The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The Declining Appeal of Lawns
Long held as a symbol of middle-class success and the American Dream, homogenous, monocultural lawns are quickly falling out of favor as people opt for more ecologically friendly gardens that conserve water and increase biodiversity.

BRT Stations Cut, Project Delayed in Atlanta
Inflation is taking a bite out of planned transportation projects in Georgia. The state's first ever bus rapid transit project provides the latest example of scaled back ambitions.

Redondo Beach’s Housing Element Failed. Now a Developer Is Planning 2,300 Residential Units.
Anti-housing development planning now has consequences in California.

Shared Mobility Ridership on the Rebound
Ridership on shared bike and scooter fleets showed numbers higher than before the pandemic in the second part of 2021, according to a new report.

Ohio Counties Can Now Ban Renewable Energy Projects
A new state law allows counties to deny wind and solar projects in their jurisdictions, and at least ten counties have already moved to implement bans.

Connecticut Legislator Pushing for Statewide Rent Control
Extreme price hikes in the for-sale and rental markets are pushing the state of Connecticut to consider statewide rent controls like those adopted by Oregon and California in 2019.

The Unequal Impacts of Traffic Crashes
Rates of traffic deaths vary widely among racial and economic groups but continue to rise across the board.

Bay Area Development Encounters the Limits of the Water Supply
A development battle pitting Contra Costa County against the East Bay Municipal Utility District illustrates the challenges of developing new housing supply in a time of drought.

Two L.A. County Cities Approved Rent Control in August
Bell Gardens and Pomona booth voted to approve rent caps of 4 percent this month in Southern California.

Report: CEQA Lawsuits Challenge Almost Half of All Housing Development in California
A new report details the reach of California’s controversial environmental regulation, and warns of more consequences to come.

CoolClimate Policy Tools
The CoolClimate Network's Interactive Policy Tools calculate and compare the GHG reductions provided by various emission reduction policies. These tools can help households, businesses and communities identify the best emission reduction strategies.

Pittsburgh Launches Guaranteed Basic Mobility Pilot
The program aims to improve access to jobs and economic opportunities for some of the city’s most underserved neighborhoods.

D.C. Could Lead the Downtown Office Conversion Trend
Many urban cores around the country are faced with increasing office vacancies concurrently with a housing affordability crisis caused, at least in part, by a lack of supply. D.C. is particularly primed for a wave of adaptive reuse.

Charlotte Approves Protections for Housing Voucher Recipients
The city became the first in North Carolina to enact fines for landlords who fail to rent to recipients of federal housing vouchers.

Report: Improved Service Key to Growing Bus Ridership
A NACTO report highlights the importance of bus-friendly policies and infrastructure for boosting ridership numbers and reducing urban congestion and pollution.

Los Angeles Parents Demand Greener Schoolyards
With asphalt temperatures reaching as much as 150 degrees, parents and advocates are asking the city’s school district to provide more shade, trees, and other heat mitigation features on its schoolyards and playgrounds.

Opinion: Free Transit Opposition Is Tone Deaf
Critics of free transit programs argue that free fares may not decrease driving or fight climate change. Dr. Destiny Thomas explains why that argument ‘misses the point.’

Houston Inches Toward Reduced Car Dependency
The city is investing more in biking, walking, and public transit, but a lack of funding and counterproductive moves from the Texas Department of Transportation are slowing the process of shifting away from personal automobile dependency.

Chicago Renters Struggling to Afford Housing
Experts have little hope that growing rent costs will stabilize anytime soon.

Cincinnati Ends Parking Requirements in the City’s West End
The West End neighborhood of Cincinnati is home to 6,000 residents but only one dine-in restaurant.
Pagination
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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.