The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Atlanta's Pro-Density 'Comprehensive Development Plan' Stalls in City Council
Planning is politics, an Atlanta case study.

Zero Vision Zero: Streets Deadlier Now Than When De Blasio Started
Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014 set a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities from New York City. Now, with de Blasio preparing to leave office, more people are dying on the city's streets than when he made that announcement.

The Northgate Link Extension Is Great, But Voters Want More
A recent survey of Seattle voters finds widespread support for the continued expansion of the Link light rail system in Seattle.

California Bans Insurance Companies From Dropping Homeowners in Wildfire Zones
The one-year moratorium is a stopgap measure to assist homeowners affected by recent wildfires as the state assesses ways of addressing the root causes of increasingly damaging natural disasters.

Bloomberg Philanthropies Announces New Round of Asphalt Art Initiative Grants
Bloomberg Philanthropies is funding projects that take an artistic approach to traffic safety.

Retail Openings Outpace Closures in 2021
An estimated 20 percent of the stores to open so far in 2021 are Dollar Generals.

Eliminating Single-Family Zoning Alone Won't Solve California's Housing Crisis
While zoning reforms can help reduce barriers to building more housing, high construction costs and local opposition mean that the state won't see an immediate boom in density.

Outdated State and Federal Road Design Rules Hinder Freeway Removal
Although some cities are in favor of removing or reducing urban freeways in favor of more walkable spaces, guidelines like the 11-year-old MUTCD still encourage a 'throughput at all costs' mentality.

Three New Programs to Increase Transit Ridership in the Twin Cities
With peak hour commuter travel not expected to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, Metro Transit is getting creative in its efforts to attract new riders.

Don't Call it a Comeback: Big Cities Are Outlasting Predictions of Demise
As the new world order of working from home and vaccine hesitancy settles in, it's time to reevaluate assumptions from early in the pandemic about the effect of the public health on the economic health of large cities.

More Insight Into the Effects of the Pandemic for Rental Property Landlords
A pair of recent surveys attempt to shed light on the changing business and property management practices of landlords during the pandemic.

Climate Change Expected to Displace 216 Million People by 2050, Report Says
The time to start preparing for mass migration spurred by climate change is already here.

Sales Tax Could Fully Fund Cincinnati Viaduct
One of Southwest Ohio's most urgent infrastructure projects would move forward if the SORTA board approves a recent proposal to allocate Issue 7 funding to the replacement plan for the Western Hills Viaduct.

U.S. Housing Prices Continue Record-Breaking Pace
July marked four straight months of record-breaking increases for housing prices nationwide, according to the latest housing market data.

Is Historic Preservation Zoning?
In a victory for preservationists, the Texas Supreme Court upheld Houston's Historic Preservation Ordinance despite a lawsuit alleging that the ordinance constitutes illegal zoning rules.

Obama Presidential Center Breaks Ground on Chicago's South Side
Years of controversy and delay were in the rearview this week when the Obamas joined the governor of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago to break ground on the Obama Presidential Center .

Berlin Voters Want to Expropriate 240,000 Apartments
A potentially watershed vote in the German capital.

NYC Mayoral Candidate Proposes Ambitious Housing Plan to Convert Dormant Hotels
Eric Adams, Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, announced a proposal to convert existing hotel rooms to supportive and affordable housing. The plan faces obstacles in statewide building codes and local zoning regulations.

A State-by-State Wish List for Federal Infrastructure Funding
States have a laundry list of major projects they'd like to see funded if the trillion-dollar infrastructure package passes.

Illinois Commits to Bold Climate Action
The state of Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act , which will phase fossil fuels out for energy production and position the state as a leader on equitable economic development in the clean energy sector.
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