The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Albuquerque city bus on street.

Trump DOT Wants to Ban Free Buses

The department wants to prevent cities that receive funds from the Federal Transit Administration from offering free transit fares.

February 6 - Politico

People standing in front of famous Las Vegas sign in warm-toned photo.

BLOG POST

January Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

New York and New Jersey enact new tenant protections, Brightline West announces an opening date, and could a Nevada law have killed tens of thousands of trees?

February 6 - Diana Ionescu

Brightline train driving out from station with tall apartment building in background.

House Bill Would Incentivize Housing Near Transit

The Build HUBS Act intends to make federal funding for TOD more available and streamline permitting for transit-adjacent housing.

February 5 - Smart Cities Dive

People walking on walkway and bike path next to historic brick building in downtown Missoula, Montana.

Missoula Approves Zoning Reform Emphasizing More Diverse Housing, Walkability

The city’s new zoning code, map, and development standards will guide more expansive housing options and improved walkability.

February 5 - Montana Free Press

Guitar-shaped sculpture on sidewlak on Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas.

Austin Kicks off Multimodal Congress Avenue Redesign

The Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative is bringing new pedestrian infrastructure and ‘storefront activation zones’ to the popular street.

February 5 - KXAN


Three-story modern apartment buildings in Houston, Texas.

HUD Orders Houston to Submit Plan for Fixing Mismanaged Affordable Housing System

The Houston Housing Authority recently rebranded with a new name, a new CEO, and a new financial team after years of complaints about mismanagement and a lack of transparency.

February 5 - ABC 13 News

Google street view of closed-down lumber warehouse in St. Petersburg, Florida.

St. Pete Breaks Ground on First Industrial Zone Housing Project

A 2020 law allows cities to permit residential developments on formerly industrial land.

February 5 - Florida Politics


Aerial view of downtown Los Angeles from Rampart Village neighborhood.

LA’s Laws Against Rent Gouging are Going Unused — Not Because it’s not Happening

The county has not fined anyone under new laws passed after last year’s wildfires.

February 4 - LAist

People swimming near shore with parked kayaks on Colorado River beach in Arizona.

Colorado River States Fail to Strike Deal After ‘Historic Meeting’

The Colorado Basin states have until February 14 to agree on new water conservation measures.

February 4 - Source NM

White microtransit van in Rock Island County, Illinois.

Rural Illinois Transit Brings $4 in Economic Benefits for Every Dollar Spent

Chronically underfunded rural public transit systems are key lifelines are economic engines for rural communities.

February 4 - UIC

Modern glassy apartment buildings in Washington, D.C.

DC Housing Advocates Warn of ‘Critical Data Gap’ as District is Poised to Roll Back Tenant Protections

The District lacks a system for tracking evictions trends.

February 4 - Greater Greater Washington

TriMet bus next to Max light rail train on snowy street in Portland, Oregon.

Portland Transit is About to Get a Lot Worse

TriMet is making multiple rounds of service cuts this year as the agency faces a $300 million budget shortfall.

February 3 - The Portland Mercury

Unhoused people sitting on a concrete ledge in a public park in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Utah Shelter Plan Criticized as ‘Homeless Detention Camp’

A proposal to build a 1,300-bed shelter campus faces backlash from advocates concerned that it would be akin to a detention center.

February 3 - Smart Cities Dive

Interior dashboard of Tesla with large screen in middle.

Tesla Launches Unsupervised Robotaxis in Austin

The company has been operating autonomous taxis with human safety drivers in the car in Austin since last June.

February 3 - TechCrunch

People swimming in an indoor lap pool with blue and white lane dividers.

BLOG POST

Jim Crow Robbed America of Public Pools. It’s Time to get Them Back.

Disparity amongst who can and can’t swim in America isn’t an accident — and it's deadly. Let’s reclaim the community pool as an essential public space.

February 3 - April Economides

Close-up on white traffic camera installed over a busy roadway.

USDOT Blocks Federal Funding for Traffic Cameras

Applicants to the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program will not be allowed to use funds for automated traffic enforcement.

February 3 - New Orleans City Business

People walking and biking on sidewalk in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Why Complete Streets Design Benefits Everyone

Every driver is also a pedestrian at the start and end of their trip, but transportation systems often don’t acknowledge that.

February 2 - Fast Company

Vancouver city skyline with construction crane.

Vancouver Set to Adopt Game-changing Citywide Development Plan

To comply with new provincial law, Vancouver will adopt a new city plan aimed at guiding development for the next three decades.

February 2 - Daily Hive

Close-up of razor wire at top of fence against blue sky.

San Diego Sues DHS, DOD Over Razor Wire Near Mexico Border

The city says U.S. Marines trespassed on city land to install fencing that damages sensitive habitat in an area designated as conservation land.

February 2 - CALmatters

Fairmount Water Works Garden, Philadelphia Art Museum.

Pennsylvania’s Historic Sites are Under Threat From Rising Waters

The state has one of the nation’s highest concentrations of registered historic sites — and some face destruction from flooding.

February 2 - Inside Climate News

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.