The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

New Orleans Streetcar

Speeding Up Trips on the Canal Street Streetcar in New Orleans

Big changes are in store for one of the busiest transit lines in New Orleans.

February 18 - The New Orleans Advocate

Willamette River

Environmental Assessment for I-5 Improvement Project in Portland Promises Air, Traffic, Safety Benefits

The environmental assessment for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project, released on February 15, 2019, promises to be controversial.

February 17 - The Oregonian

Kayaking in the LA River

How to Treat Nature Deficit Disorder in L.A. Without Getting on a Freeway

Los Angeles is surrounded by beautiful nature in the form of hills, mountains, beaches, and deserts, but its notorious traffic can make it hell to get there. L.A. County Park Planner Clement Lau describes his favorite nearby nature doses.

February 17 - UrbDeZine

Minneapolis Celebration

Development, Population Growth Reshaping Downtown Minneapolis

Thousands of news residents and apartment units, along with almost a billion dollars of development investments, arrived in Downtown Minneapolis in 2017.

February 17 - Star Tribune

Long Island City

Post-Mortem: Why Amazon Canceled the Queens HQ2

New York City and State offered up nearly $3 billion in incentives to lure Amazon and its 25,000 high-paying jobs to Queens only to see the tech company cancel their plans after local opposition materialized. Was their retreat too hasty?

February 17 - The New York Times


Construction Cranes

Another Approach to Affordable Housing

A new approach to affordable housing attempts to overcome the traditional approaches of supply-side economics and government-funded investments and extractions.

February 17 - City Observatory

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

14 Potential Locations for a New Bridge Across the Chesapeake Bay

A long term plan to add an additional bridge connection across the Chesapeake Bay is underway in Maryland.

February 16 - WTOP


Snowy Residential Neighborhood

Making Historic Preservation a Local Concern

The city of Portland wants more local control when it comes to determining matters of historic preservation.

February 16 - The Oregonian

High-Speed Rail

More Fallout From Downsizing California High-Speed Rail

A San Francisco Chronicle editorial warns that San Francisco must find funds, intended to come from the state's ambitious rail project, to extend the Caltrain commuter rail line to the SalesForce Transit Center.

February 16 - San Francisco Chronicle

New York Subway Stairs

Who Has Access to NYC Subways?

For many people with mobility challenges, just getting to an accessible subway station in New York is an impossibility.

February 16 - The New York Times

Transit Ridership

Survey Examines the Changing Habits of the American Transit Rider

Only from learning more about the choices and preferences of people who actually ride transit can transit agencies hope to better serve riders.

February 16 - TransitCenter

Golden Gate Bridge Traffic

New Report on San Francisco Transportation Trends: Driving on the Rise

The city is seeing more transit use and biking, but driving and congestion are also on the rise.

February 15 - Curbed San Francisco

March for Environmental Justice

Deep Economic and Racial Injustice Found in California Pollution Exposure

A new study confirms the facts of environment justice that has long been common knowledge in affected communities. Now the evidence can be mapped, as well.

February 15 - Union Of Concerned Scientists

San Francisco Street

More Bad Polling News for Cordon Area Congestion Pricing in the U.S.

Only a handful of cities in North America are considering applying tolls to congested urban streets, as opposed to highways. Efforts in one of those cities, San Francisco, just received negative polling results on a potential $3 auto access fee.

February 15 - San Francisco Examiner

Honolulu Rail Transit

Federal Subpoenas for Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation

Bad news for Honolulu's troubled rail transit project: new federal scrutiny and a potential criminal investigation.

February 15 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Nuevo Development Santa Clara

Plans for an 'Urban Town' in the Silicon Valley

The Nuevo development will bring close to 900 homes and apartments along with commercial and outdoor space to a location near a Caltrain station.

February 15 - The Mercury News

Dockweiler State Beach

L.A. Collects Green Bonafides By Canceling Plans for Natural Gas Power

The bell tolls for the Scattergood, Harbor, and Haynes power plants, after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti promises a transition to renewable energy. The city was going to spend $5 billion to transition to natural gas.

February 15 - Los Angeles Daily News

Seattle Downtown

Post-Recession Migration Patterns of Younger and Older Americans

New census data shows that millennials and seniors are migrating less, a result of the Great Recession and its economic impacts. For those who are moving, cities in the Sun Belt have been primary destinations.

February 15 - Brookings

U.S> Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUD Official Moves From Trump Plaza to New York Public Housing

The Trump administration's critiques of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) took a strange turn this week.

February 15 - The Real Deal

Ontario, Canada

Allowing, and Permitting, Rooming Houses Could Solve Multiple Problems at Once

Abuses by landlords and poor living conditions are common in illegal rooming houses around Toronto. Activists want to make them easier to build, and regulate, to add affordable housing options for low-income residents.

February 15 - The Star

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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.