The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Early Returns Exceed Expectations for Connecticut's CTfastrak BRT System
The $567 million CTfastrak bus rapid transit system opened for business on March 2, 2015. Since then, the system has provided transit service to a growing number of people.
Local Opposition Growing to Atlantic Coast Drilling Plans
Back in January 2015, the Obama Administration pitched a proposal to allow offshore oil exploration along the Atlantic Coast. As more local stakeholders reveal their verdicts on the idea, some are finding reason to oppose.
Newly Launched Gehl Institute to Study Public Spaces
Gehl Studio, the leading name in people-first design and one of the most influential forces in planning today, has philanthropic backing for a non-profit that will focus studies and work on the public sphere.
The Latest Research on the Adoption and Growth of Bikeshare Systems
Academics and professional planners have access to plenty of research and data to continue to improve and expand bikeshare systems around the world.
Meet the World's First Self-Driving Big Rig
The world now includes a technology that raises the stakes of the collective interest in self-driving cars to a whole new weight class: a self-driving big rig.
Touring San Francisco's Parklet Boom
As the birthplace of the parklets movement, San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area have lots of parklet eye candy to choose from.
Carbon Dioxide Levels Reach Record Level in March
The last time carbon dioxide levels were this high was a million years ago. The global community needs to reduce emissions by 80 percent to stop the increase in CO2 levels. The data was reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
European Cities Try to Make Cars Unwelcome
Many cities in Europe are rediscovering their pre-automobile roots, using new technologies like ride-sharing and congestion pricing and old-fashioned ones like demolishing parking lots and dense development. Car ownership is dropping precipitously.
$4.1 Billion Return on Riverfront Parks Investments in Pittsburgh
According to a recent study, $130 million invested in the Three River Park has multiplied into $4.1 billion in development around the riverfront.
Seattle Port, City Council Clash Over Drill Rigs
A decision by the Port of Seattle to host Shell Oil's Arctic drill rigs has made for tense relations between the port and the Seattle City Council.
Five Days after DOT Releases Crude-by-Rail Rule, Another Oil Train Explodes
Critics warned that a Department of Transportation rule allowing up to 10 years to phase out existing oil tank cars would result in more explosions. The rule was issued on May 1; an explosion occurred May 6.
NASA Looking for Help Planning the Built Environment—On Mars
You've got big ideas about how to make life better for lots of people. But are your ideas big enough for a home on Mars?
Friday Funny: When Subway Announcements Get Real
A McSweeney's post satirizes the obfuscations and euphemisms of public transit system announcements by finally putting things in brutally frank terms.
First U.S. City to Build Protected Intersection for Bikes: Salt Lake City
An intersection configuration mastered by the Dutch is about to get its first showcase in the capital of Utah as part of a larger bike lane project through the center of the city.
On the Benefits of Traffic Signal Removal
Certain intersections stand to gain from losing their traffic lights. According to this study, cities can save money and improve safety by uninstalling signals in low-traffic zones.
The Equity of Tiered Water Pricing
A tale of two water-parched cities, one in California, the other in New Mexico, and the critical role played by tiered water pricing. Long known as an effective economic strategy to reduce consumption, tiered pricing also influences equity.
Battle Over Federal 'Clean Water Rule' Heats Up
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers have drafted a new Clean Water Rule to clarify the regulatory powers of the Clan Water Act. In response, some members of Congress authored opposing legislation.
BLOG POST
Building the Inclusive City
Income inequality, housing affordability, and residential segregation are big challenges that require more self-critical analysis and less civic self-promotion.
Seattle Zealously Protects Its Parkland
Based on a history of park-friendly ordinances, Seattle parks and urban forests are largely off-limits to developers. Landowners who flout these regulations must provide the city with an adjacent and equivalent parcel.
Revealed: Dan Gilbert's Next Detroit Redevelopment Investment
The neighborhood of Brush Park will be home to the latest big investment by Quicken Loans founder and Detroit patron Dan Gilbert. $70 million will build 337 new housing units on 8.4 acres.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
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.
