The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

View of wide residential street in Dallas, Texas neighborhood with one white car parked at the curb and large tree with yellow fallen leaves around it

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.

April 18 - The Dallas Morning News

Portland Transit

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.

April 18 - Route Fifty

Cyclists of All Ages Enjoy a Sunday Morning Ride on the Neuse River Trail.

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.

April 18 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

A sign reads “State Fishery Area Public Easement Open to Fishing.” In the background is a stream surrounded by snow on the ground in a natural setting.

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.

April 17 - James Brasuell

White gazebo among green plants and trees at botanical garden

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.

April 17 - South Coast Botanic Garden


Denver, Colorado skyline with park and lake in foreground and mountains in background

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.

April 17 - Colorado Public Radio

Electric big rig truck plugged into charging station

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.

April 17 - The New York Times


Aerial view of baseball diamond and homes in small town Spring Grove, Minnesota

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.

April 17 - The Daily Yonder

Walking

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.

April 17 - Streetsblog USA

An image of St. Paul, Minnesota and the Mississippi River at nightfall.

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.

April 17 - Pioneer Press

Pedestrians crossing a busy crosswalk on New York City street with tall buildings in background

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.

April 17 - Streetsblog USA

Aerial view of Montana state capitol building in Helena, Montana

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.

April 16 - Business Insider

Herd of bison grazing in green field with snow-capped Wyoming mountains in background

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.

April 16 - High Country News

MARC train going through the Gaithersburg, Maryland train station

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.

April 16 - The Washington Post

New York City Zoning Map

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.

April 16 - Michael Lewyn

Regional Transit

$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.

April 14 - Federal Transit Administration

View of Philadelphia City Hall building at sunset

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.

April 14 - WHYY

Worker performing maintenance work on the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City

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.

April 14 - California Planning & Development Report

D.C. Metro Bus

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.

April 14 - DCist

White Waymo self-driving car on San Francisco street

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.

April 13 - Wired

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.