The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
BLOG POST
February Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
Transit agencies like BART and TriMet face lingering budget shortfalls, forcing major service cuts and layoffs, while federal plans to ban fare-free transit throw a wrench in NYC Mayor Mamdani’s proposal to make the city’s buses ‘fast and free.’
FTA Offers $100 Million in Transit Grants to World Cup Host Cities
Championship soccer games will be held in 11 U.S. cities this summer as part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nevada’s Highway Safety Plan Targets 35% Drop in Traffic Deaths by 2035
The 2026-2030 plan aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries with a long-term goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2050.
Denver Cut Unsheltered Homelessness Almost in Half Even as Unhoused Population Grows
While the total number of Denver residents without permanent housing is growing, the city has leveraged its resources to quickly create over 1,000 new emergency shelter beds.
Mamdani Administration Promises 20-30 New Public Bathrooms by End of Summer
Of the city’s 1,000 public restrooms, just 30 percent are located outside of parks.
Sunbelt Cities Rank Lowest in Nation for Street Safety
Cities with low road safety rankings are overwhelmingly newer and located in the South and Southwest.
BART Announces Major Service Cuts, Fare Increases in Face of $376M Deficit
If a November ballot measure fails to bring new funding, BART’s ‘alternative service plan’ would reduce frequencies to 30 minutes, raise fares by 30%, and close up to 15 stations.
28 States and DC Could Legalize ‘Balcony Solar’
Plug-in solar panels, which are becoming popular across Europe, live in a regulatory gray area in the United States.
FEATURE
In Defense of QUIMBY — a Rebuttal
Psychology shows that residents love what planners and architects don’t. Experience tells me that they’re right.
MARTA’s NextGen Bus System to Relaunch With Increased Frequency, New Last-mile Rideshare Program
Atlanta’s transit agency will enhance service on some routes while compensating for service cuts on others with a new on-demand service.
Washington Urban Forestry Program Faces 'Existential' Budget Cut
A proposed budget eliminates funding for a key urban forestry program that funds greening efforts across the state.
Alysa Liu's Oakland Training Center Highlights the Importance of California's Defunded Redevelopment Agencies
The financial and legal ecosystem that led to the creation of the Oakland Ice Center no longer exists after California dissolved its state redevelopment agencies.
San Jose to Lease Units in Downtown High-rise for Affordable Housing
An innovative pilot program subsidizes rent in a market-rate building for middle-income residents.
Iowa County Passes Restrictive Data Center Ordinance
A new Linn County ordinance requires data center builders to conduct environmental reviews, limit light pollution and noise, and compensate the county for infrastructure costs.
Mamdani Proposes Reviving Sunnyside Yard Project in Meeting With Trump
A proposed redevelopment in Trump’s native Queens could create as many as 12,000 new housing units.
BLOG POST
Review: Why Nothing Works
In “Why Nothing Works,” Marc Dunkelman argues that America’s political gridlock stems from an internal progressive conflict between Hamiltonian centralized efficiency and Jeffersonian individualized safeguards.
Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor Bike Path is Flooding More Often, Forcing Commuters Onto More Dangerous Roads
The 5-mile trail serves as a key bikeway for commuters connecting to local transit.
San Jose Moves to Rein in Flock Cameras, Joining in Backlash Amid Privacy Concerns
The city’s police chief is asking to limit the company’s data retention and sharing abilities.
Idaho Bill Would Offer More Property Tax Breaks to Affordable Housing Developers
The proposal would loosen regulations on developments with rent affordable to households making 60% AMI or less.
Salt Lake City Could Allow Backyard Homes on up to 3/4 of Residential Lots
A proposed zoning change would expand the residential areas where accessory units can be built.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
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.
