The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
MTA Testing Bike Racks on Staten Island Buses
What is the one transit facility New York lacks that every other major city in the country has? Bike racks on buses. A new system was tested recently on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, but it's a long way from delivery.
German Architect Frei Otto Awarded the 2015 Pritzker Architecture Prize
In a sad turn of events, Frei Otto passed away on March 9, prompting the Pritzker jury to move the announcement of the award up by two weeks. The Pritzker Prize is regarded as architecture's highest honor.
Texas Legislation Would End Federal Funding for Transit
SB 1048, proposed by Senator Bob Hall (R-Rockwall), levels an unprecedented attack on transit in Texas. Although it's probably an extreme example of dead-on-arrival legislating, it's notable that an elected official would consider such a proposal.
A Pedestrian's Perspective on Sprawling Orange County
Southern California's Orange County isn't exactly known for its walkability. Frank H. Wu decided to test that notion on a recent carless visit.
Los Angeles and the Getty Launch Historic Places Database
Confirmed: Los Angeles really does have a rich history. HistoricPlacesLA, a new online database, provides detailed information on the city's historic sites.
Who Will Win the Carbon Neutral Economy?
The fossil fuel industry has convinced the public that aggressive carbon reduction will harm the economy. Au contraire. The carbon reduction leader will secure its place at the top of the global economy, argues UrbDeZine Editor Bill Adams.
Business, Government, and Infrastructure in Brazil
With one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Brazil is at the cusp of major change. Arup's Gustavo Ferreria discusses the role that public-private partnerships are playing in modernizing and expanding the country's infrastructure systems.
New York City Proposes Parking Requirement Overhaul
The New York Department of City Planning is working on an overhaul of its parking requirements with the potential to impact hundreds of developments.
Crude-by-Rail's New Workhorse No Better than the Old Workhorse
The new oil tank cars were supposed to be key to preventing the fiery explosions associated with oil-train derailments. However, four recent explosions since Feb. 14, with two occurring last Thursday and Saturday, all involved the new tankers.
Las Vegas Water Grab a 'Poster Child' for Urban vs. Rural Resource Conflict
In what has been described as a "poster child" for future water showdowns in the west, local interests in Las Vegas are attempting a water grab from ranch land 275 miles north of the city.
Three Challenges for Multi-Modal Trip Planning Apps
A recent post on Mobility Lab explains some of the challenges developers encounter when creating the multi-modal trip planner apps of our dreams.
Two New Transit Hubs Planned for Cincinnati Neighborhoods
Randy Simes reports on the latest fruits of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority's (SORTA) approach to transit planning in the Cincinnati metropolitan area.
San Francisco Resets the Bar with New Online Approvals Database
The online documentation of the San Francisco Planning Department's approval process received a huge upgrade.
Los Angeles' Plan to Minimize Displacement During Urban Revitalization
Bloomberg Philanthropies will fund an "Innovation Delivery Team" in Los Angeles to approach the challenge of revitalizing urban neighborhoods while also creating improvements for existing populations.
How a Philadelphia Mayoral Candidate Influenced U.S. Public Housing
Former HUD counsel and current Philadelphia mayoral contender Nelson Diaz laid the groundwork for "entrepreneurial" approaches to public housing. Whether the resulting projects were effective is up for debate.
A Deep Dive into Suburban Retrofits
An interview with Ellen Dunham-Jones, co-author of "Retrofitting Suburbia," and Hazel Borys.
Why Coding Can Teach Planners How to Be More Creative
I want to learn HTML and CSS, or maybe get a refresher on the current state of web technology—where should I start?
A History of 'Urban Dashboards' and their Impact on City Governance
Welcome to the age of "Dashboard Governance"—when a good user interface offers the potential for performance advantages to city management.
Oregon Bill Would Require Reflective Clothing for Bikers
State lawmakers in Oregon are the latest to consider a law that would require bikers riding at night to wear reflective clothing.
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How Ancient and Modern Cities Compare (and Why Planners Should Care)
A new scholarly paper argues that ancient and modern cities can be usefully analyzed in a comparative perspective. But what you do with the comps depends on how much you value similarities versus differences in urban form.
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.
