The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

I-71 I-70 Columbus OH

The Most Unsafe Road in Ohio: A Five-Mile Stretch of Interstate in Columbus

Traffic safety analysis inspires debate about the culprit (drivers or engineers?) on the least safe stretch of road in the Buckeye State.

September 29 - The Columbus Dispatch

An image of pedestrians walking across the Millennium Bridge toward St. Paul's cathedral in London.

City of London Could Set Speed Limits at 15 MPH

The City of London (not to be confused with the larger area of Greater London) will consider a plan to reduce speed limits throughout the "Square Mile" that outlines its boundaries.

September 29 - Forbes

Washington D.C.

D.C. Considers Centering Equity in Transportation and Land Use Planning Decisions

A plan to prioritize equity would, according to regional planners, increase access to jobs and resources, reduce emissions, and improve public health.

September 29 - The Washington Post

Glendale, California

How the Iconic Dingbat Took Over Los Angeles

The low-slung, car-oriented apartment buildings represent a mid-century solution to a housing shortage and offer valuable lessons for new development.

September 28 - Bloomberg CityLab

Harvey Floods Houston

NPR: HUD Sells Flood-Prone Homes Without Disclosing Risks

The troubling trend is particularly pronounced in lower-income communities, where experts worry households are being inadvertently set up for big financial losses.

September 28 - NPR


Toronto Sidewalk

Student-Designed Cool Sidewalk Could Reduce 'Urban Heat Island' Effect

Researchers at the University of New Mexico created a sidewalk design using materials that would reduce heat absorption and require fewer materials than traditional concrete sidewalks.

September 28 - University of New Mexico

Seattle Transit

Northgate Link Extension—Opening This Weekend—Expected to Transform Seattle in More Ways Than One

The long awaited Northgate Link Extension, which will connect rapidly changing neighborhoods in North Seattle to downtown in 14 minutes, will open to the public on Saturday, October 2.

September 28 - The Seattle Times


HOLC map from 1937

New Research Reexamines HOLC's Role in Redlining

New Deal agencies did engage in discriminatory lending practices–but not quite in the way we think.

September 28 - Governing

Basement Apartment

The 2010s: The Decade of the Suburban Rental

Census data reveal a growing number of suburbs are home to a majority of renters. The data challenges the "very definition of suburban living," according to this article.

September 28 - RentCafé

A map focused on the city of Lehi, Utah, showing Interstate 15, which runs through the city.

'Quality of Life' Award for Utah Freeway Widening Prompts Criticism, Debate

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently announced that the Utah Department of Transportation had won the "Quality of Life/Community Development" award. A social media pile on commenced.

September 28 - The Washington Post

Rendering of Living Breakwaters project

Staten Island's Living Breakwaters Project Breaks Ground

The coastal resiliency and biodiversity project is taking shape in Raritan Bay, an area devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

September 28 - The Architect's Newspaper

2020 Census

Census Delays Release of 2020 American Community Survey Data

Due to the challenges faced by data collectors during the pandemic, the Census Bureau will not be releasing 2020 ACS data in September as usual.

September 27 - PRB

Downtown Anchorage with the snow covered Chugach Mountains in the background.

Alaska Activates Crisis Standards of Care

Daily new COVID cases per capita in Alaska are the nation's highest. The crisis standards enable overwhelmed hospitals to ration care. Gov. Mike Dunleavy recognized the crisis yet saw no need to take steps to reduce coronavirus transmission.

September 27 - The New York Times

Silicon Valley aerial view

How the AI Economy is Shaping Cities

Like other technologies, artificial intelligence tech seems to be clustering in a small group of cities, prompting questions about its uneven deployment.

September 27 - Bloomberg CityLab

Bikes and Kids

Opinion: Car-Centric Cities Hurt Kids

Designing neighborhoods with children in mind could reduce traffic fatalities and improve the health and well-being of kids.

September 27 - Streetsblog USA

Trees

How the Phoenix Tree Canopy Affects Urban Temperatures

As extreme weather intensifies, cities are using trees to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce energy consumption.

September 27 - Vox

Houston Third Ward

A Tour of Houston's Rapidly Gentrifying Neighborhoods

These Houston communities have experienced the most dramatic demographic changes in the last decade, according to new Census data.

September 27 - Houston Chronicle

Chicago Bikers

Chicago Dismantles Leland 'Slow Street' Three Months Early

Citing neighborhood concerns, the city is ending the Slow Street program on Leland Street as more parks and beaches reopen, but advocates want to see more permanent traffic calming measures.

September 27 - Streetsblog Chicago

Port Authority of Allegheny County

New Long-Range Transit Plan Adopted for Pittsburgh Area

A long list of transit projects is included in the NEXTransit long-range plan approved recently by the Port Authority of Allegheny County.

September 27 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Smart City

BLOG POST

The Physical Security Challenges of Smart Cities

There’s no doubt that a smart city’s network will be ultra-responsive, fast, and reliable. Can the same be said for the physical security measures needed?

September 26 - Devin Partida

Post News

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.