The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
BLOG POST
Book review: Co-ops, commons and the conundrum of cashing in on the American dream
Jonathan Tarleton’s "Homes for Living: The Fight for Social Housing and a New American Commons" shows what happens when a loophole in housing legislation opens the door to the privatization of a common good — and when an affordable home suddenly becomes a commodity.
Drought is affecting all but 5 US states
Almost all of the United States faces moderate to severe drought at the start of an El Niño summer.
Minneapolis ordinance would halt new data centers for 5 months
The city council approved the temporary moratorium, which now heads to the mayor's desk.
Alabama DOT wants to fill wetlands for interstate project
The Birmingham Northern Beltline would run roughly 52 miles through forests and wetlands that are home to multiple endangered species.
New Penn Station design calls for ample public seating — a rare commodity in US public spaces
Amtrak's renderings show benches throughout the station.
Long Beach, New York pledges $600K for pedestrian safety
The city will use $500,000 in community block development grant funding to improve pedestrian infrastructure.
Is the built environment partly to blame for population decline?
The way communities are designed could be contributing to lower birth rates.
Two out of three transit riders in Las Vegas don't own a car
As gas and insurance prices rise, car commuting is becoming more unaffordable to working Americans, leaving them reliant on their local transit systems.
Obama Center opens nation's first presidential playground
The 21,000-square-foot play space is the first of its kind to be attached to a presidential library.
California High-Speed Rail wants to leverage data center revenue to fund trains
By positioning the rail line as a tech and renewable energy corridor, the agency hopes to increase revenue opportunities.
After Culdesac's success in Tempe, Mesa approves new 1,000-unit 'car-light' development
Culdesac Mesa will take the same transit-oriented approach with a compact, walkable design and access to transit and shared mobility options.
Ann Arbor millage tax has created over $27M for affordable housing
The 2020 property tax is expected to fund roughly 1,500 new affordable homes.
Feds want to make brake pedals optional in AVs
A proposed rule change would no longer require carmakers to include manual brake pedals or steering wheels in fully self-driving cars.
FEATURE
Planning for Love, Part 1: The link between urban form and dating
A brief exploration of dating through history highlights how the spaces in which we live and move shape our social lives and relationships.
Tensions flare over bike lane in Mexico City red light district
A new bikeway separates cars from the sidewalk, posing a problem for workers who typically engage in curbside negotiations with clients.
Study: Legalizing single-family home conversions could nearly double LA's new housing
Research shows that making it easier to turn single-family homes into multiple units could unlock tens of thousands of new units per year.
World Cup crowds offer 'stress test' for Kansas City transit planners
Transportation officials are closely monitoring travel patterns during the World Cup to understand how the city's transit system can be improved as the population grows.
Trump refuses to sign housing bill, throwing bipartisan agreement into limbo
The president's cancellation of the bill signing came as a shock to both sides of the political aisle.
'Starter' homes cost over $1M in 242 US cities
Once concentrated in coastal regions, cities with starter homes valued at over $1 million are now spread across 26 states.
BLOG POST
A planner's guide to AI prompting: Getting from vague to valuable
What you ask AI matters as much as which AI you use. Understanding effective prompt engineering can help you ask better questions.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
