The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Report Highlights the Role of Biodiversity of Urban Scavengers
Cities are full of ants, mice, rats, and other animals that scavenge on the trash of human beings. A new report from North Carolina State University analyzes how biodiversity influences the productivity of these creatures.
Market in Portland Creates Bicycle Bridge Options
A new project to convert a little-used parking lot in a cloverleaf onramp opens the door to improve an awkward bike bridge landing in Portland, Oregon.
Huge Surge in Biking in Santa Monica
The city of Santa Monica recently released a report to assess its progress toward meeting the goals of the Santa Monica Bike Action Plan.
CicLAvia Rides into South Los Angeles
CicLAvia, the Los Angeles open streets event, heads to South Los Angeles for the first time today. Sahra Sulaiman explains the communities preparedness leading up to this historic event.
Report Finds Doubled Concentrations of Poverty Since 1970
A new report from City Observatory analyzes urban poverty and gentrification using census data from 1970 to 2010.
Study Provides Lessons in Bike Lane Politics
Eric Jaffe examines the successful (on the third try) bike lane on the Burrard Street Bridge in Vancouver as a case study in pushing a difficult project through to completion.
Remodel of the Village Arcade a Sign of the Urban Times in Houston
The Houston Chronicle presents a lesson in how (and why) to convert the aesthetic of a university-adjacent retail center from suburban to urban.
3 Strategies for Controlling Gentrification
Sandy Smith summarizes a recent "Gentrification, Integration, and Equity" event hosted by Next City in Philadelphia.
Does Peak Car Mean the End of Induced Demand?
Aaron Renn provides a dissenting argument on the implications of peak car, namely, "if we’ve really reached peak car, maybe we really can build our way out of congestion after all."
Affordable Accessory Dwelling Units
Prospect Newtown, in Longmont, CO, has seamlessly integrated affordable housing by creating a host of accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The ADUs are perfectly blended within the town overall—and actually help contribute to the development’s success.
Complete Street Makeover in the Works for 2nd Street in San Francisco
Planners in San Francisco are working on a complete street redo of a key corridor through the SoMa neighborhood that will connect downtown, Mission Bay, and the Central Waterfront.
Life, Death, and Repurposing of the Great American Mall
A PBS Newshour economic correspondent visits the sites of former malls in Ohio and Massachusetts, some successfully repurposed, others in construction, and one in decay, speaking with economic experts along the way about the future of the mall.
The Promise of Renewal in Massachusetts Gateway Cities
Massachusetts is funding a placemaking initiative to renew its old industrial gateway cities. Available funds are only $16 million, but there's a plan to make the money go a long way.
'High Tech Highway' Emerging in Phoenix
In an area more known for retirement communities and fixed incomes—Phoenix's Easy Valley—corridor of high tech companies has emerged along the Loop 101.
Explained: America's Complex System of Oil Transportation
A new analysis by Joseph Kane, Robert Puentes, and Adie Tomer examines America's current infrastructure of transporting oil throughout the country.
Report: Bus Rapid Transit Up 383 Percent in Ten Years
Jarrett Walker shares news and analysis of a recent study by the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP) finding explosive growth in the construction of bus rapid transit lines around the world in the last ten years.
Will Los Angeles Legalize Street Vending?
The $500 million underground street vending economy in Los Angeles took a step closer toward legalization on Tuesday.
The Coolest Buildings Aren't Green
Creating 'greener' buildings will help address climate change... right?
On the Growth of New York's Urban Forest
A New York Times article details the surprisingly difficult to catalogue history of New York's greenery.
Friday Eye Candy: Stunning Visualizations of Civilization in Space
Dan Malouf shares a collection of still images taken from the four-minute film Wanderers showing "what human civilization might look like with colonies on Mars, in the asteroid belt, and on the moons of Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus."
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
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.
