The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
FEATURE
The Pretext Problem: The Pitfalls of Planning While Bargaining
Lots of planning is discretionary. Cities and developers negotiate what builders will do for cities in exchange for the right to build, creating an incentive for bad rules, eroding the public's faith in zoning, and enabling political corruption.
Homeless New Yorkers Lead a Push for Better Rental Vouchers
Until recently, New York City's local housing vouchers only covered about $1,250 in rent; the median rent on a NYC apartment is $2,600. Activism from current and formerly homeless New Yorkers helped change that.
The Future of Downtowns Still Hangs in the Balance
Center City in Philadelphia offers a case study for one of the largest and potentially most consequential contingencies of the pandemic: What happens to downtowns is most workers never come back to the office?
Opinion: Transit Needs to Be Better, Not Cheaper
With many U.S. transit agencies facing severe gaps in service and budget shortfalls, some advocates argue that improved service matters more than free fares.
Eviction Records Follow People Around for Years. This Isn’t Fair.
Op-ed: Even for people who have never been evicted, the stain of merely an eviction filing can lock people out of quality housing for years.
Opinion: We're Loving Our National Parks to Death
A reservation system could help the struggling national parks system manage crowds and protect our public lands from overuse, according to this article.
How Legacy Cities Can Support Equitable Development
A new report outlines seven strategies for balancing economic development and equity specifically aimed at smaller, post-industrial cities.
California Workplaces to Return to Normal? Not Unless Everyone is Vaccinated
Most coronavirus restrictions are set to end on June 15 in California. The statewide mask mandate will align with CDC guidance, but workplaces will follow the new Cal/OSHA mask mandate: Unless everyone is vaccinated indoors, everyone masks.
TxDOT Promises to Reverse Some of the Damage Caused by Urban Freeways in Dallas
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is in the early stages of planning for two projects that could leverage plans to rebuild two freeways in the city with plan to reconnect the neighborhoods they severed.
Louisiana Legislature Moves to Slow Solar Development
The proposed bill and house resolution would create stricter rules for solar leases and make solar projects ineligible for a commonly used tax exemption.
The Next Mayor Will Have to Decide in New York's Post-Pandemic Parking Conflicts
The ongoing political controversy about the priorities of the public realm in New York City is likely to last into the next mayoral administration.
Latest Traffic Safety Data Adds Grim Death Count to an Already Tragic Year
The public health epidemic created by dangerous roads, dangerous cars, and dangerous drivers was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
L.A. Metro Denounces—but Doesn't Scrap—710 Freeway Expansion Plan
The agency's board members spoke out forcefully against air pollution and displacement, but stopped short of completely rejecting the project, looking instead to cleaner vehicles and regulations that mitigate community concerns.
Misunderstanding Metros
The vernacular notion of "metro area" or "urban region" may not match up with standard political designations, like municipality, county, state, or city-state. Too bad. Ambiguity and complexity are hallmarks of today's mega-cities.
Proposed Rail Project Would Bring Trains from L.A. to Coachella Valley
Riverside County's transportation commission is moving forward with a proposal to bring passenger rail from Los Angeles to Indio.
San Diego Could Expand Parking Reforms to Non-Residential Land Uses
A proposed code amendment would expand parking reforms implemented by San Diego in 2019.
Taking Stock and Looking Forward: What's Next for Public Transit?
A group of 12 leading transit experts debriefed on the consequences of the pandemic for public transit, and proposed a future that centers public transit as a tool for economic recovery and righting the past wrongs of the planning profession.
How Zoning Discrimination Still Affects Canadian Cities
Policies that encouraged urban segregation and led to the displacement and disenfranchisement of communities of color continue to reverberate in Canada's urban centers.
How the 'Financialization of Housing' is Physically Changing Cities
The increasing investment value of real estate has led to tangible changes in the way buildings are designed and function, one author argues.
Biden Learning From the Unrealistic Expectations of Past Economic Stimulus Efforts
Taking lessons from his time working in the Obama administration, President Biden is tempering promises of quick job creation with long-term reinvestment.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.
