The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
East Bay BRT Project Receives $81 Million in Federal Grants
Don't confuse East Bay Rapid Transit with Bay Area Rapid Transit: one's a bus, the other heavy rail. But calling it a bus does not do justice to what will be the Bay Area's first bus rapid transit (BRT) line composed primarily of dedicated lanes.

BLOG POST
Climate Change Targets? No Problem! We Have Win-Win Solutions
Ambitious new emission reduction targets can be met with strategies that also help achieve other economic, social, and environmental objectives.
MARTA Crowdfunds Bike Repair Facilities Near Stations
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) turned to crowdfunding for a small project that could have big returns in luring bikers to go multi-modal on public transit.
A Skeptical Take on the World's First Solar Bike Path
Big news out of the Netherlands this week: a Dutch company has installed the world's first solar-powered bike path. But are the system's inefficiencies worth its costs?

China Filling 'Ghost City' with Rural Farmers
In a bid to urbanize its vast interior, China plans to settle one of its vast pre-built cities with workers unused to city life. Upon arrival, they undergo training to become instant urbanites.

Coming to the Streets of New York: 2,000 Bioswales
New York will invest $46 million in an aesthetically pleasing and functional addition to its streets—2,000 bioswales that absorb stormwater and provide a lush sidewalk garden.
'Ridescore' Rates the Hired Driver Regulations for 50 Cities
The Ridescore system grades cities for their regulatory friendliness to hired drivers—transportation network companies, taxis, and limos. Washington D.C. offers the most friendly regulations for hired drivers, Las Vegas the least.
Energy Taxes Now Flowing to Texas Highway Fund
Thanks to voters, at least $1.2 billion in oil and gas taxes a year that would normally have been directed to the state's Rainy Day Fund is diverted to the highway fund, where it will be used to improve the state's crumbling road infrastructure.
Breaking News: China and U.S. Agree to Emissions Reduction Plan
A surprise, groundbreaking agreement between China and the United States was unveiled in Beijing at the end of the APEC conference, providing hope that the world can reduce the threat from climate change.

Women Unwelcome in French Public Spaces
Suburban Paris plays host to a disturbing trend: no comfortable public spaces for women, especially for women from immigrant and low-income groups.

BLOG POST
The Next Frontier of Engagement: Civic Innovation Labs
The recent growth in civic innovation in city halls throughout the country has led to taxpayer investment in private sector organizations addressing social issues, but do these programs really lead to tangible, broad, citizen benefit?

FEATURE
'Foodie Districts' and Downtown Revitalization
Anaheim's packing house signals a new trend with deep roots.
Twin Cities Suburbs Planning for Transit Oriented Development
Local governments along the route Southwest Light Rail line in the suburbs of the Twin Cities are anticipating the route by studying and creating plans to accommodate transit oriented development.
Pittsburgh's Proposed Budget to Shuffle Bureau of Building Inspection
Pittsburgh will attempt to spur economic development and streamline the city's permitting and code enforcement process by reorganizing the Bureau of Building Inspection.
Milwaukee's Lakefront on the Rebound—Condos, Commercial, and a Streetcar
Chris Bentley reports on the developments around Milwaukee's lakefront area, especially in response to a streetcar route proposed in September 2014.
Urban Ecology and the Evolution of the City
A recent article reveals the inconspicuous nature of the city—an ecosystem, "pipes and all."

Explained: Vacancies, Population Decline, and the Importance of Household Size
Jason Segedy has published a long, brutally frank look at blight and vacant properties, especially at the underappreciated culprit for the woes of so many shrinking cities around the Rust Belt: household decline.
Portland Moves Forward with Revised 'Street Fund'
A revised proposal for the "Portland Street Fund," announced this week by the city's political leadership, aims to balance the needs of advocates of alternative transportation and that of the city's business community.

How to Crowdfund a Bike Lane
A PeopleforBikes post explains why the crowdfunding model made sense for a proposed project by the Downtown Denver Partnership to create a protected bike lane on Arapahoe Street.
Self-Cooling Walls Take Climate Control Off the Grid
With anticipated rising global temperatures, the need to cool our homes will take a massive toll on our electrical grid, which a team of masters students aims to address with their new wall insulation.
Pagination
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.