The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Snow Removal

Polar Vortex Shuts Down Detroit's Q-Line Streetcar

Other polar vortex-related transit news included fire on the tracks in Chicago.

January 31 - Detroit Free Press

New York City Housing Authority

Breaking News: New Federal Oversight for the New York City Housing Authority

Details are still forthcoming, but the big news out of New York City today is about the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development assuming new oversight powers over the city's troubled housing agency.

January 31 - Politico

Expo Line

Equity Considerations Delay Congestion Pricing in Los Angeles

After discussing a staff report on road pricing at their Jan. 24 meeting, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority directors paused to weigh the equity implications of charging motorists to drive on roads.

January 31 - Curbed Los Angeles

Metrorail Station Area

Comparing Transit Oriented Development in the D.C. Regional Rail System

Not all Metrorail station areas are zoned for transit oriented development.

January 31 - Greater Greater Washington

California Beach Town

Huntington Beach Sues California Over 2017 By-Right Affordable Housing Bill

When it comes to housing lawsuits involving the state and new housing laws, Huntington Beach might be ground zero. Over a week before Attorney General Becerra sued the Orange County city at the behest of Gov. Newsom, the city sued the state.

January 31 - SF Gate


Wisconsin Economic Development

Foxconn Changes Plans for its Wisconsin Facilities

Once promising a major manufacturing facility and 13,000 new jobs, Foxconn is now promising a research and development facility and the number of jobs is much less clear.

January 31 - Chicago Tribune

Lombard Street San Francisco

*Video: Explaining Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)

Conventional planning evaluates transport system performance car-centric indicators such as roadway Level-of-Service (LOS). Many jurisdictions are shifting to Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), which supports multimodal planning and Smart Growth policies.

January 31 - Fehr and Peers via YouTube


Boston City Scene

'Carbon Free Boston' Puts Priority on Land Use and Transportation Planning

"It's all about cars and houses," according to the Boston Globe.

January 31 - Th Boston Globe

Brooklyn, New York City

Rezoning Revealed: NYC Planning Proposes Changes in Brooklyn

The New York City Department of City Planning has released its preliminary rezoning proposal for the neighborhood of Gowanus in Brooklyn.

January 31 - amNew York

San Francisco, California

San Francisco's Massive 'Central SoMa Plan' Faces Litigation

The Central SoMa Plan took more than seven years of planning and debate to approve. A new lawsuit, expected to be just the first of many, threatens to erase all that work.

January 30 - San Francisco Chronicle

Interstate 30, Tom Landry Freeway

The City of Dallas Rejects the State of Texas on Plans to Widen Interstate 30

A plan to widen the Interstate 30 in Dallas is pitting state transportation officials, with ostensible goals to serve regional transportation needs, against local officials, who are more concerned with "neighborhood-centric ideals."

January 30 - The Dallas Morning News

Sprawl

New California Governor Follows Up Tough Housing Rhetoric with Action

Gov. Gavin Newsom, only weeks into his new office, had warned cities that his office would hold them accountable for failing to meet their housing requirements. On Friday, he directed Attorney General Xavier Bacerra to sue Hungtinton Beach.

January 30 - San Francisco Chronicle

Electric Vehicles

Road Tolls Considered to Replace Declining Fuel Tax Revenues as EV Sales Grow

Iceland is thinking ahead when it comes to revenue losses resulting from its newly adopted "Climate Strategy" that calls for ending petrol-powered, fuel tax-paying motor vehicles by 2030. Widespread electronic road tolls are being considered.

January 30 - Iceland Review

Jersey City

Visualizing Density in New Jersey

An interactive map shows the surprising density of the Garden State.

January 30 - NJ.com

Interstate 405

A Train Instead of the 405: The Impossible Dream One Step Closer to Reality in L.A.

A rail transit project has serious momentum in Los Angeles, offering a potentially game changing alternative to the notoriously jammed commute on Interstate 405 over the Sepulveda Pass.

January 30 - The Source

State Line

The Oil Production Boom in New Mexico Could Mean More Money for Roads

With an "unprecedented" amount of money coming in from booming oil production, New Mexico legislators are considering how to spend the extra money.

January 30 - Albuquerque Journal

10-Story Apartment Project Tests the Limits of Minneapolis' New Comprehensive Plan

A proposed development in Minneapolis would add affordable units in exchange for extra height. A neighborhood group worries about the precedent the project would set.

January 30 - Star Tribune

Capitol

Transportation Priorities of the New Democratic Leadership in the House

With Democrats rising to power in the U.S. House of Representatives and the government recently reopened (temporarily at least), it's time to plot the legislative ambitions of the coming session in Congress.

January 30 - Streetsblog USA

Electric Scooter Share

BLOG POST

Scooter Media Brief: A Fork in the Road for Scooters

A few milestones stick out from the rest of the scooter news from January 2019.

January 30 - James Brasuell

Portland

Portland's Opportunity Zone Designations Raise Eyebrows

Call it "Tax Breaklandia," according to this Bloomberg article.

January 29 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

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.