The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Dallas Transit

Houston Transit Barely Beats Out Dallas for Ridership

Out of the top five U.S. metro areas, Houston's transit ridership is second-lowest only to Dallas.

January 26 - The Houston Chronicle

Crowded Subway Platform

The NYC Subway's Uneven Recovery

As subway riders return in fits and starts, some stations are experiencing a much faster recovery than others.

January 26 - The New York Times

Boston Skyline with Dome

Massachusetts Gets Serious About Upzoning

A Massachusetts law aimed at reducing the state's housing shortage mandates zoning for multi-family housing in most eastern Massachusetts jurisdictions.

January 26 - Slate

Florida Pedestrians

Opinion: Road Safety Data Should Include Close Calls

Even in the absence of lethal collisions, the experience of repeated near-misses can discourage pedestrians from walking and degrade public perception of road safety.

January 25 - NextCity

Walkable DC

BLOG POST

Urban Villages: The Key to Sustainable Community Economic Development

Compact, walkable urban villages support sustainable economic development by reducing transportation costs, leaving residents with more money to spend on local goods, and by creating more efficient and attractive commercial districts.

January 25 - Todd Litman


The courtyard of a vecindad in Mexico City's Centro Histórico

Vecindades: Mexico City's Answer to 'Missing Middle Housing'

An iconic multifamily housing form repurposes the former homes of Mexico's elite into communal housing for urban workers.

January 25 - Bloomberg CityLab

Wide shot of bridge overpasses under construction at the intersection of GA 400 and I-285 on July 22, 2019 in Atlanta, GA.

Three Challenges to Building Big Infrastructure in America

How complicated zoning and permitting, slow construction, and a dearth of certain skills in the public sector cause delays and increase the cost of U.S. infrastructure projects.

January 25 - Bloomberg CityLab


Texas Townhomes

Blanket Upzoning: A Solution to Housing Pressures?

Mass upzoning could give developers and homeowners the flexibility to build new housing where it's most needed.

January 25 - Strong Towns

City by the Bay

What Mistaken Urban Design Assumptions Can Teach Us

When writing city plans, past planners in San Francisco got some things just right—and some very wrong.

January 25 - San Francisco Chronicle

Peachtree Street Atlanta

Audit: Police Should Take On Atlanta Zoning Enforcement

A city audit recommends shifting zoning enforcement from the planning department to the police department.

January 25 - Saporta Report

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The Sixth Extinction Has Likely Already Begun

Scientists believe we have entered a sixth mass extinction event, calling for conservation and documentation of species before they are lost forever.

January 25 - Vice

South Mall Parking Lot

Progressive Political Support Sought for Parking Reforms

Despite mounting evidence that parking requirements subsidize cars, raise the cost of housing, and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, few policymakers have strongly advocated to end them.

January 24 - StreetsBlog NYC

San Diego Trolley car

Report: San Diego Trolley Extension Cost Double the Average for U.S. Light Rail

Experts attribute the high cost of the project to local opposition and call on state and federal leaders to give transportation agencies more authority over local jurisdictions.

January 24 - San Diego Union-Tribune

A woman wears a mask during the Covid-19 pandemic in a large crowd at a transit station in New York City.

After Omicron

Don't count on Omicron ending the pandemic, cautioned America's top infectious disease expert on Jan. 17. "Get ready to learn new Greek letters," warned the Associated Press as daily COVID deaths topped the peak set in the Delta wave.

January 24 - New York Post

Texas

Austin Mayor Proposes New Bond To Address Housing Crisis

Mayor Steve Adler is developing a proposal to sell up to $500 million in bonds for affordable housing as the city's housing costs continue to soar and demand for housing remains at a historic high.

January 24 - Bloomberg Markets

Eden Center Arch, Falls Church, VA

How to Transform the Humble Strip Mall

One Northern Virginia shopping center illustrates how the auto-centric strip mall can be repurposed to better serve its community.

January 24 - Strong Towns

Suburban Tract Homes

Pew: Nearly Half of Americans Call Affordable Housing a 'Major Problem'

As the housing crisis deepens, more Americans are saying housing affordability is a top concern in their community.

January 24 - Pew Research Center

Denver Union STation TOD

Local Resistance Hinders Transit-Oriented Development

As states move to boost housing production near transit, opposition from neighborhood groups frustrates efforts to build new developments.

January 24 - Route 50

Buildings on Wall Street, New York City

Office Landlords Luring Tenants Back With Incentives

Landlords are offering generous incentives in an effort to prop up the struggling U.S. office market.

January 24 - The Real Deal

walkable street

PLANOPEDIA

What Is Walkability?

Walkability refers to the ability to safely walk to services and amenities within a reasonable distance, usually defined as a walk of 30 minutes or less.

January 23 - Diana Ionescu

Post News
Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

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.

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.