The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A picture of the Vermont State Capitol building with fall colors on display on trees in the background.

Vermont Next State in Line to End Single-Family Zoning, Ease Parking Requirements

Both houses in the Vermont Legislature have approved legislation to preempt local land use regulations by rescinding single-family zoning and easing parking requirements throughout the state.

May 18 - VTDigger

New York City Air Conditioners

In Defense of Rent Control

Rent control policies, widely panned by economists, have been shown to slow displacement and keep housing affordable.

May 17 - The American Prospect

Aerial view of mobile home park next to freeway in Mesa, Arizona

Arizona Zoning Reform Bills Would Protect Mobile Home Residents

Three proposed bills would increase flexibility in zoning and encourage affordable housing production, particularly near light rail.

May 17 - Arizona Mirror

Freeway toll booth with "Stop" and "Pay Toll" signs

Houston Tollway Could Get Transit Options

Officials will assess multiple options for increasing capacity on a key route between downtown Houston and southwestern communities.

May 17 - Houston Chronicle

Lakefront homes in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan

Federal and State Dollars Could Be Used to Force Change in Exclusionary Towns

Strict zoning policies keep housing unaffordable. But there are strategies governments can implement to change exclusionary housing policies and promote the construction of more affordable housing.

May 17 - Shelterforce Magazine


Graphic with photo of Amy Stelly superimposed on image of Claiborne Expressway elevated freeway in New Orleans, Louisiana

Healing a Neighborhood: Amy Stelly’s Efforts to Tear Down the Claiborne Expressway in New Orleans

Amy Stelly’s childhood dream was to remove the highway that devastated her neighborhood. Now that those efforts have gained traction, institutional biases remain as much of a barrier to neighborhood healing as the highway itself.

May 17 - The Planning Commission Podcast

View of homes nestled among green trees with Columbus, Ohio skyline in background

When a Land Bank Starts a Land Trust

An Ohio land bank adds to its developing power through a community land trust.

May 17 - Shelterforce Magazine


Pastoral landscape painting by Thomas Cole depicting pre-colonized idyllic scene

BLOG POST

Planning for a Post-Climate World

A series of 19th century paintings that illustrates the rise and fall of empire highlights the limits of growth.

May 17 - Gabriel A. Ramos AICP

Ellis Island is shown across the water of the New York Harbor.

New York Suspends Land Use Reviews for Shelters

The Adams administration in New York City will relax the review process for homeless shelters to create new space for arriving asylum seekers.

May 17 - Gothamist

U-Haul moving van parked by a curb in San Francisco with mattress leaning against it

More People Are Leaving Coastal Cities

Rising housing costs and the growth of more urbanized, amenity-rich small metros are driving college-educated workers away from “superstar cities.”

May 16 - The New York Times

Rendering of pedestrian and bike bridge over multilane road

Seattle Area to Get Three New Pedestrian Bridges

Three major connection projects are slated to open in the next year, bringing a comprehensive regional bikeway network one step closer to reality.

May 16 - The Urbanist

Bay Area Rapid Transit

California Could Cut Transit Spending Even as Systems Struggle

Governor Newsom’s proposed budget would cut over $2 billion from transit infrastructure funds.

May 16 - Bloomberg CityLab

Solar panels on roof of grey residential building

HUD Announces Grants for Efficiency Retrofits in Multifamily Housing

A new program will fund solar panels, heat pumps, and other measures aimed at reducing emissions, improving air quality and resident health, and reducing heating and cooling costs.

May 16 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

CoGo bike share station with black bikes in front of Columbus City Hall, Ohio

Columbus Launches E-Bike Rebate Program

The Ohio capital will offer rebates for residents purchasing e-bikes as part of its goals to reduce carbon emissions and encourage active transportation.

May 16 - Axios

Historic Deep Ellum street sign, Dallas, Texas

Dallas City Council to Vote on Controversial Freeway Trenching Plan

A proposal to bury part of Interstate 345 in a 65-foot trench is the latest in a debate that has lasted more than ten years as the freeway reaches the end of its useful life.

May 16 - D Magazine

Close-up of calendar with "Pay rent" written on day 14 and circled in green highlighter

U.S. Rent Growth Slows, but Keeps Rising

The pace of rent growth is slowing, but U.S. renters still face growing housing costs in most metro areas.

May 16 - Smart Cities Dive

Dark shot of people dancing in front of bar with red and blue atmospheric lights

BLOG POST

New York City's Dancing Prohibition Remains a Barrier to Entry, Equality

New York’s 1960s-era zoning code still prohibits dancing in small bars and restaurants in more than 80 percent of the city, but Mayor Eric Adams and advocates want to change that.

May 16 - Mark H. McNulty

White obelisk monument with Japanese writing at Manzanar Historic Site, former internment camp, California

Ten Parks and Sites for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History

Learn more about some of the parks and historic sites that preserve and share the stories of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander people and communities in the U.S.

May 15 - The Wilderness Society

The granite exterior of the Nordstrom store in San Francisco.

Recent Retail Closures in U.S. Cities Follow Trends Established Before the Pandemic

While some cling to debatable claims about higher crime rates as the cause for recent high-profile store closures in U.S. downtowns, the real reasons are more realistically extensions of the causes of the “retail apocalypse” from the before times.

May 15 - CNN

COnceptual banner featuring Asian Americans against an American flag backdrop

Insights From a New Survey of Asians in the U.S.

The Pew Research Center has just released the results of a new poll of Asians in America, the country's fastest growing racial and ethnic group in recent years.

May 15 - National Public Radio

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