The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A large group of press and media surround New York City mayoral candidate Eric Adams.

U.S. Mayors List Infrastructure as 2023’s Top Concern

The National League of Cities (NLC) has published an analysis of mayoral speeches from various U.S. cities, along with Census data and resident sentiments, in the latest edition of the annual “State of the Cities” report.

August 2 - National League Of Cities

Craftsman-style white kit home from Sears catalog sold in early 20th century

Where Have all the Kit Homes Gone?

Buying a house through the Sears catalog was, for a brief historical moment, a popular and affordable way to become a homeowner.

August 2 - Fast Company

People on bikes ride on protected bike path along the Seine River in Paris, France

FEATURE

The Most Influential Contemporary Urbanists

The 100 people making an impact on planning and cities today.

August 2 - Planetizen

Muni bus with bike on front bike rack on San Francisco street

Strategies for Speeding Up Bus Service

A new report will highlight solutions for making bus service faster, more reliable, and thus more attractive to riders.

August 1 - Streetsblog California

Police

When Traffic Enforcement Makes Roads More Dangerous

A new book makes the case that revenue-oriented traffic policing has far-reaching negative impacts and often fails to improve traffic safety.

August 1 - Streetsblog USA


Home For Sale Signs

The ‘Lock-In Effect’ Keeping Home Prices High

Housing prices dropped slightly last year, but first-time and middle-income buyers found little price relief due to the “lock-in effect” of the historically low interest rates in effect for more than a decade prior to 2022.

August 1 - Fortune

Houston Metro bus at a bus stop with bright blur cloudy sky in background

Houston Transit Could Lose a Tenth of Sales Tax Revenue

Agency officials say they will continue to make expansion plans in the face of a potentially dramatic reduction in funding.

August 1 - Houston Chronicle


Person stands next to pile of burning debris in street holding French flag during Yellow Vest protests

BLOG POST

Watch Out for Green Class Backlash

Low emission zones, like that implemented in London, face backlash from critics on all sides of the political spectrum for impacting the poorest drivers and putting a burden on small businesses.

August 1 - Joan Fitzgerald

Montgomery County Residential Homes

Rent Control Approved for Montgomery County

The Montgomery County Council has approved a new law that sets limits on how much landlords can raise rents from year to year.

August 1 - DCist

Close-up of Citi Bike electric shared bikes parked at a station

Why Can’t Citi Bike Keep its E-Bikes Running?

Citi Bike’s e-bikes are becoming too popular for their own good as Lyft struggles to keep up with maintenance and charging.

August 1 - Curbed

A map of the Réseau Express Métropolitain where it cuts across the Montreal region.

New REM Light Rail Launches in Montreal

The first day of public service on the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) light rail route was marred by a closure and delays.

August 1 - Montreal Gazette

Close-up of person holding up phone and looking at their smart watch displaying fitness data

Using Cellphone and Fitness App Data for Park Planning

Data from smartphone apps and fitness trackers are helping planners to better understand park usage patterns and plan for new and improved parks.

July 31 - Planning Magazine

Man painting "HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT" mural in black paint on bright yellow fence

California Ballot Measures Would Aid the Mentally Ill and Drug-Addicted Homeless

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed in March a two-part ballot initiative to tackle homelessness, focusing on mental illness and substance abuse, which would provide 10,000 beds in new, voluntary treatment facilities—but one funding source is controversial.

July 31 - CALmatters

Group of children running toward the camera on a green lawn

Community-Based Organizations Advancing Park Equity

July is Parks and Recreation Month and CBOs should be recognized for the important role they play in supporting parks and recreation in communities across the U.S.

July 31 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

Man drinking water from plastic bottle sillhouetted against orange sky signaling extreme heat

Biden Administration Announces Federal Heat Safety Policies

As extreme heat waves become more common and widespread, the administration is directing federal resources to heat mitigation efforts.

July 31 - NBC 4

Solar and Wind Energy

Federal Rule Update to Speed Clean Energy Approvals

A regulatory change at the federal level will shorten the time it takes clean energy projects to gain approval and start providing energy to the grid.

July 31 - The Verge

Houston, Texas

Report: More Than Half of Harris County Households Cost-Burdened

Using a measurement that takes into account more factors in addition to housing costs, a new report from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research sheds light on the true crisis facing Houston-area renters.

July 31 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research: The Urban Edge

Washington, D.C. Bus Lane

D.C. Buses to Begin All-Door Boarding

Some bus lines will start letting riders board through both front and back doors this fall as part of Metro’s efforts to improve service speed and reliability.

July 31 - The Washington Post

A map of the planned route of GoTriangle commuter rail.

FTA Rejects North Carolina Commuter Rail Funding

As commuter patterns shift, so too do the transit funding preferences of the federal government.

July 31 - The News & Observer

Fenced-in oil pump in residential neighborhood

Election 2024: California Oil Drilling Referendum

Environmentalists gear up for battle to reject a referendum funded by Big Oil on a law passed last year that would ban oil and gas drilling within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, nursing homes, and hospitals.

July 30 - San Francisco Chronicle

Post News

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.

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.