The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Cities Plan to Sue Over Oregon’s Parking Reforms
Nine of the 52 cities impacted by the state of Oregon’s parking requirements changes, approved earlier this year, plan to sue to stop the reforms.
Winners of the 2022 American Society of Landscape Architects
The Society’s annual awards highlight projects focused on reconnecting communities to the landscape and creating healthy community spaces.
How Remote Work is Changing the Playing Field for Workers With Disabilities
The more widespread acceptance of working from home is helping millions of Americans with disabilities get back into the workforce and find better job opportunities.
Study To Assess Climate Mitigation Options for East Boston
A grant-funded research team will evaluate solutions for shoring up the area’s flood protection strategies and improving access and service on the Blue Line for local residents.
FEATURE
Placemaking: Building on the ‘Soul’ of a Place
Placemaking is often mistaken for a form of manufacturing. Every place already has a story to tell—placemaking just brings that story forward.
Affordable Housing Now Legal By-Right on Commercial Lots in California
One of the nation's most ambitious and sweeping statewide laws intended to spur affordable housing development was signed into law in California at the end of September.
The Inflation Reduction Act Missed a Chance to Rein in Car-Dependent Sprawl
The federal government is so far unwilling to reverse course on car-dependent sprawl. The Inflation Reduction Act is the latest example.
FEATURE
Three Planning Innovations, a Century Later
Three events turning 100 this year have had a long-lasting impact on the shape of American urban design and land use.
Los Angeles Tenant Harassment Law Yields No Prosecutions
A year after the law was passed, the city has failed to prosecute any of the more than 2,000 complaints filed by tenants.
Colorado River Water Crisis Deepens
The states that rely on the Colorado’s water must make drastic cuts in water usage to maintain use of the West’s most important—and most threatened—water source.
Two New Clean Energy Programs Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Unveiled
The U.S. Department of Energy announced two new programs last month that are funded by the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: $7 billion to create regional ‘hydrogen hubs’ and $4.9 billion to ‘manage and store carbon pollution.’
Nationals Park Survives Permitting Scare, Remains Open for Final Games of the Baseball Season
The Washington Nationals, winners of the 2019 World Series, almost needed to find a new home for the final games of the 2022 baseball season after Events D.C. failed to meet the terms of the certificate of occupancy for Nationals Park.
Zoning Controversy Ahead of November Election in Prince George's County, Maryland
The Prince George's County Council is facing a dramatic overhaul in the November election, so current councilmembers are trying to solidify their zoning legacy, while making it harder for future councilmembers to do the same.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is a Variance?
Variances allow for development projects to deviate from the zoning code on a case-by-case basis—if the project developer can prove a unique economic or physical hardship.
Omaha to Lose its Only Protected Bike Lane
With an 18-month pilot program coming to an end, local officials plan to dismantle the city’s only protected bike lane.
Austin School District Properties Could Host Affordable Housing
The District is weighing early proposals to include housing units for teachers and staff in the redevelopment of a group of six ‘underutilized’ district properties.
Zoning Board of Appeals Overhaul One Step Toward Approval Process Reform in Boston
Mayor Wu recently overhauled the makeup of Boston’s Zoning Board of Appeals, but bigger changes will be necessary to depoliticize the city’s development approvals process.
Will Snohomish County Light Rail Bypass the Airport?
Some county leaders rejected two proposed routes that would skirt Boeing and Paine Field, citing the area’s high potential for travelers and jobs.
Senate Bill Would Support Rural Tenants
With housing costs skyrocketing, a proposed bill would extend assistance and help preserve affordable rental housing in rural areas.
2.7-Million-Square-Foot Astoria Project Approved
The development will include over 2,800 housing units and 2 acres of public open space.
Pagination
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.