The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
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.
Chicago Readies Region for EV Charging
Chicago-area municipalities can take advantage of a new grant program to prepare their infrastructure for electric vehicles.
Dallas City Council Debates Comprehensive Plan
Some councilmembers worry the ForwardDallas plan will eliminate single-family zoning, but proponents say the proposed changes are necessary to maintain an adequate housing supply in the growing city.
Cape Cod Water Quality Threatened by Septic Runoff
Pollutants from local septic tanks are creating problematic algae blooms in local waters. Cleaning it all up could cost billions.
Did the Pandemic Spur Radical Urban Change?
The Covid era highlighted social inequities and prompted new paradigms for urbanism and mobility. Will they stick around?
Opinion: Funding Transit Is a Win-Win
How federal transit funding can boost local economies and fight climate change.
The Changing Shape of American Suburbs
Housing costs and availability are pushing more American households, including young families, to suburbs and exurbs — and they’re demanding changes.
Former Convents Become Teacher Housing
For Catholic school teachers and other educators, housing costs can be a burden in many U.S. cities.
Opinion: ‘Floating’ Bus Stops Endanger Blind Pedestrians
A design that places bike lanes between bus stops and sidewalks complicates mobility for pedestrians, especially people with vision impairments.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.
