protection.

February 9 - University of Wyoming

St. Louis will end a program that allows groups to decorate crosswalks for the purposes of beautifying and branding neighborhoods. Currently decorated crosswalks can stay, for now.

February 9 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

While bikeshare is popular with planners and local officials all over the country, in some cities it still hasn't proven popular with people. One author has some thoughts on how bikeshare can begin to attract larger numbers.

February 9 - The Urban Edge

The Suncoast Parkway has produced $22 million a year in revenue after a consultant said it would bring in $150 million a year. Yet the Florida Department of Transportation wants to expand the road.

February 9 - Tampa Bay Times

Among the wish list of spending priorities included in the Obama Administration's draft federal budget—$11 billion in funding to address family homelessness.

February 9 - The New York Times

FEATURE

An experiment involving colorful Legos, big pictures, and "Where Things Are From Near to Far."

February 9 - Pete Sullivan

The first "open gangway" subway cars are due to arrive in New York in 2020. These cars enable passengers to freely walk between cars without having to struggle to open doors to access an adjacent car.

February 9 - The New York Times

After missing out on the latest round of TIGER grants and being stuck in acquisition limbo with the city of Seattle, the bikeshare system of Pronto is running out of money and time.

February 8 - The Seattle Times

The city of Atlanta is undertaking a wide-ranging review of its current zoning code in the hopes of implementing form-based codes for more of the city.

February 8 - Creative Loafing Atlanta

Fresno State University in California has released plans for a suite of changes that will redefine its approach to transportation—away from a devout focus on cars and toward more transportation options.

February 8 - Stop and Move

When a region isn't building enough housing to meet the demands of a growing population and shifting demographics, zoning codes reform and infrastructure investment can be the solution.

February 8 - Regional Plan Association

The St. Louis City Council recently approved the initial steps for 1,800 acres of Maryland Heights floodplain. Plenty of hurdles remain, such as coming up with the money the developer wants to see the project through.

February 8 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Madrid, already famous for deciding to impose stringent limitations on driving, has a plan to blanket the city in green to increase its resilience to the effects of climate change.

February 8 - Fast Co.Exist