The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

View of Washington state capitol building dome from across lake with green trees in foreground and grey cloudy sky

Washington’s Proposed Housing Bills, Explained

The 2023 Washington state legislature will evaluate a slew of proposals aimed at increasing housing supply and affordability.

January 15 - Crosscut

Flooded park in Pakley, California during late 2022 atmospheric river storm

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.

January 15 - The New York Times

Streets and buildings in historic Oxford, England.

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.

January 15 - The Guardian

Multimodal Improvements Coming to Houston

The city is continuing its investment in safety and accessibility improvements for transit riders, pedestrians, and cyclists.

January 15 - Houston Public Media

Close-up of black elevator panel qith square white buttons missing 13th floor, person pushing floor 9

BLOG POST

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.

January 13 - Diana Ionescu


Indianapolis Street

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.

January 13 - Bloomberg CityLab

Parked electric scooters on a sidewalk with person walking bike in the background

BLOG POST

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.

January 13 - Todd Litman


Empty chairs and tables on sidewalk at a Phialdelphia restaurant

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.

January 13 - Philadelphia Magazine

View of Vancouver House skycraper under construction with two cranes at top and other downtown Vancouver buildings surrounding it against a grey sky

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.

January 12 - Bloomberg CityLab

A long rail bridge, rusted and old, crosses a long stretch of water with hills and clouds on the other side.

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.

January 12 - The New York Times

Oil Pump in Los Angeles

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.

January 12 - Los Angeles Times

Aerial view of port community of San Pedro, California

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.

January 12 - Route Fifty

Two Chicago elevated trains with city buildings in background

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.

January 12 - Streetsblog Chicago

A rendering of a large park space and public theater.

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.

January 12 - Urban Milwaukee

Coastal City

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.

January 12 - Route Fifty

Buildings on Wall Street, New York City

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.

January 12 - Gothamist

View of pedestrian suspension bridge over waterway surrounded by green grass with small apartment buildings in background

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.

January 11 - The Urbanist

Los Angeles, California

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.

January 11 - Los Angeles Times

San Francisco, California

The High Cost of Climate Disasters

Extreme weather events in the United States cost $165 billion and killed more than 474 people last year.

January 11 - Bloomberg Green

Public Transit Ridership

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.

January 11 - Governing

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Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

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