The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The Past and Future of Architecture Criticism

How much do the challenges of the built environment require a thoughtful and informed media? What is the role of traditional architecture criticism in the world of aggregators, snark, and armchair urbanists?

July 21 - Neiman Reports

United States from Space

FEATURE

How Data Privatization Will Change Planning Practice

Planners will be presented with new challenges and opportunities in a new era of data-enhanced government.

July 20 - Kendra L. Smith and Kevin C. Desouza

Learning from the Las Vegas Recovery

The recovery of Las Vegas, hit hard by the Great Recession, resembles the recovery of the rest of the country—uneven and innovative.

July 20 - The Economist

Mayor de Blasio Op-Ed Supports New Regulations for Uber

An op-ed by Mayor Bill de Blasio declares that the time has come to regulate transportation companies like Uber.

July 20 - New York Daily News

Will Indianapolis Rezone to a Less Car-Centric Future?

With backing from Mayor Greg Ballard, Indianapolis' new zoning ordinance has been "tweaked" to allow developers to lower parking minimums if options to reduce driving are provided. Also, EV rift between charging stations and parking spaces reported.

July 20 - The Indianapolis Star


House and Senate Republicans Differ on Must-Pass Transportation Funding Bills

The House passed their patch bill on July 15—it's now the Senate's turn at bat on highway funding. Both houses are controlled by Republicans but they appear to be pitching for different teams. A bill must pass by July 31 or road funding ceases.

July 20 - New York Times

iUrbanism

Insightful designers continue to seek a better future for Los Angeles architecture by way of L.A. urbanism.

July 20 - Places Journal


Citi Bike Tackles Biking's Gender Gap

New York City's bike share program, Citi Bike, enjoys a greater percentage of female cyclists that the city as a whole, but still only reaches 25 percent. The problem is typical of bike share programs in the United States.

July 20 - The New York Times N.Y. / Region

Streetscape

BLOG POST

Which Streetscape Features Best Generate Pedestrian Activity?

Reid Ewing and Amir Hajrasouliha guest blog about their new article investigating the impact of street micro environments on pedestrian activity.

July 20 - JPER

Imagining Livability Design Tools

The "Imagining Livability Design Collection" by the AARP Livable Communities and the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute provides a visual portfolio of placemaking solutions that can be implemented quickly, for not too much money.

July 20 - AARP

First Wind Energy Farm Blows Into the Southeast

Elizabeth City, North Carolina, will host a 204-megawatt wind energy facility—the first in a region known for steady coastal breezes. The project is a collaboration of European-based Iberdrola Renewables, LLC, and Seattle-based Amazon.

July 20 - WRAL

Study: Columbus Neighborhoods Still Surprisingly Suburban

Columbus is surprisingly suburban, given that the city is the largest in population in the state of Ohio. Maybe that perception comes from the fact that it’s also the largest in size in the state?

July 19 - The Columbus Dispatch

Portland to Buy Land for Homeless Camp

The city of Portland has allocated funding for the purchase of land reported to be under consideration as the new location of a large homeless camp called Right 2 Dream Too.

July 19 - The Oregonian

California's Historic Drought Pressures Traditional Water Rights

California’s drought has the State Water Resources Control Board in "hyperdrive"—rushing to fill the gaps of a historic water-rights system, settle disputes over water use, and lay the groundwork for a sustainable future.

July 19 - The Planning Report

SF Cable Cars

New Streetcar Line Set to Open August 1 in City by the Bay

As Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez of the San Francisco Examiner explains, the 'E' Line has only been over three decades in the making. Credit goes greatly to former mayor, now U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein, and the tireless work of committed advocates.

July 19 - San Francisco Examiner

Coming Soon to Toll Roads in Florida: Express Lane Charges

Critics of express lanes have often described the tolling as a double-tax for the use of highways. In a first, Florida is planning to charge for express lanes on toll roads. Triple tax?

July 19 - Sun Sentinel

Hot Buttons and Live Wires: Inside Raleigh's Zoning Code Debate

Public hearings are underway in Raleigh to discuss the zoning changes necessary to implement the city's Unified Development ordinance. Heated rhetoric was inevitable.

July 18 - Indy Week

Proposed Developments Could Eliminate Oklahoma City's New Dedicated Bike Lane

A traffic study evaluating the impact of proposed developments in Downtown Oklahoma City recommends removing a newly opened dedicated bike lane and parking spots to make room for another traffic lane.

July 18 - The Oklahoman

The 'Unlikely Source' of Hope for Affordable Housing: the Private Sector

The chair of the Community Development Trust makes the case for the new potential of private sector investments in affordable housing.

July 18 - American Banker

5 Resilience Plans for the 21st Century

Resilience is one of the hottest buzzwords in contemporary planning, and planners in communities around the country are only beginning to realize the multiple benefits of the attention and funding devoted to resilience plans.

July 18 - APA Policy News

Post News

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.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

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.