The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
BLOG POST
Advice for Students: When to Contact Faculty at a Different Institution
With social media and the internet generally making it easy to contact faculty across the globe students are tempted to do so. But when is it appropriate? The short answer is contact them if they request it.
Transitmix Finds Professional Applications, Municipal Partners
Transitmix, an online tool for sketching out and testing fantasy transit routes, has evolved beyond its original mass appeal to become a trusted tool for transportation planners around the country.
How 'Awful Transit Policy' Led a Man to Commute 21 Miles by Foot
Stephen Henderson pens a strongly worded response to the story of James Robertson, who commutes by foot up to 21 miles a day between Detroit and Rochester Hills. Robertson is a source of pride—the transit system that neglects the region, a disgrace.
Midwest Earthquakes Are Redrawing the Risk Map
Setting aside the debate about fracking's responsibility for swarms of earthquakes in states like Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, seismic experts are recognizing a need to rethink building safety.
Phoenix's $30 Billion Wish List for Transportation Spending
Phoenix's transit tax, Transit 2000, will expire in 2020. City leaders have prepared a 30-year plan for transportation to sell the idea of a renewed sales tax. Now taxpayers will have to decide if it’s the right kind of list for the city's future.
Proposed Dallas High Speed Rail Station Hopes to Attract Game-Changing TOD
The Dallas Business Journal provides in depth coverage on the current planning efforts behind two proposed high-speed rail station locations in Dallas.
Albuquerque Set to Update Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Code
The city of Albuquerque joins the ranks of the cities around the country overhauling their zoning and planning mechanisms.
Proposal would Lower New York's Gas Prices by Cutting the Gas Tax
Call it $2 gas price envy. Though New York gas prices have dropped $1.20 from a year ago, they are also 25-cents above the national average. State Sen. Jim Seward hopes to spark a statewide movement to reduce prices by reducing state gas taxes.
Asian Cities are the World's Safest
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released its Safe Cities Index 2015, finding that Asian cities lead the world in several measures of security.
How New York's Luxury Housing Market Stashes Anonymous Foreign Wealth
The New York Times ran a massive feature documenting the rise of foreign real estate investment in New York City, enabled by the anonymity of limited liability corporations.
BLOG POST
Cities and the Hasselhoff Effect
All of a sudden, the viability of driverless cars seems to be on the rise. It's a worrying notion for anyone skeptical about technology. And yet, this advancement may help cities regain the charm and vibrancy they lost in the automobile age.
5 Ways to Add Density (High Rises Not Included)
In some cities the idea of adding a high rise is always dead on arrival, even if the city desperately needs to add density. For those communities facing similar challenges, a post on Blooming Rock offers five ways to think outside the high-rise box.
Black History Month—a Good Time for Planners to Reflect
Planners have good reason to be thoughtful on the occasion of Black History Month. One blogger offers reflections and insight that should inspire thoughtfulness the rest of the year, too.
Measuring Brainwaves to Map the Stress Level of Bike Routes
Anyone who uses a bike to navigate their city knows that every ride has stretches that are much more stressful than others. A new project collects data from brainwaves to map the stress levels of bikers in New York City.
Examining Rail's Safety Record after Metro-North's Worst Crash
A column in The Week argues that notwithstanding Tuesday's horrific crash of a Metro-North train that killed five passengers, rail is a much safer mode than driving. However, rail deaths are increasing.
City Leaders Flex Muscle in Ottawa
Canadian cities are no strangers to rankings of the world's most functional, attractive cities. Even so, the mayors of Canada's 22 largest cities want national leaders in Ottawa to adopt an even more explicitly pro-urban national agenda.
New Index Ranks Cities by their Transportation Apps
In some cities, it can feel like a new era of transportation—with new options like real-time bus arrival data, on-demand cars-for-hire, and more, all available through a smart phone. Which cities are out in front of the new world?
Delaware Gas Tax Funds Subsidize General Fund
While Congress has subsidized the Highway Trust Fund with over $60 billion since 2008, some states may do the opposite, i.e., transfer funds from their gas tax-filled transportation trust funds to the state's general fund to cover operating expenses.
Five of the World's Most Promising Examples of Environmental Conservation
A Huffington Post article shares the stories of the fellows selected by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to present their work at the 2014 World Parks Congress in Australia.
Website Opens Bay Area Transportation Data to the Masses
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission—the Bay Area's regional transportation planning agency—recently did fans of data and mapping a huge favor and launched a website called Vital Signs.
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.
