The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Brick storefronts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Land Trusts Put Commercial Real Estate in Community Hands

A growing movement to create community-owned commercial spaces could shift power away from institutional landlords.

November 9 - Next City

Eviction Notice taped to brown wooden door with black iron details

The Eviction Crisis Continues as Federal Aid Dries Up

Eviction rates are rising as rents and inflation grow around the country and households struggle to keep up with rent payments.

November 8 - NBC News

Hyperloop test tunnel on street with orange and white concrete barriers

SpaceX Removes Hyperloop Test Tube

After blocking sidewalk access for years, a tube segment in front of SpaceX’s Hawthorne office was removed at the city’s request, signaling a broader retreat from the project.

November 8 - Los Angeles Times

Small black car with mangled bumper sitting sideways on an asphalt road

Crash Analysis Studio Brings ‘Standard of Care’ to Traffic Fatalities

A new tool from Strong Towns provides a model for comprehensively evaluating the causes behind deadly crashes and how to prevent them.

November 8 - Strong Towns

U.S. Capital

No Bragging Rights for Passing the Infrastructure Act?

You'd think the passage of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure act would convey bragging rights for Democratic congress members facing competitive midterm elections today. Ironically, Republicans who opposed the bill are taking credit.

November 8 - Politico


Vote

The Elections and Transportation

The Eno Center provides a list of transportation ballot measures to keep an eye on today.

November 8 - Eno Center for Transportation

Yellow "no homeless camping" sign in water at California beach

California Governor to Cities: Homelessness is a Crisis. “Act Like it.”

Days before facing reelection, Governor Newsom rejected every California locality’s plan for addressing homelessness, calling the proposals inadequate in fighting the massive crisis in a state where over 100,000 people are unhoused.

November 8 - Los Angeles Times


Rendering of Joe Lewis Greenway at crossing withh street with green striped crosswalk

Detroit Opens Segment of Joe Lewis Greenway

The newly opened segment, which features playground equipment and public lawns, is part of a 27.5 mile greenway that will loop through four cities.

November 8 - WDET

Crowd of activists protesting conditions at Rikers Island with one woman in front speaking into microphone

Envisioning a Sustainable Future for Rikers Island

With the prison complex slated to close by 2027, the city has an opportunity to transform the island into a renewable energy and research hub.

November 8 - Time Out NY

Two-way bike lane in downtown Seattle, Washington protected wtih concrete curbs

Seattle Planning Commission Urges Reimagining of the City’s Streets

In a set of recommendations submitted to the city, the commission calls for revised land use and transportation policies that reclaim public space from cars and shift focus away from vehicle throughput to more pedestrian-oriented uses.

November 7 - The Urbanist

Passengers line up to board a bus at a bus rapid transit station in Indianapolis.

IndyGo Revisits the Bus System Redesign it Paused for the Pandemic

The IndyGo board of directors scrapped a bus system redesign planned for launch in June 2020 as part of its Covid-19 emergency response. The transit agency is now seeking public feedback on a new map with similar changes.

November 7 - Indystar

A picture of a decorative sign announcing “The Domain” surrounded by high density shops and apartments.

New Building Heights Approved for Austin

A zoning change has increase height limits from 308 feet to 420 feet for new buildings near the city’s MLS stadium.

November 7 - Austin Monitor

Vision Zero

Traffic Safety Declining in U.S., Bucking Global Trend

While other countries are seeing fewer road deaths, traffic violence in the United States is back on the rise.

November 7 - Bloomberg CityLab

A cyclist on a path in Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee Wisconsin

New Online Data and Resource Library for Parks and Recreation

The National Recreation and Park Association has created a new virtual library offering a collection of publicly available databases and visualizations for park and recreation professionals and advocates.

November 7 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

Line of tents with American flags draped on them on sidewalk in Los Angeles

Homelessness Among Veterans Drops Sharply

The number of unhoused vets fell by more than 50 percent since 2016, with significant gains made in the last two years.

November 7 - Military Times

Close-up of microphone on stand with blurred seating in background

BLOG POST

How to Include Community Ideas in Urban Development

Urban planners are obligated to sensible and efficient development, but can also take community ideas into account. By prioritizing concerns and thoughts and keeping the future in mind, planners can develop optimal urban communities.

November 7 - Devin Partida

White house with For Sale and SOLD sign

Housing Out of Reach as Costs and Mortgage Rates Rise

The monthly costs—mortgage payments, property taxes, and insurance—of a typical low-end home in the Boston region has reached $3,600 a month. A typical home costs $5,000 a month.

November 7 - Boston Indicators

Woman sitting on grass with building in background, looking at her smart watch

Using Technology to Advance Park Planning

A variety of new tools can help with community engagement and data collection and analysis for park planning projects.

November 6 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

Claiborne Ave expressway passing over Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans

‘Reconnecting Communities’ Could Fund Highway Expansions

Applications to the program reveal a pattern of state agencies requesting funds for projects that perpetuate car-centric development with only nominal equity components.

November 6 - Streetsblog USA

A surface parking lot, full of cars, is located between tall buildings and urban density.

Court Ruling a Setback for California’s ‘Builder’s Remedy’

A state court has ruled in favor of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ efforts to block a development project despite the state’s efforts to intervene.

November 6 - San Francisco Chronicle

Post News
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

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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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.