The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Homeless Encampment

The Homelessness Crisis Deepened, Even Before the Pandemic

New numbers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development show "devastating" growth in the number of unhoused people in the United States in January 2020.

March 24 - NPR

William Penn

Zoning Revision Process Hits Snags in Philadelphia

A pair of advocates criticize recent actions to slow zoning revisions in the city of Philadelphia.

March 24 - WHYY

Washington D.C. Street

'Housing Supply and Affordability Act' Offers $1.5 Billion in Grants for Development-Friendly Zoning Reforms

The Housing Supply and Affordability Act would be a major victory for the YIMBY cause.

March 24 - Bloomberg CityLab

Mass Shooting Protest

BLOG POST

'Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste' and Planning in the Pandemic

The latest in a series of compendia collecting news and commentary focusing on the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on communities.

March 23 - James Brasuell

Florida

Case Study: Florida Road Diet Reduces Crashes, Adds Minimal Congestion

A controversial road diet has faced disapproval from local business owners, but data shows a significant reduction in crashes and a minimal increase in congestion.

March 23 - WFLA


Connecticut

Connecticut Is Considering Statewide Zoning Reform. This Map May Be Why

Desegregate CT's Zoning Atlas is a first-in-the-nation map showing how all 2,620 zoning districts and two subdivision districts in Connecticut treat housing—a massive undertaking that required a team to read 32,378 pages of zoning regulations.

March 23 - Next City

Exclusionary covenant

New Mexico Communities Reflect on Racial Restrictive Covenants

Explicitly racist and exclusionary language remains embedded in many communities' restrictive covenants. State legislators and local leaders want to change that.

March 23 - High Country News


Coronavirus and Homelessness

As the Pandemic Continues, Officials Look to Long-Term Housing Options with Hotels

Advocates point to a bevy of successes in slowing the spread of the virus, but authorities struggle with cost burden.

March 23 - Shelterforce Magazine

Infrastructure

Biden Administration Reportedly Crafting a $3 Trillion Infrastructure Package

Just a few days after signing the $1.9 trillion "American Rescue Plan," the Biden administration is reportedly putting together a massive infrastructure spending plan that could overhaul the nation's transportation an energy infrastructure.

March 23 - The New York Times

Airbnb

Atlanta Passes New Short-Term Rental Rules

Under the new regulations, homeowners must register for a license and collect city hotel taxes for short-term rental properties.

March 23 - Atlanta Journal Constitution

View of New York City from Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Brooklyn Waterfront Development Unveils Revised Design

The massive River Ring Waterfront Master Plan includes two towers containing 1,050 residential units, a three-acre beach, and 5,000 square feet of community kiosks.

March 23 - Urbanize New York

Antioch, California

California's 'Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure'

The newly released Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure shifts the state's transportation priorities to focus on clean energy and livability.

March 22 - Streetsblog California

Biden administration

Racial Equity and Regulatory Review

On his first day in office, President Joe Biden took several steps to advance racial equity.

March 22 - Urban Institute

Anti homeless bench

Philadelphia Park Designed for, not Against, People Experiencing Homelessness

In an effort to make public spaces more inclusive, a new pocket park in the Callowhill neighborhood will seek input from people experiencing homelessness on how to make the space more welcoming and functional.

March 22 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

University of Chicago

FEATURE

The Miseducation of Cities

A review of the provocative new book by Davarian L. Baldwin, In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower.

March 22 - Josh Stephens

Small Lot Townhouses

Opinion: Western Towns Need More Density, Not More Sprawl

To fix the housing crisis, cities should focus on "missing middle housing" and multi-family development.

March 22 - In These Times

Bangkok, Thailand

The World's Highest Rates of Coronavirus Infections and Deaths

Brazil and the U.S. lead the world in daily COVID-19 cases and deaths. Western Europe is undergoing a third wave of infections, resulting in a new round of lockdowns, yet most of these nations are not among the 12 hotspots shown on a global tracker.

March 22 - Bloomberg News

Trees on Street

Research Shows Urban Trees Stave off Depression

A new study shows that regular exposure to trees and green spaces has a powerful impact on depression and mental health.

March 22 - The Guardian

Orlando Street

Pedestrian Activity Increased Most Outside of Cities in 2020

The locations with the largest increases of pedestrian activity during the pandemic year are all in Florida.

March 22 - Smart Cities Dive

Bakersfield and Fresno Sign

California Assembly Continues to Debate High-Speed Rail

With a train-friendly administration in Washington, supporters of the project hope that state leaders will make a stronger commitment to funding the full project.

March 21 - Streetsblog California

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.