The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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.

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.

Light Rail Extension Plan Approved in Portland
The Portland City Council has approved Oregon Metro's Southwest Corridor plan.
Pagination
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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