The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Texas State Bills Would Let Cities Lower Speed Limits
The proposed legislation would give cities the ability to reduce neighborhood speed limits without having to produce expensive traffic studies.

Opinion: Improving Transit More Important Than Free Fares
More investments in high-quality transit service coupled with income-based discounts could offer a better way to boost ridership and help low-income riders.

The East Coast Greenway Is Stitching Together a 3,000-Mile Trail Network
The ever-evolving greenway connects biking and walking trails from Maine to Florida.

PLANOPEDIA
What Is an Easement?
There are limits to the rights and powers associated with land ownership. Easements are a critical example of how property rights can be balanced with the needs of neighbors, the public, and other interests external to the control of property owners.

Garden Transforms Trash Into Works of Art
South Coast Botanic Garden highlights the importance of sustainability through its latest exhibit which consists of 16 giant creatures made from beach debris that washed ashore.

Denver Residents Lack Transit Access to Local Parks
Despite an early plan to run rail lines to the city’s mountain parks, they are not easily accessible to Denverites without cars.

Can Federal Emissions Standards Hasten the Transition to EVs?
The EPA unveiled two far-reaching rules to tighten emission standards for light, medium and heavy duty vehicles that can only be met by transitioning to zero-emission vehicles. The proposal is certain to be challenged in court as an agency overreach.

Building Community Through Small Town Placemaking
A federal program works with rural communities to develop their assets and resources and build a sense of place.

How Little Do Americans Walk?
Despite the high cost of car ownership, Americans walk less than almost any other nation, even for short trips that could be done on foot.

St. Paul To Consider ‘Missing Middle’ Upzoning
Facing an affordability crisis, the city will weigh zoning changes that would permit duplexes and other multifamily housing types in single-family neighborhoods.

Tracking Mobility in New York City
A new program uses sensors to detect how people move and using which modes, but road safety advocates argue the city already knows how to make streets safer for vulnerable users.

Montana Passes Sweeping Legislative Package to Rescind ‘California-Style-Zoning’
The Montana State Legislature recently approved a package of zoning reform bills modeled closely on bills approved in West Coast states, including the state of California, in recent years.

Public Lands Rule Would Center Conservation
After decades of protecting extractive interests, federal law could reverse course and put conservation on par with other uses.

Maryland Moving Forward with Inter-State Partnerships for ‘Run-Through’ Rail Service
The great unification of D.C.-region rail transit is well underway, thanks to recent agreements between transit planners in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

BLOG POST
The Myth of Local Control
One common argument against statewide zoning reform is that local control of zoning is a venerable democratic norm. But in fact, state government often controls local land use in a variety of ways.

$14 Billion in Federal Transit Funding Announced
The annual formula funding grants support transit facilities and maintenance, electrification and equipment upgrades, and expansion of service.

Philadelphia Mayor Hopefuls Want More Affordable Housing on Vacant Lots
Many of the candidates agree that a slow, complex sales process and strong councilmanic prerogative hinder the development of city-owned lots.

Why Infrastructure Costs So Much
A new book details what planners already know: cost estimates for major infrastructure projects are usually a farce. Another book foretells just how much new infrastructure will be needed in the coming waves of climate migration.

D.C. Metro Sets ‘Lofty Goals,’ but Admits It Can’t Follow Through
The bus network redesign set to be unveiled next week is ambitious, but the agency says it doesn’t have the resources to implement it.

Driverless Cars Blocking Buses, Traffic in San Francisco
Footage from buses and trains show self-driving cars from Waymo and Cruise frequently make unscheduled stops, blocking transit vehicles and causing traffic snarls.
Pagination
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.