The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Portland Maine

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.

January 31 - WMTW

Seattle Light Rail Construction

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.

January 31 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

A sunny day in San Francisco, with a view of the city skyline with the Easy Bay Hills in the background.

Development Streamlining Proposal Dies in San Francisco

The doomed effort was Mayor London Breed's third attempt to streamline development in the city.

January 31 - San Francisco Chronicle

Wildfire

$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.

January 31 - U.S. Department of Agriculture

Sign for Chepa's Park, Barrio Logan, Santa Ana, CA

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.

January 31 - High Country News


World Planning Schools Congress title on photo of Balinese temple

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.

January 31 - World Planning Schools Congress V Call for Submissions

Lower State Street in Santa Barbara (between Ortega St and Cota St).

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.

January 31 - KEYT


COVID-19

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.

January 31 - Nature

Outdoor Dining

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.

January 30 - Devin Partida

An aerial image of Bend, Oregon, covered in snow in the winter. The Deschutes River cuts through the middle of town, below an old mill.

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.

January 30 - KTVZ

Accessory Dwelling Unit rendering

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.

January 30 - BuildinganADU.com

Arlington

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.

January 30 - ARLnow

Digital Highway Sign

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.

January 28 - Michael Lewyn

Downtown Milwaukee

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.

January 28 - Urban Milwaukee

New York Subway

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.

January 28 - the transport politic

COVID-19 Test

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.

January 27 - The New York Times

An image of stadium seats at Petco Park in San Diego, with new buildings under construction nearby in the background.

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.

January 27 - James Brasuell

New Zealand

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.

January 27 - The Brookings Institution

Latino Neighborhood

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.

January 27 - Social Explorer

The Laguna Pueblo, a Native American reservation near Albuquerque, New Mexico, is perched on a hill in the sun.

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.

January 27 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

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.

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.