The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Boston Mayoral Candidates Talk Livable Streets, But Can They Walk the Walk?
At a forum held this week, Boston mayoral candidates demonstrated their fluency in the language of transportation alternatives and livable communities. But ideas for meaningful policy changes were largely missing, says Boston Streets.
State Ruling Puts Sacramento's K Street Revitalization Project on Hold
State officials ruled that the City of Sacramento did not meet deadlines for financing the K Street revitalization project, including improperly allocating redevelopment funds. The city disagreed and will sue to overturn the decision.
Will L.A. Put the Brakes on Planning Department Consolidation?
Two Los Angeles councilmen have introduced a measure seeking to delay implementation of one of former Mayor Villaraigosa's last major initiatives - the merging of the city's Planning and Building & Safety departments.
Prediction for UK Home Price Increases Stokes Fears of a Bubble
By the end of 2013, the British real estate website Rightmove expects house prices to have risen six percent as Chancellor George Osbourne defends a government scheme many blame for fueling the rise.
How Protected Bike Lanes Benefit Businesses
Can your city afford not to install protected bike lanes? Michael Andersen previews a coming report from the bike lane advocacy organization Green Lane Project and the Alliance for Biking and Walking that shows how such lanes help local businesses.
Speed Cameras 2.0: Ticketing More Than Just Speeding
DC traffic scofflaws beware: You may be recorded! In one of the nation's most comprehensive use of traffic cameras, motorists who run stop signs or don't stop for peds in crosswalks could find a "ticket in the mail". Plus, 132 cameras will be added.
Four Decades After Site Was Cleared, Plan for Lower East Side Renewal Takes Shape
With a legacy of controversy dating back to the urban renewal schemes of the 1950s and 60s, arriving at a plan to develop a six-acre parcel on Manhattan's Lower East Side was no easy task. But after a collaborative process a vision has emerged.
The Inverse Relationship Between Homeownership and Economic Development
In the United States, homeownership has long been touted as a sign of personal success and national prosperity. But a comparison of homeownership levels to economic health across 41 countries shows an inverse correlation.
New Tool Makes City Spending and Revenue Comparisons a Cinch
Want to know how your city's spending on schools, police, and public works compares to others? The Lincoln Institute has created a new interactive database that for the first time allows apples-to-apples comparisons of city finances.
Even the Good News Looks Bad in the Census Bureau's New Poverty Report
For the first time since the start of the Great Recession, America's median household incomes and poverty levels didn't worsen. However, stagnant incomes weigh heavily on the majority of Americans, while the top earners continue to do well.
The Corner Store: Mark of a "Dynamic Neighbourhood"
In Vancouver, the presence of corner stores indicates diverse, dynamic, and affordable neighborhoods. But is the disappearance of such stores from neighborhoods across the city a sign that residential areas are becoming unbalanced?
Streamlined CEQA Reform Passes Under a New Bill
Senator Steinberg's CEQA reform bill, SB 731, which we have been following all year, died - but many of the most important aspects - LOS, aesthetic and parking impacts, have been transferred to SB 743 (Kings Arena bill), though applied more narrowly.
Fearing Worse, California OK's Higher Densities Around Lake Tahoe
Bowing to threats that Nevada would pull out of a regional planning compact, California lawmakers agreed to increase development around Lake Tahoe last week. Environmentalists who are challenging the plan see the agreement as a capitulation.
Disaster-Insurance Premiums Provide a Guide to Smarter Living
Disaster insurance isn’t just a pain in the neck. It could help us live better within a changing climate.
BRT Delivers More Bang for Your Development Buck
A study due out this month from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy captures for the first time the relative benefits of investment in bus rapid transit in spurring development. BRT outperforms both light rail and streetcars.
Is There Such Thing as an "Urban Freeway"?
Freeways are disconnected, unwalkable, and have limited access; they are the antithesis of "urban." So we should probably use a different term to describe them, argues Alex McKeag.
What Does It Mean to Design a City for Women?
Vienna's two-decade-old quest to better balance access to city resources for men and women - called gender mainstreaming - has resulted in more than sixty pilot projects that are reshaping the Austrian capital.
A Deep Dive on Detroit's Path to Insolvency
The story of how Detroit became the largest US city to ever file for bankruptcy is a long and tangled one featuring many villains and several "if only" moments. The Detroit Free Press reviews 50+ years of financial history to set the record straight.
In San Francisco, a Frat Invasion Transforms a National Park
In a city known for its Beat history and hippie culture, the evolution of Fort Mason - a 237-year-old military post turned national park - into a haven for frat guys and "Google Girls" is an anomaly worthy of anthropological study.
Improving Mobility Requires a Multimodal Consideration of Congestion
As urban populations increase and drivers seek to escape crowded commutes, America's urban transit systems are becoming increasingly congested. For TDM professionals to improve mobility for all, they must first change how they conceive of congestion.
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
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
