The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
A Call to Put Chicago in the Driver's Seat for North Lake Shore Drive Redesign
An op-ed calls for the Illinois Department of Transportation to end its car-friendly approach to the redesign of North Lake Shore Drive.
2015 Wildfire Season Breaks Records—Congress Sticks With the Status Quo
Congress could have had a landmark moment—but it stopped short of passing the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act. Meanwhile the wildfire season is wrapping up as the most expensive ever.
Rating the Effectiveness of Eight Approaches to Civic Engagement
Code for America has released an Engagement Standard that provides concepts for measuring the quality of new engagement platform technology—not a bad tool to have in the perpetual quest to increase the quality of engagement processes.
The Citizens Budget Commission Reports on NYC's Housing Affordability
As Mayor de Blasio pulls out all the stops to make the case for zoning proposals critical to his affordable housing plans, the Citizens Budget Commission assessed the economics of housing construction in the city.
Better Management, Not Lane Additions, Will Increase Capacity on Virginia's I-66
New express lanes on I-66 inside the Capital Beltway on I-66 will be significant for two reasons. First, no lanes will be added. HOV lanes will be converted to HOT lanes. Second, revenue will go to options to get drivers out of cars, such as transit
Take the 'Green Line': Design Firm Pitches 40-Block Park on Broadway in New York
Perkins Eastman has created a splashy proposal for a linear, at-grade park running along a long stretch of one of New York's most famous avenues.
An App for Navigating While Walking
A new app called Walc makes navigating while walking easier to do. Even more ambitiously, Walc aims to make it easier to make the choice to walk, rather than drive.
Friday Eye Candy: Take a Virtual Stroll Around the World
The Mapillary app allows users to upload their street-level photos into a geo-tagged sequence.
Shut It and Gut It: Anchorage Takes Hard Look at Transit Center
After 500 hours of analyzing its downtown transit center, Anchorage officials have come to one conclusion: The only way to fix this building is to shut it and gut it. The transit center, over three decades, has become a blight on Downtown.
A Conservationist Turns to the City
Journalist Alex Ulam speaks with Sarene Marshall, director of the Urban Land Institute's Center for Sustainability, about the role conservation is playing in fighting climate change and her role at the agency.
Remembering Edward W. Soja, Renowned Urbanist Author and Professor
Renowned UCLA planning professor, urbanist, and author Edward W. Soja passed away last month. L.A.-based planner, and former Soja student, Jonathan Bell writes about his teachings and how they influenced him.
Philadelphia's Triumphs, Challenges, and Opportunities
Philadelphia's recent growth is noteworthy. A series of public choices and commitments have helped to restore confidence in the city's government, re-position the city's employment base, and improve quality of life for citizens.
A Transportation Network Company's Surprising Early Adopters: Seniors
There's more than one way to meet demand for transportation options.
FEATURE
The Most Popular Planetizen Posts of 2015
The results of a year's worth of writing, reading, sharing, and commenting are in. These are the most popular Planetizen posts from the year 2015.
Defending Nuclear Power Plants from Sea Level Rise
Environmentalists are pushing the nuclear industry to do more to prepare for sea level rise. An estimated 13 nuclear plants in the U.S. are considered vulnerable now or in the future.
Planning Programs to Watch in the Federal Omnibus Spending Bill
Congress is on pace to wrap up a major piece of federal legislation before leaving for recess.
East Portland Mobilizing Against Gentrification
East Portland is home to 25 percent of the city's residents—many of which are low-income or immigrants. The East Portland Action Plan aims to protect the community as a wave of gentrification approaches.
Cities Should Stop Electronic Warrantless Surveillance
From ALPR cameras mounted on garbage trucks to IMSI catchers such as Dirtboxes and Stingrays, local authorities have increased exponentially the amount of electronic surveillance, with little regard for the basic principles of privacy.
Oil Export Ban Lifted—After 42 Years
Thanks to a 'must-pass' omnibus spending bill that President Obama indicated he would sign, the ban on crude oil exports, a relic of the 1973 Arab oil embargo, will be lifted. In exchange, energy credits will be extended for wind and solar products.
Visualizing the Drought in the Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River, drinking water source for one in ten Americans, is severely impacted. A new interactive visualization illustrates just how dramatic the problem has become.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
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.
