The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The Benefits of Fare Capping
Fare capping—putting a ceiling on the amount a transit passenger pays in a day or a month regardless of the number of trips—is becoming a popular policy option for transit agencies seeking to increase equity and bring back riders.

BLOG POST
Short-Term Renters Matter Too
Government hostility towards short-term renters rests on the assumption that if you aren't a long-term renter, you must a tourist. But permanent residents of a city might need short-term housing as well.

Advancing Parks and Recreation Through Storytelling
July is Park and Recreation Month and this year’s theme is “We Rise Up for Parks and Recreation.” One way for park and recreation professionals to rise up is for them tell their stories.

Massive, Vacant L.A. Hospital To Become Affordable Housing
The historic building will be redeveloped with over 500 housing units and supportive services on site.

FEATURE
'Inflation Reduction Act' a Mixed Bag for Climate Action, Planning Innovation
A roundup of all the emerging news and commentary regarding the Inflation Reduction Act, which last week broke through a Congressional roadblock to resuscitate some, but not nearly all, of the Build Back Better legislation that failed in 2021.

Report: Milwaukee Racial Homeownership Gap Increasing
The inequality in the city’s housing market is growing at a rate surpassing other peer cities.

Playgrounds as an Essential Amenity
A London organization is working to bring ‘adventure playgrounds’ to park-poor neighborhoods, arguing that outdoor play is a key factor in child development.

In Battery Park City, Public Infrastructure Meets Climate Resilience
A massive project underway in Lower Manhattan seeks to protect the shoreline from future flooding and mitigate the effects of climate change and rising sea levels.

PLANOPEDIA
What Is GIS?
GIS software, which combines location information with data about a range of other attributes, has become an indispensable tool for mapping and spatial analysis in urban planning and dozens of other fields.

Louisiana Road Safety Plan Highlights Impaired Driving, Reckless Behavior
The plan focuses traffic safety efforts on distracted and impaired driving, seatbelt wearing, and speeding, with a small nod to infrastructural factors.

Electric School Buses Put Power Back Into Grid
A “vehicle to grid” pilot program in a Southern California school district has school buses doing double-duty as electricity storage.

Destigmatizing Manufactured Housing
It’s time to rethink the negative stereotypes and acknowledge the key role mobile home parks can play in solving the affordable housing crisis.

PLANOPEDIA
What Is Redevelopment?
Redevelopment includes all development projects that build new structures and land uses on a previously developed site. Understanding the nuances of redevelopment is critical for understanding the ways cities and communities change.

Portland Releases 43-Step Climate Action Plan
A draft plan outlines suggested actions to build resilience, minimize carbon emissions, and protect vulnerable residents from extreme weather events.

Missing Middle Housing as an Antidote to Redlining
New research suggests that missing middle housing could help make more affordable housing available to Arlington residents, particularly Black households historically blocked from homeownership in many neighborhoods.

Reimagining the Suburbs
With more people moving away from central cities, we have the chance to avoid past mistakes and redesign the American suburb to be less car-centric and more diverse.

Mike Davis on Life, Politics, and Mortality
The celebrated City of Quartz author speaks with the Los Angeles Times about activism, climate change, and his decision to stop cancer treatment.

Families With Young Children Left Cities At Higher Rates During Pandemic
New Census data reveal that families with children under five led the migration out of major U.S. cities between 2019 and 2021.

Major Redesign Planned for Denver-Area Bus System
The Regional Transportation District will make significant changes to bus frequency and routes in an effort to make transit accessible to more Colorado residents.

Oregon Issues Wildfire Risk Map
After homeowners received letters assessing their property’s fire risk, questions remain about the next steps in building fire resilience.
Pagination
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.