The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

New York City

Part II: The New Regionalism of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Part I was shutting down the economy on a multi-state basis in the absence of federal leadership. Part II will be opening them up in spite of federal assertiveness.

April 16 - Politico

Mississippi River Flooding

America's 'Most Endangered River' in 2020: The Mighty Mississippi

Heavy flooding are expected to strain the Mississippi and Missouri rivers in Spring 2020, just as resources are stretched thin by the coronavirus.

April 15 - American Rivers

U.S. Census Bureau

Census Bureau Seeks Delay

Citing complications from the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Census Bureau is seeking a 120-day delay in concluding the Census process, with potential consequences lasting into 2021.

April 15 - Associated Press via ABC 7 News

Public Health

COVID-19 Impacts on the Future of Transportation

MoveLA's Denny Zane and Gloria Ohland assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transit.

April 15 - The Planning Report

COVID-19

Few Homeowners in Forbearance in April; Number Expected to Grow

The Mortgage Bankers Association surveyed the U.S. home mortgage servicing market for indications about how the nation's 26.9 million home loans were holding up during the first weeks of the pandemic.

April 15 - The Dallas Morning News


Houston, Texas

Texas Losing its Housing Affordability Advantage

Trends pre-dating Covid-19 showed housing affordability slipping away from many residents in Texas. The pandemic will likely only exacerbate the trend, according to this analysis.

April 15 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research: The Urban Edge

Apartment renter

Strengthening the Safety Net With Universal Housing Assistance

The Urban Institute simulated a model to predict the cost of a universal housing assistance program to support those who face homelessness.

April 15 - Urban Institute


High Line with Denari

Superstar Cities Are Struggling Now, But Could Recover to Gain Even More Economic Power

The public health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus are threatening to further entrench inequality in America—between regions and within cities.

April 15 - Brookings

Drive-Through Coronavirus Testing

Concern About the Direction of the Next Federal Stimulus Bill

Congressional leaders are discussing the shape and size of the next federal stimulus bill. The following critique argues that the next bill should do more to expand testing, contact tracing, and quarantine capacity at the state level.

April 15 - The New Republic

Steptoe Butte State Park

BLOG POST

Does Dispersion Help?

Only 7 percent of U.S. residents live in the nation's largest metropolitan area (New York). Has that made coronavirus less deadly?

April 14 - Michael Lewyn

Restaurant Business

A Rare Chance for Urban Innovation

The realities of social distancing are allowing for innovations and experimentations with real opportunities for long-term benefit in cities, according to an article by Allison Arieff.

April 14 - The New York Times

For Rent

Experts Expect Rent to Drop, Along With Incomes

There is no silver lining in the news that experts expect the cost of rental housing to decline as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

April 14 - NBC News

One57

Office-to-Residential Conversions Considered as Workers Go Remote

Reduced demand for office space after coronavirus could lead New York landlords to consider the conversion of offices to residential spaces.

April 14 - The Real Deal

Coronavirus Social Distancing

BLOG POST

Lessons from Pandemics: Comparing Urban and Rural Risks

Many people assume that infectious disease risks make cities dangerous, but this is generally untrue. Other factors have more effect on pandemic risk and mortality rates, making cities safer and healthier than rural areas overall.

April 14 - Todd Litman

Columbus, Ohio skyline reflected in the Scioto River

Another State (Ohio) Gets It Right

Washington and California have been praised for early efforts to mitigate community spread of the novel coronavirus, resulting in relatively low rates of infection, hospitalization, and ultimately, death. Add Ohio to the bunch.

April 14 - The Washington Post

San Francisco

Early Indications of Car Industry's Future Emerge

Evidence from Wuhan, China, the used car auction market in the United States, and the Trump administration reveal some of the potential futures for the car industry.

April 14 - Bloomberg

New York Public Transit

Race, Planning Intersect as the Coronavirus Kills Black and Latino Americans at Higher Rates

Black and Latino Americans in the United States are dying from COVID-19 at a much higher rate than whites. The foundation for the tragedy has been laid for decades.

April 14 - ProPublica

Self-Driving Cars

Ups and Downs for Self-Driving Cars During the Pandemic

While some driverless car companies have expanded operations in the past month, some industry observers caution that the business of autonomous vehicles remains stuck in neutral.

April 13 - Axios

Olympia, Washington

Questioning Washington State's Commitment to Greenhouse Gas Reductions

Lawmakers in Washington state fell short of passing comprehensive legislation this year to meet long-term goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

April 13 - Crosscut

Campanile

Distance Learning and University Challenges Under COVID-19

University of California Board of Regents Chair John A. Pérez shares the University of California's real-time response to the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting economic and pedagogical impacts for the system.

April 13 - The Planning Report

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

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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.