The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Illinois

Post-Amazon Chicago: Mayor Seeks $1.7 Billion in Subsidies for Downtown Developments

Making the case that proposed developments won't come to fruition with support from tax increment financing, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is moving quickly to shore up development plans now that Amazon has moved on.

November 7 - Chicago Tribune

Toronto Streetcar

Survey Finds High Levels of 'Social Capital' in Toronto

The first comprehensive look at social capital in a Canadian city reveals lessons for planners and more about what connects citizens to their communities.

November 7 - The Star

Snow Removal

Minneapolis Considers Drastic Action to Clear Snow-Blocked Sidewalks

Minneapolis is stepping up enforcement of snow removal scofflaws and considering taking on the job of clearing sidewalks in the name of walkability.

November 6 - Star Tribune

Arlington to D.C.

Planned Long Bridge Replacement, From Virginia and D.C., Lacks Pedestrian and Bike Elements

In June, planners completed a draft environment impact statement for a replacement for the Long Bridge, which connects trains from Virginia to D.C. Local advocates see the lack of a pedestrian and bike trail as a missed opportunity.

November 6 - Arl Now

Chicago El Tracks

Are Chicago's Transit Oriented Developments Generating Enough Affordable Housing?

Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood is the scene for a very contemporary land use policy debate: how much affordable housing can cultivated from the development opportunities in proximity to transit lines?

November 6 - Chicago Tribune


Coal Mine

Global Coal Consumption Grows After Three Years of Decline

The rise is attributed to Asian nations, particularly India and China, where coal-power plants are newer than in the West. It shows a growing disconnect between energy and climate goals, warned the International Energy Agency.

November 6 - Financial Times

Subway in India

Delhi Metro Joins the 300 km Club

Only nine cities in the world—just one in the United States—have more than 300 kilometers of metro train tracks. Until recently that number was eight.

November 6 - Millennium Post


London Ride Hailing

Uber and Lyft Reveal Seattle-Area Trip Data

After a court battle, the two big transportation network companies finally released trip data, revealing rapid growth and a concentration of rides in the city's most congested areas.

November 6 - The Seattle Times

Bus Rapid Transit

10 Years of Bus Rapid Transit in the United States

The first examples of bus rapid transit built int he United States, all within the last ten years, are improving speeds and outperforming ridership projections, according to analysis by Streetsblog USA.

November 6 - Streetsblog USA

Subway Library

The Mysteries Of 'Social Infrastructure'

In his new book Palaces for the People, sociologist Eric Klinenberg explores the places—from libraries and schools to cafes and churches—where cities' social lives take place. It's a compelling idea but one that Klinenberg discusses clumsily.

November 6 - California Planning & Development Report

Atlanta Bus Parody

Atlanta Region Residents Support Transit, Taxes to Pay for Transit

The Atlanta Regional Commission recently released the results of its "Metro Atlanta Speaks" public opinion survey last week.

November 6 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tappan Zee Bridge

Critiquing Gov. Cuomo's Attention to Roads and Highways

New York Governor Cuomo has taken heat for his neglect of New York City's subway system and for overspending on splashy projects like the Tappan Zee. His track record on the state's system of roads and highways is also now called into question.

November 6 - New York Post

San Francisco

Idea Competition for Solving Bay Area Traffic Names Finalists

Twelve finalists have been picked for their ideas about how to spend $1 billion in funding to fix transportation in the Bay Area.

November 5 - The Mercury News

Seattle, Washington

Updated: Two Cities Emerge as Front Runners for Amazon's HQ2

According to leaked information, Northern Virginia, Dallas, and New York City were in the lead in the competition to land the location of the second Amazon headquarters. Now sources report the company will split the HQ2 footprint between two cities.

November 5 - New York Times

Autonomous Vehicles

New Global Survey of the Ethics of Autonomous Vehicles

A paper published in the journal Nature reveals the findings of a survey of 2 million people in 200 countries on the ethics of the "trolley problem" as applied to self-driving cars.

November 5 - MIT News

Folsom Car Culture

Trump Administration's Error-Riddled Fuel-Economy Rules

The official case for repealing car fuel-economy rules is so full of errors it will be hard to defend in court.

November 5 - The Atlantic

Automated Vehicles

Peter Calthorpe's Self-Driving Car Dissent

The founder of New Urbanism takes his autonomous vehicle skepticism, and ideas for other solutions to congestion, to the pages of the New York Times.

November 5 - The New York Times

A History of State-Mandated Upzonings in the Pacific Northwest

Past examples of state and provincial governments preempting the land use authority of local governments present several lessons on how to do state-mandated upzoning effectively.

November 5 - Sightline Institute

Arizona

A Phoenix Suburb Wrestles With How Urban to Become

The city of Avondale approved a walkable, urban vision for its City Center Plan in 2008, but those grand ambitions haven't yet recovered from the Great Recession.

November 5 - Arizona Republic

MAX Orange Line - Portland, Oregon

Light Rail Extension Plan Approved in Portland

The Portland City Council has approved Oregon Metro's Southwest Corridor plan.

November 5 - The Oregonian

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