The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
After the Plague: Go Big or Go Backwards?
Among unwelcome lessons of COVID-19 is growing evidence of what was already broken in politics and business. Ben Brown looks at making bold changes in order to improve the lives of the left out and left behind.
White House Shelves Reopening Guidelines Prepared by CDC
President Trump wants states to reopen businesses quickly but doesn't want to have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide directions to business owners and transit agencies on how to open without spreading the coronavirus.
Reopening Main Street
A Long Beach-based urban design firm shares design tips for reopening main streets while balancing public health and economic concerns—making space for parklets, pedestrians, and al fresco dining.
Transit Service Restored in Seattle Area, With New Social Distancing Practices in Place
Seatback signage and reduced capacity will allow King County Metro to begin resuming bus service. In the wake of staff illness and depleted funding, the road to Metro's recovery could be quite long.
Design in the Time of Cholera: How Pandemics Reshaped the Built Environment
Some of the most beloved public parks and essential advances in public sanitation can be traced back to their roots in the Cholera outbreaks in the 1800s.
Another City Opens Street Space for Restaurants—This Time in Suburban Chicago
Tampa, Brookhaven, Vilnius, Hinsdale. These cities will be the answer to a COVID-themed trivia night some time soon.
Task Force Would Ensure Social Justice in COVID-19 Response in Pittsburgh
If approved by the Pittsbugh City Council, the proposed Greater Pittsburgh Covid-19 Racial Equity Task Force would work toward more equitable distribution of economic and public health resources, during the coronavirus pandemic and after.
Street Vendors Rally for Rent Cancelation in Los Angeles
Street vendors gathered in front of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works in a May Day action to their make demands heard.
The Rush to Open: California is No Exception
California was the first state to require all residents to submit to a stay-at-home order, and it appears that Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to ensure it's not the last one to relax that order, regardless of whether it meets the federal guidelines.
Let's Interrupt History: Racial Equity in a Time of Crisis
Data on the pandemic shows once again the dramatic consequences of racial inequalities. Community Development Financial Institutions must focus on ensuring equity for Black-owned businesses.
Job Losses Strike a Blow to Gig Economy Darlings
Uber and Airbnb both announced massive layoffs this week, after Lyft did the same last week, as the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on very contemporary corners of the economy.
Sidewalk Labs Cancels Smart City Plans for Quayside on Toronto Waterfront
The high-profile experiment in smart city planning and technology seems to have suffered a final setback.
FEATURE
Viral Inequality and Climate Justice
Several cities have modeled an economic recovery that centers environmental justice. Political will is necessary to ensure a safer and healthier future for all communities.
Research on the Benefits and Limitations of Telecommuting to Inform a New Transportation Normal
If public transit suffers long-term consequences from the coronavirus, as many experts predict, telecommuting could be a key tool in reducing pollution and congestion, but it creates problems of its own and its effects aren't entirely clear.
Home Prices Expected to Hit a Coronavirus Speed Bump in 2020
A report by Zillow predicts a sudden reversal for the housing market, which has been soaring in many places around the country ever since the worst of the financial crisis and housing market crash of the Great Recession.
100 Million 'New Poor' Predicted as a Result of the Pandemic
The fiscal effects of the pandemic are likely to make it very difficult for governments to invest in economic and quality of life improvements for people on the edge of poverty.
Early Economic Effects of COVID-19 Concentrated in Large Metros
Big cities suffered the worst economic effects if the pandemic as of March, according to April data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
San Diego City Council President Champions Equitable and Inclusive COVID Response
San Diego City Council President Georgette Gomez discusses the critical value of providing accessible and factual information and resources to the city’s diverse constituents during this unprecedented public health crisis.
Campaign to Cancel Rent Raises Questions for the Affordable Housing Movement
What would it actually mean to cancel rent?
Social Distancing Is Not a Novel Concept
Initial research on social isolation as a method to combat contagious disease included a high-school science fair project modeling social networks. Doctors learned that the spread of disease could be decelerated by disrupting these networks.
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.
