The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
A Proposal for a New Set of Bike Rules
Most states classify bicycles as "vehicles", and therefore bicyclists as "drivers" of vehicles. Practically what this means is: car rules are bike rules.
Shot by Shot, Brooklyn Histories Revealed
To build ties to its neighbors, a young arts organization embarked on a sprawling multimedia project exploring the past and present of Williamsburg's Latino community.
Friday Funny: How to Fail at Maps
It's too bad there isn't a map that can lead us to the place where all the fact-checkers have gone.
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Are Home Prices in New Urbanist Neighborhoods More Resilient? Evidence from Metro Portland
A new article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research (@JPER7) by Hongwei Dong of California State University, Fresno, asks whether New Urbanist developments were more resilient in terms of recovering from the 2008 real estate crash.
The Resurgence of Anti-Homeless Policy and Design
A report by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley tracks the proliferation of vagrancy laws in the Golden State. Meanwhile, The Guardian notes the spread of so-called "defensive architecture."
An Argument for the Benefits of Form-Based Codes to Aging Populations
An interview with Joel Russell, executive director of the Form-Based Codes Institute.
'Ones to Watch': Young Designers Working to Improve Urban Life
The U.K. based Design Council recently announced the winners of its "Ones to Watch" competition. The winning entries show how young designers (aka, the "future of British design") are working to improve urban life.
Should Car Safety Technology Protect Bikers and Pedestrians Too?
It wouldn't exactly mean cats and dogs living together, but what if technological innovations could make cars safer for pedestrians and bikers?
Deep Cut Proposed for California's Gas Tax
A proposal to cut the gas tax by 21 percent would dig a huge hole in the state's transportation budget. It comes from a requirement in 2010 fuel tax swap legislation that doubled the excise tax while reducing the sales tax on gas by 6 percent.
Big Ecology in an Era of Thinking Small
Can the environmental challenges of our times be addressed incrementally? Here are four strategies for creating change inspired by landscape architecture.
Leaky Pipes will Cost Los Angeles at least $1.3 Billion to Fix
The Los Angeles Times offers a broadly ranging, interactive feature on the decrepit state of Los Angeles' water infrastructure.
I-94 to Expand Out (Not Up) in Milwaukee
Wisconsin state transportation officials have settled on a plan to expand the I-94 freeway in Milwaukee—instead of building a double deck freeway through a cemetery the plan is too widen the freeway without disturbing an human remains.
Funding Questions Loom for Montgomery County's BRT Plans
Even when a community has thrown its full support behind a transit project, questions of funding and operations can create controversy. The next few months will be worth watching for Montgomery County, Maryland's proposed BRT system.
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Suburban Multifamily: Smart Growth or Smart Sprawl?
In suburbia, the line between smart growth and conventional sprawl is sometimes a blurry one.
Planning Case Study: the Philadelphia2035 River Wards District Plan
Philadelphia planners are halfway through the Philadelphia2035 River Wards District Plan, which will help guide development and investment for a broad swath of troubled neighborhoods proximate to the Delaware River.
Falling Crop Prices Bring Boom Times for Subsidized 'Farmers'
2014 federal legislation reformed the system by which farm subsidies are allotted, designed to save taxpayers $23 billion over a decade. However, falling crop prices mean the system could end up costing even more.
WWII Internment Camp in Hawaii Designated as a National Monument
A detention center that interred Japanese Americans during World War II, once called Jigoku Dani, or Hell Valley, will become a National Monument.
How Austin Paved Paradise and Put up a Parking Lot
A local blogger takes umbrage with claims that Austin's density is causing its traffic problems. The obvious problem with that argument: Austin is 68% as dense now as it was in 1950.
Planning Trend Watch: Senior Care Facility Requires Controversial Rezoning
A controversial zoning decision paved the way for a large assisted living facility in Alexandria, Virginia. The need for such a drastic measures reflects a growing need to plan for aging populations.
Portland Planners Asked to Say 'No' More Often
The head of Portland's Bureau of Development Services is asking that planners raise standards for discretionary review of development proposals. Among the points made to planners in a recent memo: customer service is not the same as getting to "yes."
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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.
