The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Gas Works Park

Washington State Active Transportation Plan Draft Released

The Washington State Department of Transportation is undertaking a legally mandated update of its plan for bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

December 30 - Seattle Bike Blog

Social Distancing

Pandemic Endgame: The Goalposts are Moving

With most of the nation in the coronavirus "red zone," the endgame to the pandemic in the U.S. is likely through achieving herd immunity, preferably through vaccinations, but the nation's top infectious disease expert has been changing the threshold.

December 30 - The New York Times

Doctor's Row

Preservation Blind Spot Apparent on Philly's Black 'Doctor's Row'

Christian Street, known at the beginning of the 20th century as the Black "Doctor's Row" should have been on the Historic Register years ago, according to this article.

December 30 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Pedestrianized Ocean Drive, Miami Beach

Miami Beach Could Permanently Pedestrianize Ocean Drive

The city banned vehicle traffic from the popular street during the pandemic. Now, transportation planners hope to make the change permanent as part of a new plan to prioritize pedestrians and improve transportation in the Entertainment District.

December 30 - The Next Miami

ARIZONA RESERVOIR

Arizona Proposes Legislation to Protect Water After Trump Rollbacks to Clean Water Act

To protect the state's water resources, Arizona's Department of Environmental Quality has drafted a new set of regulations aimed at replacing Clean Water Act provisions struck down by the Trump administration.

December 29 - Arizona Public Media


For Rent

We Need Rental Registries Now More Than Ever

Most communities lack a way of collecting real-time data on whether landlords are complying with rules. A rental registry could change that.

December 29 - Shelterforce Magazine

Seattle

High Costs Lead Seattle to Scale Back Earthquake Work on Bridges

After underestimating costs by hundreds of millions, Seattle is forced to cut back on proposed seismic improvements for the city's bridges.

December 29 - The Seattle Times


BART Station

New South Bay BART Stations See Disappointing Ridership

Introduced during the pandemic in an area where many residents now work remotely, the new stations have failed to attract new commuters.

December 29 - Mercury News

Electric Scooters

New York City Rolling Out First E-Scooters in the Spring

After years of outright banning them, New York City is finally giving e-scooters a chance to operate on its streets.

December 29 - Curbed

New York City Coronavirus

The Best (and Worst) of Architecture and Design in 2020

An annual review of the world of architecture and design from design critics at the Dallas Morning News and Curbed.

December 29 - Medium

Seaside Entrance

Reassessing New Urbanism

A thematic issue of the peer reviewed journal Urban Planning provides a framework for reassessing New Urbanism.

December 29 - Urban Planning

Coronavirus

Eviction Moratorium Renewed for State of New York

The New York State Legislature convened for a special session between holidays to implement new protections in the housing market.

December 29 - The New York Times

Maokong Sky Gondola

Seattle Neighborhood Groups Propose Aerial Gondola to Replace Light Rail Expansion

Impatient with the city's light rail expansion plans, some residents are looking to aerial gondolas as a new mode of public transit.

December 28 - The Urbanist

Biden administration

The Pandemic Expert in the Biden Cabinet Who is Not on the Biden Health Team

Ron Klain, President Obama's former Ebola response coordinator, will serve as chief of staff to President-elect Joe Biden. This post also looks at all the appointments and nominations for Biden's health team that will devise a Covid response.

December 28 - The Atlantic

Protected Bike Lane

Seattle's Homeless Bearing the Brunt of Helmet Citations

Almost half of bike helmet citations in the city are issued to people experiencing homelessness.

December 28 - Crosscut

Bank Owned

The Foreclosure Crisis Waiting in January

Although homeowners have so far accessed financial relief from the pandemic much more easily than renters, housing counselors are bracing for a foreclosure crisis as forbearance terms start to end.

December 28 - Shelterforce Magazine

Oakland

I-880 Reconfiguration Takes Another Step Forward in Oakland

The Oakland Alameda Access Project, in the works since 1997, is meant to relieve traffic congestion and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists in Oakland's Chinatown neighborhood.

December 28 - Mercury News

BLM Plaza, Washington, D.C.

The Planning Profession Needs More Black Women

If planners want to address the impacts of exclusionary planning, historical inequities, and policies that ignore the needs of women and minorities, they must address systemic inequities within the field itself.

December 28 - LSE Progressing Planning

CTA El Train

One Big Step Forward, One Small Step Back for Chicago Red Line Extension

A big approval and a significant delay—but otherwise 2020 has been a positive year for plans to extend the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line by 5.6 miles to the south.

December 28 - Chicago Sun-Times

Los Angeles and Coronavirus

FEATURE

The Most Popular Urban Planning Articles of 2020

The most-read news, features, and blogs on Planetizen in that year that was 2020.

December 28 - James Brasuell

Post News
Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

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.