The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

There is Nothing Illiberal About Walkability
Despite recent claims to the contrary, the concept of the 15-minute city promotes freedom of mobility and universal access to a city’s resources and amenities.

Thousands of Seattle Housing Units Blocked by Lawsuits
Legal challenges filed by condo associations are holding up multiple high-rise housing developments that could bring much-needed housing and jobs to downtown Seattle.

St. Paul Land Bridge Study Wins Federal Grant
A proposed land bridge that would reconnect the Rondo neighborhood is one of the dozens of projects to be awarded a Reconnecting Communities grant this week.

Intercity Buses Face Station Closures and Labor Shortage
The closure of many former Greyhound bus terminals is making intercity bus travel more inconvenient for the riders who depend on it.

Atlanta Freeway Cap Among Reconnecting Communities Awards
The infusion of $1.1 million in federal funding helps move the project along, but the total cost remains far beyond the city’s current budget.

Quiz: How Well Do You Understand the Homelessness Crisis?
An online questionnaire illuminates the root causes of homelessness, debunking some common myths about unhoused people in America.

Los Angeles County Looks to Mandate Seismic Retrofits
A common building type is a major contributor to earthquake fatalities, prompting the Board of Supervisors to consider requiring safety upgrades on older buildings.

Seattle Vision Zero Review Largely Misses the Point
The city released what it called a comprehensive review of its Vision Zero initiatives, but one critic argues the report doesn’t address some key opportunities for improving road safety.

Report: Pedestrian Deaths Rose Again in Early 2022
New data shows continued growth in pedestrian road deaths in most U.S. states.

PLANOPEDIA
What Is Rent Control?
Rent control, also known as rent stabilization, is a controversial policy tool used by the government to limit rent increases by landlords.

Austin City Council Calls for Changes to Interstate Widening Plan
Legally powerless to stop TxDOT’s plans for freeway expansion, Austin city leaders hope to influence the agency to take some mitigation measures as it widens I-35.

Public Transit’s Existential Crisis
U.S. transit systems are still scrambling to find alternate funding sources and adjust their service to new needs as ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels.

New York City Parks Getting Modular Public Bathrooms
The ‘Portland Loo,’ named after its birth city, is designed to withstand year-round weather and resist vandalism.

BLOG POST
The Slow Retreat of Pandemic-Era Outdoor Dining Programs Continues
It’s been almost three years since the political dynamics of outdoor dining in the United States shifted, suddenly and overwhelmingly. Increasingly, the status quo is being restored.

USDOT Awards Reconnecting Communities Grants
The first $185 million in grants were awarded to projects that aim to improve mobility and reconnect neighborhoods isolated by highways and other infrastructure projects.

Montana Could Overhaul Land Use Laws
State legislators want to make comprehensive changes to land use and zoning laws to alleviate a growing housing shortage in the state’s urban areas.

BLOG POST
A Chatbot Talks Regeneration and Recovery for Seattle
In his recent analysis of trends to watch for 2023, Managing Editor James Brasuell noted how ChatGPT might replace all the writers of Planetizen, and more. Chuck Wolfe decided to take literally Brasuell's “don't let it sneak up on you” admonition.

Making Transit More Family-Friendly
Public transit can often be inconvenient or unsafe for people with children in strollers and riders traveling for purposes other than commuting. Agencies are working on ways to fix that.

Houston Co-Housing Project to Use Geothermal Heating and Cooling
The development will also include communal kitchens, community gardens, and other shared spaces aimed at bringing neighbors together.

Study: Many American Seniors Can’t Afford to ‘Age in Place’
A lack of affordable housing and access to services and amenities make it difficult for many seniors to remain in their long-term homes or communities.
Pagination
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
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.