The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Close-up from ground level of green lawn with colonial house in background

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.

August 28 - The Washington Post

A conceptual rendering of a red bus lane in Atlanta.

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.

August 28 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Pacific Ocean

Redondo Beach’s Housing Element Failed. Now a Developer Is Planning 2,300 Residential Units.

Anti-housing development planning now has consequences in California.

August 26 - Easy Reader News

Woman accessing bike at bike share station

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.

August 26 - Smart Cities Dive

Wind turbines on farm in Paulding County, Ohio

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.

August 26 - Cleveland Scene


Connecticut Capitol Building

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.

August 26 - Connecticut Post

OVerturned vehicle with fire truck and firefighters assisting

The Unequal Impacts of Traffic Crashes

Rates of traffic deaths vary widely among racial and economic groups but continue to rise across the board.

August 25 - The New York Times


A large reservoir and its dam are shown in golden foothills.

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.

August 25 - The Mercury News

A map showing Bell Gardens, California in focus, with all surrounding cities and roads blurred.

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.

August 25 - LAist

The Interstate 10 freeway cuts through residential neighborhoods in the city of Alhambra. Downtown Los Angeles is visible in the background,

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.

August 25 - Center for Jobs & the Economy

New York transportation carbon footprint map

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.

August 25 - CoolClimate Network Smart Tools for a Cooler Planet

Bus stop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with blue bus and passengers boarding

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.

August 25 - Smart Cities Dive

Urban Living

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.

August 25 - Archinect

View of downtown Charlotte, North Carolina

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.

August 25 - Governing

Bus riders standing on crowded city bus, holding top rail

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.

August 24 - Smart Cities Dive

Children playing in a Los Angeles schoolyard

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.

August 24 - CBS Los Angeles

Bus riders wearing masks

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.’

August 24 - Streetsblog USA

Red Metrorail train in downtown Houston, Texas

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.

August 24 - Houston Public Media

Chicago Suburb

Chicago Renters Struggling to Afford Housing

Experts have little hope that growing rent costs will stabilize anytime soon.

August 24 - Chicago Tribune

A view over the tops of the historic brick buildings of Cincinnati.

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.

August 24 - Cincinnati Business Courier

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

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.