The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Is a gentrified Venice Beach still Venice Beach? With median home prices topping $1.4 million, the area's eclectic characters can't afford to stay. Investors and the tech industry say the change is only natural.

August 28 - The Washington Post

A ballot decision in November will determine whether San Francisco can sell $310 million in bonds to pay for affordable housing. The proposal coincides with Mayor Ed Lee's campaign for re-election.

August 28 - Australian Financial Review

Ten years ago, a number of architecture firms went to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina for a humanitarian "experiment"—rebuilding part of the underserved Lower Ninth Ward as an innovative, LEED Platinum, affordable community.

August 28 - The Planning Report

“A narrative of rebirth, reform and success that coexists with a narrative of stasis, failure and unrealized dreams.”

August 28 - The New York Times

FEATURE

Cities are immensely complex self-organizing systems, not mere top-down designs—but they do need top-down interventions in strategic places. Unfortunately, we still have inadequate models and tools.

August 28 - Michael Mehaffy

The mayor of Los Angeles followed the lead of cities like New York and San Francisco in setting Vision Zero targets for traffic fatalities by the year 2025. The question remains: Will it be done?

August 27 - LA Streetsblog

A suite of zoning changes under consideration by the Tacoma Planning Commission provoked its "most well-attended" hearing in decades.

August 27 - The News Tribune

If housing prices were tracked like the stock market, urban cores would be soaring to new highs.

August 27 - City Commentary

Superstorm Sandy spurred the New York City Economic Development Corporation to form the RISE:NYC program, a global competition for innovative solutions to post-disaster resiliency. Arup's Sarah Wesseler spoke with them to learn more.

August 27 - Doggerel

California recently awarded more than $1.2 million in cap-and-trade revenue to projects that not only reduce GHG emissions, but also promote affordable housing or transit options.

August 27 - The Planning Report

Excerpts of an interview with Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jerry Wray, who spoke candidly about the state's role in maintaining and building transportation projects in Cincinnati and around the state of Ohio.

August 27 - Cincinnati Enquirer

The Texas Transportation Institute's latest Urban Mobility Scorecard claims, that "TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK SETS NEW RECORDS FOR TRAVELER MISERY." This critique by the Frontier Group puts their hyperbole into perspective. No need to panic!

August 27 - Frontier Group

As ridership grows on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) rail system, system planners are looking to a novel approach to relieve crunched station parking: bikes.

August 27 - Next City

Phoenix voters, by 55 percent according to preliminary results, chose to increase their sales tax from .4 to .7 percent on Tuesday, continuing until 2051 to pay for $17 billion in transportation improvements.

August 27 - AZ Central

FEATURE

A study recently published in the Journal of the American Planning Association finds that the APA's definition of "great neighborhoods" might be leaving low-income and minority populations behind.

August 27 - Emily Talen

Sen. Jim Beall's transportation funding bill has been renumbered for the special session and was amended on July 14 to include a 12 cents per gallon, or 40 percent, increase in the gas tax and a 22 cents, or 169 percent, increase in the diesel tax.

August 26 - Planetizen

BLOG POST

The new Urban Mobility Scorecard measures traffic congestion with greater precision, but incorrectly. As with previous editions, it exaggerates congestion costs and undervalues the congestion reduction benefits of alternative modes and Smart Growth.

August 26 - Todd Litman

But not to Portland, nor even in Oregon for that matter. The Vine will service downtown Vancouver, Washington and be operated by Vancouver's public transit agency, C-TRAN. It broke ground in downtown Vancouver on Monday.

August 26 - Oregon Public Broadcasting

A new study finds evidence of a causal link between bikeshare and congestion in Washington, D.C.

August 26 - Resources for the Future

The city of Paterson, New Jersey, is suing the City-Council-appointed Board of Adjustment in a dispute over using in-house planners versus contract planners.

August 26 - Paterson Press