The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Female bus driver wearing safety vest sits in driver's seat, talking with woman passenger boarding bus

TSA Suggests More Background Checks for Transit Workers

The proposal could make it even harder for short-staffed agencies to attract and hire new employees.

August 27 - Federal Times

An aerial view of Milwaukee’s Third Ward.

Plan to Potentially Remove Downtown Milwaukee’s Interstate Faces Public Scrutiny

The public is weighing in on a suite of options for repairing, replacing, or removing Interstate 794 in downtown Milwaukee.

August 27 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Historic brick rowhouses in Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria Set to Reveal Zoning Reform Details

The city will hold a series of public meetings this fall to explain its efforts to boost housing production and affordability.

August 27 - ALX Now

View of empty paved schoolyard with green picnic benches and basketball hoops in Malibu, California

Expanding Schoolyard Greening in California

To protect kids from extreme heat, California just distributed another $73 million to local school districts to transform schoolyards by converting blacktops to green spaces, planting trees, and other related efforts.

August 25 - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

Diverse people of all ages walking and biking at Minneapolis Open Streets event with temporary festival booths along the sides of the street

Future of Minneapolis Open Streets in Question

The city denied a request for funding and ended its contract with the organizing nonprofit, placing future events in jeopardy.

August 25 - Axios


Traffic Lights

Pennsylvania Awards $36 Million for Traffic Signal Upgrades

The state’s Green Light-Go program helps communities improve road safety through signal improvements.

August 25 - Land Line

Aerial view of downtown Tampa, Florida with Hillsborough River in foreground

Tampa Working to Reduce Downtown Parking

One-third of the city’s downtown is used for parking while thousands of parking spaces go unused during peak hours.

August 25 - Creative Loafing Tampa Bay


Photo of downtown San Francisco alley superimposed with text bubbles

New Plan Aims to Revive Downtown San Francisco

The proposal focuses on placemaking and street activation as tools for economic development.

August 24 - Fast Company

White and red Caltrain commuter train

Rail Electrification: Caltrain adds BEMUs to its EMU Order

Caltrain, the San Francisco-to-San Jose commuter railroad, plans to begin electrified operation next year on its 49-mile mainline. A 28-mile extension south to Gilroy would continue to be served by diesel trains, with one train powered by battery.

August 24 - San Mateo Daily Journal

Aerial view of Tempe, Arizona with mountains in background

‘Tempe Tomorrow’ Plans for Expected Population Growth

Tempe planners are preparing a General Plan update scheduled for voter approval in March 2024.

August 24 - Daily Independent

Aerial view of Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Sheboygan Developing Complete Streets Plan

Local efforts kickstarted by a federal grant are culminating in a Vision Zero plan.

August 24 - Sheboygan Press

View of colorful apartment building facade in Montreal, Canada

Montreal Developers Prefer to Pay Rather Than Build Affordable Housing

Housing advocates say a 2021 bylaw aimed at building more affordable housing units is too lenient, letting developers opt out by paying a fee some consider too low.

August 24 - Vice

Multi-generational white family sits around dining table

How the Housing Crisis Impacts Family Life

More Americans are opting for multi-generational co-living, in large part due to rising housing costs.

August 24 - Rocket Mortgage

Close-up of rows of clear plastic cups filled with cut fruit on outdoor street vendor table

D.C. Passes New Street Vending Rules

The District’s new regulations lower permit fees, reduce barriers to entry for vendors, and decriminalize vending offenses.

August 24 - Next City

Conceptual rendering of Rikers Island redevelopment as renewable energy facility

FEATURE

Can New York City Go Green Without Renewable Rikers?

New York City’s bold proposal to close the jail on Rikers Island and replace it with green infrastructure is in jeopardy. Will this compromise the city’s ambitious climate goals?

August 24 - Mark H. McNulty

A map of a planned high-speed rail connecting Portland to Seattle and Vancouver.

Cascadia High-Speed Rail Corridor Seeking Federal Funding

The state of Washington is hoping federal infrastructure funding can pay for $198 million of the $348 million necessary to plan the Cascadia High-Speed Rail project.

August 23 - The Seattle Times

View of Echo Park Lake at night with artesian fountain and illuminated swan paddle boats and Los Angeles skyline in background

Recreational Programming Helps Communities to Thrive

Los Angeles County's popular and award-winning Parks After Dark program offers multiple important benefits, as documented in a recent UCLA study.

August 23 - UCLA Newsroom

Orange tent and bicycles belonging to unhoused people at Venice Beach, California

HUD Approves L.A. Housing Voucher Changes

The city requested changes to federal housing voucher approvals to streamline the approval process for people experiencing homelessness.

August 23 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Aerial view of three-story brick rowhouses in Kensington neighborhood of Phialdelphia, Pennsylvania

Pandemic Relief Programs Prevented Homelessness Despite Housing Burden

A new study highlights the important role of emergency relief funding and eviction bans in stemming the rise of homelessness even as more families became housing-insecure.

August 23 - Bloomberg CityLab

Red antique stoplight in the middle of wide intersection flanked by brick buildings in downtown rural Toledo, Iowa

Iowa Towns Embrace a ‘Shrink Smart’ Approach

Population loss doesn’t have to be a harbinger of doom. Some rural communities are taking small but impactful steps to improve quality of life for their remaining residents.

August 23 - The Gazette

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