The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

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.

March 10 - The Planning Report

Project Housing

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.

March 10 - PlanPhilly

Suburban Office Building

A Deep Dive into Suburban Retrofits

An interview with Ellen Dunham-Jones, co-author of "Retrofitting Suburbia," and Hazel Borys.

March 10 - PlaceShakers

A stream of mobile apps

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?

March 10 - Civicly

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.

March 9 - Places Journal


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.

March 9 - Bike Portland

Teotihuacan

BLOG POST

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.

March 9 - Dean Saitta


Chicago to Scale Back Red Light Camera Program

The nation's largest automated red light enforcement program will get a trim. How much is mayoral election politics responsible for the change?

March 9 - Chicago Tribune

Banned Words at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection: 'Climate Change'

Top officials at the Florida state agency tasked with studying and planning for the impacts of climate change are taking a novel approach to avoiding the issue.

March 9 - Miami Herald

Report: 10.8 Billion Americans Rode Transit in 2014

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has released its annual report on public transit ridership. Although more Americans are taking public transit, the trend doesn't hold in every city.

March 9 - The Hill

Do Driverless Car Safety Features Merit Fuel Efficiency Credit?

Manufacturers say yes, arguing that the reduction in vehicle crashes decreases traffic congestion. Other features improve traffic flow. But these are safety technologies, not emission-reducing measures, that critics worry will water-down CAFE.

March 9 - The Wall Street Journal

A 'Good News' Air Pollution Study for a Change

Too often we report on new studies showing how air pollution worsens public health, often causing premature death. For a change, here's a study showing how efforts to improve air quality in Southern California have boosted public health in children.

March 9 - The Wall Street Journal

Woman Walking

Women Redefining the Boundaries of Urban Design

There is increased call for inclusion and diversity in architecture. This London exhibition profiles five female architects and urban designers at the forefront of their profession.

March 9 - The Guardian Cities

Warning Sign

Study: Dynamic Road Signs Make for Better Drivers

A psychological experiment finds that warning signs depicting more movement gain more attention, making drivers navigate more carefully.

March 9 - The Atlantic

Children Playing

A Call for Reimagined Schoolyards

In recent years, tactical urbanism has helped reinvent many streets and sidewalks in center cities, creating new public spaces. But many spaces remain untouched. Anuj Gupta argues that reinvented schoolyards can be the next great public spaces.

March 8 - Philadelphia Magazine

Image of hydraulic fracturing equipment

New York Towns Consider Secession, Cite Fracking Ban

Concerned about their economic fate, several upstate New York towns have expressed interest in joining Pennsylvania instead.

March 8 - Talking Points Memo

Wind farm and greenhouse gas farm, together

Op-ed: "Fix-It-First" is California's New Infrastructure Policy

In this San Francisco Chronicle Open Forum, Brian Kelly, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, makes the case that maintenance as well as capital costs be included when financing new infrastructure projects.

March 8 - San Francisco Chronicle

Chicago Bus

Bus Advocates: Chicago BRT Plan Could Be Better

The Central Loop BRT project, scheduled to break ground this month, will improve commuter travel times. But a collection of compromises means many ideal BRT components won't be installed.

March 8 - CityLab

Google Self-Driving Car smaller

How Driverless Cars Could Affect Suburban Land Use

Successful driverless cars might lead to "mini mass transit," a distinct mode from public transit and the private automobile. The consequences for land use could reshape suburbia.

March 8 - The Greater Marin

The Impressive Story of Florida's 15-Year-Old Citizen Planner

Dylan Gentile, a 15-year-old resident of DeFuniak Springs, Florida, offers inspiration in the form of proactive, positive engagement with the built environment, and already an impressive resume of accomplishments.

March 7 - CityLab

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.