The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Oregon Town Seeks Funding for Ambitious Resilience Plan
Like other rural communities, Grants Pass is eager to access federal funding aimed at sustainability initiatives, but faces challenges when it comes to meeting grant requirements.

Report: 25 Percent of Americans Live With Poor Air Quality
Fires and extreme heat are generating more harmful particulate matter.

New Jersey Senate Committee Passes E-Bike Insurance Bill
Lawmakers say the admittedly flawed bill will undergo changes before its final passage.

What Is Cambridge’s Affordable Housing Overlay?
A controversial policy is helping create more affordable housing units in the Massachusetts city, but fears of overwhelming density are likely unfounded.

LA’s Mobility Plan Implementation Faces Opposition
The city’s firefighters’ union claims that bike and bus lanes would slow response times and impede access for first responders.

Georgia County Adopts On-Demand Transit
Cherokee County will shift its public transit system to an app-based service.

Research: Housing First Works
Randomized trials show a high rate of success for the Housing First approach to reducing homelessness.

A Grim Financial Outlook for Transit Agencies
Transit ridership will likely remain below pre-pandemic levels through 2024, according to analysts.

Calculating Vehicle Travel Reduction Benefits
The Rocky Mountain Institute's new Smarter MODES Calculator quantifies economic, social and environmental benefits provided by shifts from automobile travel to more resource-efficient modes. This includes benefits that are often overlooked or undervalued in conventional planning.

Report: 15 Percent of Americans Deny Climate Change
A new study affirms other research showing that a small but vocal minority of Americans don’t believe climate change exists.

Los Angeles Transit Ridership Grew in 2023
Metro attributes the growth to new destinations, added security, and a streamlined train system.

Arizona State Lawmakers Seek to Override Local Zoning to Spur Housing Development
The proposal would eliminate minimum lot sizes, setback requirements of more than five feet, minimum square footage, and “neighborhood character” requirements.

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Securing Smart Cities: Financial Cybersecurity in an Urban Age
Explore financial cybersecurity in smart cities, addressing urban vulnerabilities and strategies for protection.

How the Great American Outdoors Act Improved Public Lands
The 2020 federal law has helped fund park maintenance projects and improve access to public lands.

Opinion: New Jersey’s E-Bike Insurance Proposal Would Have Chilling Effect on Micromobility
A proposal to require insurance for low-speed electric bikes could hamper the adoption of non-auto modes, advocates argue.

Poor Road Quality Leading to Higher Gas Use
Commuters in Massachusetts communities with worse roads use more gas, with the costs disproportionately impacting low-income households.

Excerpt: How Individualism Harms Public Transit
Jarrett Walker calls for a more social approach to transit planning.

Arizona’s ‘Car-Free’ Community Takes Shape
Culdesac Tempe has been welcoming residents since last year.
TOD Opportunities Around America's First True High-Speed Rail Line
Brightline West hopes to break ground, in anticipation of a 2027 opening. Cities in the Inland Empire and High Desert areas of Southern California are looking to take advantage.

Pre-Permitted Housing Plans Can Combat Blight, Revive Neighborhoods
Faced with blighted neighborhoods where the cost of building a house would exceed its eventual market value, the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan, streamlined the permitting process to help lower development costs.
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