The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The Rich Get Richer: Gap Widens Between Most and Least Affordable Housing Markets
New data indicates that housing prices are rising unequally across the United States, with the least affordable markets rising faster than more affordable ones. The growing gap could have implications for demographic trends and housing policies.
What Crisis? Electric Car Demand Outstrips Supply
Just last year, the market for electric cars in the U.S. seemed to be experiencing a crisis. But a 'recent spate of cheap lease deals' have customers clamoring for vehicles and dealers turning them away, report Jerry Hirsch and Brian Thevenot.
Little-Noticed Rule Change May Be Big Statement of Obama's Climate Agenda
The DoE recently updated its energy-efficiency standards for microwaves. Big deal, right? Actually, observes Brad Plumer, by upping the 'social cost of carbon' used to calculate the benefits of the rule, the government has made a big shift.
Station Fail: Citi Bike's Major Malfunction
Software problems delayed the launch of New York City's bike share program for nearly a year. Now that the system has launched, technical problems persist. Will they threaten its success?
Salt Lake City Bucks Stereotypes to Lead Country in Transit Spending
It's remote, it's small, and it's situated in a decidedly red state. So why in the world does Salt Lake City lead the U.S. in per-capita transit spending? Angie Schmitt explains the city's unlikely story.
Auto Parkit: A Parking Revolution Comes to Urban America
Christopher Alan, founder of Auto Parkit, the only automated parking company in the US competitive with traditional parking, spoke with The Planning Report about how his experience as a real estate developer in LA led to a parking opportunity.
Taxi of Tomorrow Hits New York City Streets
The long-awaited "Taxi of Tomorrow", which was specifically designed for use in New York City by Nissan, got a workout on the city's streets this week in advance of the fleet's arrival in October.
L.A. Plays Catch-Up to Big City Brethren With Debut of Bus-Only Lanes
One of Los Angeles's most congested corridors may have gotten a bit more congested this week - for autos that is - as the first segment of an eventual 12.5 miles of bus only lanes opened along Wilshire Boulevard.
America's Top Springs of Suburban Poverty
Poverty is now more widespread in America's suburbs than its cities. But the suburbs of some cities are experiencing more dramatic increases than others. 24/7 Wall St. examines the top 10 sources of suburban poverty.
In Key Ruling, Court Orders Study of Highway Expansion's Effect on Sprawl
A federal court has ruled that a proposed highway expansion said to be the largest single transportation project in Wisconsin history must consider regional impacts (on sprawl and transit-dependent populations) in its environmental analysis.
Bike Helmet Safety Not What We Thought It To Be
According to Jim Titus, two federal government agencies will withdraw their claims that bike helmets are "85% effective".
Is Philadelphia Building Collapse the City's Fault?
On Wednesday, a four-story building that was being demolished in downtown Philadelphia collapsed on top of a neighboring store, killing one person and injuring several people. According to Inga Saffron, the city bears some responsibility.
Violent Crime Is Up Across America: Is That Really Not a Big Deal?
While new data from the FBI shows that violent crime is on the rise across the U.S. after five years of large declines, John Roman and Laura Pacifici argue that the modest increases don't necessarily predict the reversal of long-term trends.
Which of America's Cities Has the Most Plentiful Parks?
Emily Badger looks at the latest "ParkScore" rankings released by the Trust for Public Land (TPL). Using advanced GIS, TPL ranks America's fifty largest cities by evaluating factors including park access, size, services and investment.
Piecing Together a Central Park for the Entire United States
The American Prairie Foundation is piecing together 500,000 acres of privately owned land across the Great Plains to join with three million acres of public land in forming one of the world’s largest wildlife reserves.
After a Slow Start, Can the BeltLine Speed a Culture Shift in Atlanta?
Much to the chagrin of those who partake in the city's congested commute, cars dominate as Atlantans' prime means of mobility. The city's wildly ambitious BeltLine project seeks to change this, but can it be built fast enough to have an impact?
Indexing Gas Taxes: Kentucky Shows How
While some state struggle to raise the gas tax by even a few cents a gallon, indexing the excise tax to inflation avoids these costly battles. Kentucky approved such legislation over 10 years ago. On July 1, the gas tax will increase by 2.4 cents.
Augmented Architecture: The Ultimate Expression of Function Over Form?
Zachary Edelson speculates on the ways in which Google Glass, and other augmented reality elements, will change the way we experience architecture and our environments.
Abandonment, Authenticity, and Transgressive Placemaking
Kelly Bennett writes on the connections between authentic places, abandonment, and a new wave of placemaking.
Investors Drive Rise in U.S. Housing Prices; Should We Be Wary?
The nationwide rebound in housing prices has been treated as welcome news. But should we be celebrating the growing presence of large investment firms in our communities, often at the expense of the ordinary buyer?
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
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
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
