The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Maine Legislators, in Search of a Fix for Rising Housing Costs, Consider Zoning Reforms
The housing affordability crisis is a legislative priority in the Pine Tree State.

U.S. DOT's 2022 RAISE Grants to Target Emissions Reductions, Racial Equity
The RAISE grant program continues to make history as a distinct departure from U.S. transportation planning tradition.

Development Streamlining Proposal Dies in San Francisco
The doomed effort was Mayor London Breed's third attempt to streamline development in the city.

$50 Billion 'Wildfire Risk Strategy' Targets the Wildland-Urban Interface
The U.S. Department of Agriculture in January announced an ambitious, and only partially funded, new plan to reduce wildfire risks for communities around the United States.

A Toxic Legacy in an Orange County Neighborhood
The contaminated soil and neglected infrastructure in Santa Ana's Barrio Logan community are a result of decades of land use decisions and willful disinvestment, one journalist writes.

World Planning Educators To Meet in Indonesia
The fifth World Planning Schools Congress this coming August, organized on the theme Planning a Global Village: Inclusion, Innovation, and Disruption, will step up cross-border movement of planning ideas and practices.

Santa Barbara May Scale Down Outdoor Dining Areas
The city will consider adjustments to its outdoor dining policy after the fire department expressed concerns about access for emergency vehicles.

Beware Endemics!
The pandemic will end and SARS-CoV-2 may evolve to become a mild, endemic cold coronavirus, warns Aris Katzourakis, a professor of viral evolution and genomics in an opinion for Nature. Examples of other endemic diseases are malaria and tuberculosis.

BLOG POST
6 Surprising Ways Communities Can Grow Their Businesses Amidst the Labor Shortage
While the labor shortage has affected businesses across the country, many communities have started taking steps to support area businesses and help them thrive.

Upzoning Leads to Sharp Growth in Construction in Bend
After Oregon legalized 'missing middle housing' in cities statewide, Bend, the first city to comply with the state law, has experienced a significant boost in mid-density housing construction.

A Tour of East Bay ADUs
Now that cities and states are recognizing the potential of middle-density zoning, builders and homeowners are getting creative with Accessory Dwelling Unit designs that minimize costs and maximize comfort.

Arlington County Authorizes Speed Cameras
The Arlington County board approved a program that will install traffic cameras in an effort to protect pedestrians and reduce police interactions.

BLOG POST
Can High-Speed Roads Stop Climate Change?
Some argue that even if wider roads induce more travel, they will actually reduce pollution by speeding it up. This post addresses one such argument.

On-Demand Transit To Connect Suburban Milwaukee Job Centers
A new last-mile service set to launch in February will connect the city's residents with job-rich suburbs.

Big Transit Projects To Look Forward to in 2022
An exhaustive list of all fixed-guideway projects scheduled to open or break ground in the U.S. in 2022.

COVID Zero: The High Price of Containment
Vision Zero: a strategy to eliminate road crashes, particularly those with fatal outcomes. COVID Zero: a strategy to end coronavirus transmission. Only one has worked—but at a steep price.

PLANOPEDIA
What Is a Development Approval Process?
A development approval process decides whether or not to allow a proposed development project to proceed with construction. There is plenty of room for interpretation, both legal and political, about what a development approval process can or should entail.

Zoning Reform: Lessons From New Zealand
The island nation is mandating mid-density zoning requirements and transit-oriented development in an effort to increase housing affordability and encourage compact development.

Mapping the Growth of the U.S. Hispanic Population
Almost every county in the country has more Hispanics than in 2010, according to recent Census data now searchable by interactive map.

Third Round of Indian Community Block Grant Funding Announced
The American Rescue Plan included $280 million in funding for the Indian Community Development Block Grant program. A third round of funding announced in January adds $84 million to that total.
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New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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