The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Midwest Passenger Rail Plan Advances

Ohio rail advocates received good news from the Federal Railroad Administration: The Buckeye State will be included in an FRA study to expand its now meager service, but support from Republican Gov. John Kasich is unlikely judging from his record.

September 2 - Dayton Daily News

Traffic Jam 1970s

If Congestion Is Getting Worse, Why Are We Spending Less Time Traveling?

The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute released its eighth report on peak motorization in the U.S., an evaluation of time spent traveling for a broad category of purposes, not just work. From 2004 to 2014, total time decreased.

September 2 - The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute

Bikeway

BLOG POST

Using Technology to Create Better Traffic Counts

Tired of standing on a street corner to count traffic? Technology is automating traffic counts and providing more detailed and accurate data to support planning.

September 2 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Denver's Cherry Creek North Not Just for Shopping Anymore

A neighborhood known as a shopping district is quickly transforming into a live, work, play destination in heart of Denver.

September 2 - The Denver Post

Indianapolis Puts Design Ideas to the Test With Pedestrian-Friendly Pilot Project

As it works to gather the $60 million necessary to implement permanent changes to Monument Circle, Indianapolis is testing ideas for how to make the location more pedestrian friendly.

September 2 - Streetsblog USA


The Road Safety Upgrade the World Desperately Needs: Self-Driving Cars

The headline chosen here summarizes the argument put forward by Vox's Joseph Stromberg, who believes that self-driving cars will be a serious upgrade over the average human driver.

September 2 - Vox

State Documents Reveal Woes at Pioneering Atlantic Yards Modular Tower

What was promised as the tallest building in the world built by modular construction is delayed and the subject of lawsuits. State documents, recently made public, describe water damage, tolerance challenges, and unanticipated repairs.

September 2 - City Limits


The Lost History of D.C.'s Murals

Washington City Paper creates a record of the many murals that have been lost to new construction and shifting demographics in neighborhoods around Washington, D.C.

September 2 - Washington City Paper

Offshore Wind Ambitions Stall in New Jersey

The Garden State once dreamed of becoming a global leader in offshore wind electricity generation. Now its plans look dead in the water.

September 1 - The Record

Chicago Infill Rail Stations Showing Outsized Benefits in Ridership, TOD

An analysis of infill transit stations built since 2012 along "L" routes in Chicago shows clear increases in ridership and transit oriented development.

September 1 - Metropolitan Planning Council - The Connector

Bus Rapid Transit Hits Global Milestone

There are now 402 bus rapid transit (BRT) lines operating around the world, according to data from BRTData.org.

September 1 - The City Fix

Road Diet

4 Examples of Road Diets

Jeff Speck and Spencer Boomhower created a video to illustrate how road diets work.

September 1 - CityLab

Urban Planning Model

BLOG POST

10 Keys to Making A Great City Plan

Too many city plans represent business-as-usual, sit on a shelf collecting dust, or miss the chance to reflect a truly game-changing moment in the direction of a city. Want your new city plan process to result in a great plan? Consider these 10 keys.

September 1 - Brent Toderian

Southern California Counties Set National Migration Pace

More residents moved from the counties of Los Angeles and Orange to the nearby counties of San Bernardino and Riverside than anywhere else in the country.

September 1 - The Sacramento Bee

Sidewalk Closed on Deteriorating Bridge; Auto Traffic Continues

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is having a difficult time explaining to the public how the 122-year-old bridge can be safe for motorized vehicles "up to nine tons" but pedestrians pose a weight problem.

September 1 - WLEX-TV

Graduation Ceremony

Is 'Brain Drain' a Legitimate Problem?

According to analysts like Aaron Renn, the exodus of educated Millennials from what some perceive to be less-glamorous cities shouldn't signal impending doom. For one thing, brain drain might not be happening at all.

September 1 - Next City

Hurricane Katrina

BLOG POST

An Equitable Recovery? New Orleans Ten Years After Katrina

University of New Orleans Professor Dr. Anna Livia Brand writes about the shortcomings in the recovery planning process in post-Katrina New Orleans caused by unaddressed racial inequality.

September 1 - JPER

Hopes for Restoring New Orleans-Florida Amtrak Service Pinned on Transportation Bill

Included in the draft version of the DRIVE Act: funding to study the restoration of Amtrak's Sunset Limited route along the Gulf Coast until Hurricane Katrina.

September 1 - The Hill

Uber Driver

Uber Looking More and More Like Transit: Is that Good or Bad for Transit?

A spate of media coverage responded to the news that Uber had released a new feature called "Smart Routes."

August 31 - TechCrunch

Skid Row

Conflicting Stories From Los Angeles' Skid Row

As the city considers new ordinances making it easier for police to break up homeless camps, residents say forced displacement is already underway. Police deny an increase in homeless sweeps.

August 31 - Los Angeles Times

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

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A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.