The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Tech Shuttle

Tech Buses: Not Just for Techies, and Not Just for San Francisco

What began as Google buses, transporting highly paid engineers from San Francisco to Silicon Valley, has transformed into multi-company fleets serving white- and blue-collar workers in the 3,000-square-mile Northern California megaregion.

February 13 - Protocol

Angry Public Meeting

The State of Public Meetings

Dating back to a tradition begun in the 1630s, public meetings are an essential part of the political systems, and planning processes, of U.S. cities. Public meetings are also broken, according to this article.

February 13 - Curbed

Earthquake damage

Successor to Rockefeller's 100 Resilient Cities Formed

The Global Resilient Cities Network (GRCN) has been formed by cities formerly members of the Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities program.

February 13 - Smart Cities Dive

Slow Turn Box

BLOG POST

Vision Zero, Meet VMT Reductions

Many jurisdictions have vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction targets, intended to reduce congestion and pollution. They can also provide large but often overlooked traffic safety benefits.

February 13 - Todd Litman

Austin Pedestrians

Austin Traffic Fatalities Triple in January

In 2015, Austin, Texas adopted a Vision Zero goal to reach zero traffic fatalities.

February 12 - Smart Cities Dive


Congestion

A Call for Congestion Pricing in Hawaii

Everyone pays a high price for the congestion and pollution of car dependence, according to this article, so maybe drivers should start paying more for the privilege.

February 12 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Delivery Services

Better Maps Would Save Delivery Companies a Ton of Time and Money

A new report estimates the cost of inaccurate maps for delivery companies in the billions of dollars.

February 12 - Smart Cities Dive


Commercial and Retail Uses

Analysis: Parking Won't Save Struggling Commercial Corridors

Research suggests that more and more parking won't solve the woes of struggling commercial corridors, even if it's difficult for business owners located on those corridors to believe.

February 12 - Local Logic

Texas Suburb

Texas Housing Market Starting to Resemble the California Housing Market

The hordes of people moving to Texas every year could soon encounter the same kinds of housing affordability challenges they left behind.

February 12 - Houston Chronicle

Baseball

Legalizing Street Play

A Baltimore city councilmember thinks the city has misplace priority on parking by making it illegal to play in the street.

February 12 - WYPR

Washington, D.C.

The Days of Two Remaining D.C. Urban Renewal Plans Could Be Numbered

Urban renewal plans for Downtown D.C. and the Shaw neighborhood are all that's left of a mid-20th-century planning effort.

February 12 - Bisnow

State capital building

Top Planning Issues for State Legislatures

The American Planning Association identifies three issues that will define the year in state legislatures around the country.

February 12 - American Planning Association

Multi-Family Development

Calling for Parking Reform in Dallas

An onion piece published by D Magazine makes an argument for less burdensome parking requirements as a way to deliver more affordable housing options in Dallas' housing stock.

February 11 - D Magazine

Renovation

Resilience Plan Revealed in London

Resilience in a post-Brexit London.

February 11 - Smart Cities Dive

Road Rage

Report: Virginia's Drivers Ranked Rudest in the Nation

Auto insurance comparison outfit Insurify reviewed two million insurance applications and calculated the states with the rudest drivers based on one or more driving violations.

February 11 - Insurify Insights

Victoria, British Columbia

Making Space for Corner Stores

Too many cities lack a legal way for corner stores to be planned or built—despite the obvious benefits of the use to neighborhoods.

February 11 - CNU Public Square

Chicago, Illinois

Tax Increment Financing Reforms Promised by Chicago Mayor Lightfoot

The controversial tax break known as TIF looks headed for reforms in the Windy City, as Mayor Lori Lightfoot promises reforms that ensure more equitable application of the benefits of TIF.

February 11 - Chicago Tribune

Levee

Coastal Property Ownership Contested as the Gulf of Mexico Rises in Louisiana

Landowners, oil and gas companies, environmental groups, and fishers all have an interest in sorting out the status of Louisiana's privately owned coastline as rising water inundates the state.

February 11 - NOLA.com

Washington D.C. - Federal Reserve

Debating Improvements to the Community Reinvestment Act

The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 was the final of a suite of federal laws aimed at fighting racial segregation in housing. Congress is beginning to consider how best to modernize the act to meet the challenges of contemporary times.

February 11 - Washington Center for Equitable Growth

Manhattan

Development Opponents Gaining Ground in New York City

According to this article in the New York Times, the days of development interests dominating the planning process in New York City are over.

February 11 - The New York Times

Post News

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.