The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Washington’s Proposed Housing Bills, Explained
The 2023 Washington state legislature will evaluate a slew of proposals aimed at increasing housing supply and affordability.

California’s Reservoirs are Filling Up, but For How Long?
Recent storms are bringing plenty of water to parched parts of California, but scientists warn the relief won’t be a long-term solution to longer, drier periods.

What Draws Conspiracy Theorists to Traffic Calming Plans?
Proposals for road diets, ‘15-minute cities,’ and other traffic reduction programs often meet with unfounded conspiracy theories claiming that the plans are nothing short of steps to world domination.
Multimodal Improvements Coming to Houston
The city is continuing its investment in safety and accessibility improvements for transit riders, pedestrians, and cyclists.

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The Missing 13th Floor: How Ancient Fears Influence Modern Architecture
If you’ve ever looked closely at the elevator panel of a high-rise hotel or residential building, you’ve likely noticed something missing: a button for the 13th floor.

Indianapolis Launches Fatal Crash Review Commission
The group is tasked with making a deeper assessment of the underlying infrastructural causes of fatal crashes and recommending improvements.

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Small Modes Are Beautiful!
Active modes (walking, bicycling and their variants) and micromodes (e-bikes and e-scooters) can provide large climate emission reductions and other important benefits, if we let them. Small modes are important but often undercounted and undervalued.

New Philadelphia Outdoor Dining Laws Exclude Most Restaurants
Restaurant owners argue that new requirements for the city’s permanent outdoor dining program are practically impossible for most of them to meet.

Vancouver’s Spiral High-Rise Creatively Skirts Zoning Rules
To meet zoning constraints, the twisting skyscraper uses an innovative design that optimizes its small footprint.

Meta’s Plans to Revive an Old Rail Bridge Halted During the Pandemic
The company formerly known as Facebook’s once planned to revive the Dumbarton Rail Bridge across the San Francisco Bay. Those plans are as derelict as the bridge.

Lawsuit Challenges L.A. Oil Drilling Ban
Oil companies with operations in the city of Los Angeles are suing over an ordinance that seeks to phase out drilling within city limits due to public health and environmental concerns.

EPA Grants Target Environmental Justice
The agency will administer $100 million in grants to cities, states, and tribal nations as part of the Biden administration’s Justice40 initiative.

Chicago Transportation Advocates Launch ‘Safe Streets for All’ Coalition
The group brings together advocates for road safety and better transit in the hope of influencing local elections and city policy.

Harley Davidson Includes Community Park in Headquarters Revamp
Milwaukee is about to get a major community space upgrade thanks to one of its most recognizable hometown brands.

Miami-Dade Issues ‘Extreme Heat Action Plan’
The county’s plan addresses a range of infrastructure improvements and community resources that could limit the impacts of extreme heat waves.

NYC Mayor Proposes Office Conversion Plan
Proposed zoning updates that would make it easier to convert office buildings in commercial districts to housing and other uses could yield up to 20,000 new housing units in the next decade.

Pedestrian Deaths Spike in King County Cities
Eight cities in Washington’s King County saw sharp increases in traffic fatalities, signaling a need for more robust road safety and traffic calming policies.

City Council Controversy Threatens L.A.’s Proposed Downtown Plan
A Los Angeles Times editorial explains how political intrigue is spilling over into planning frustration in the city of Los Angeles.

The High Cost of Climate Disasters
Extreme weather events in the United States cost $165 billion and killed more than 474 people last year.

How Mass Transit Can Adapt to Post-Pandemic Needs
With commuter ridership playing a smaller role in transit operations, agencies must reorganize their services around different travel schedules and patterns.
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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.