The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Experts: Fourth Coronavirus Surge Likely More of a Ripple
The worst appears to be over, say most of the more than 20 experts who spoke with NPR's science editor, Rob Stein. If there is going to be a surge, it will be more like a ripple, he suggested. Not everyone agrees.

Industry Wins a Round Over Building Efficiency Requirements
New regulations prohibit cities from enacting stricter efficiency standards in new buildings.

Mexico City the Latest to Add an Aerial Tram
Introducing the new Cablebus aerial tram system, with service to the northern edge of the most populous city on the continent.

Visions of the Future Houston
An ongoing exhibition in Houston imagines a city on the cusp of a new, more prosperous future.

Local Solutions for Housing Affordability
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy recently published a report to identify local government actions to ensure stable and affordable places to live for everyone.

New Zoning Incentives for Grocery Store Developments Proposed in New York City
Transit accessibility incentives are also included in a package of zoning reforms proposed this week that would provide incentives for grocery store developments in a wider swath of New York City.

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Unlocking the City with Context Keys
The human memory is so powerful that a place on pavement suddenly can trigger a stream of imagery from the distant past, or a meaningful story of something that once happened there. We should champion such keys to the context of a place.

Pedestrian Safety Still Not a Priority in the United States
Dangerous by Design 2021 quantifies the transportation sector's ongoing neglect of the health and safety of people performing that basic human action of taking a walk.

Can Emissions Reductions Last Beyond the Pandemic?
The dramatic reductions in carbon emissions during the last year only highlight how drastically humans must change behavior to meet climate goals.

Return to Normal: CDC Releases Initial Post-Vaccination Guidance
Millions of fully vaccinated Americans who have been anxiously awaiting new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on what they can now do safely were given initial recommendations that apply only to private settings.

Stories of Resilience From 2020
A year of intense challenges also offers a chance to break from the unsustainable, inequitable status quo.

San Antonio Doubles Down on Public Housing
The San Antonio Housing Authority has been working for years to replace the Alazán-Apache Courts with mixed-income housing using a tax-credit deal. But that plan is now scrapped in favor of keeping the apartments as public housing.

Bloomberg Funds New 'Center for Cities' at Harvard
The $150-million endowment will expand the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and develop capacity-building programs for mayors and city leaders.

Deadline for Brightline Plan Comes With Strings Attached
Officials from Brightline recently signed an agreement that dictates terms for the study of an extension of the private rail system between Orlando and Tampa.

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Electric Cars Won't Solve Climate Change
Electric cars might look great in your driveway, but they're a symbol of a systemic problem: an ineffective, car-based approach to addressing transportation's climate impacts.

A Compact, Connected, Clean, and Inclusive Recovery for Mexico
As the Mexican government charts the country’s recovery from COVID-19, a newly published paper charts national solutions to urban transportation and housing challenges that will put Mexico’s cities on a path to prosperity and resilience.

Planning Communities for Children and Families
Child in the City asks “If you could see the city from an elevation of 95 cm, what would you do differently?” It provides a toolbox of specific policies and planning practices for creating more child-friendly communities.

Carbon Emissions Back on the Rise—Along With Cleaner Energy
Climate-friendly government policies and recent investments by energy companies are accelerating the growth of renewables.

Santa Monica Institutes 'Zero-Emissions Delivery Zone'
A new pilot program in Santa Monica aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a testing ground for new technologies.

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Against Victim Blaming
One common scapegoat for rising pedestrian death rates is "distracted walking." But there is little reason to believe that smartphone-wielding pedestrians are a major cause of roadway carnage.
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City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
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.