The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Washington

Construction Crane Capital of the United States: Seattle

Seattle has more construction cranes dotting the skyline than any city in the United States.

July 21 - The Seattle Times

Echo Park

$300 Million Property Tax to Fund Stormwater Infrastructure on the Ballot in Los Angeles County

The proposed property tax would double the county's stormwater capture capacity.

July 21 - LAist

Lehigh River

Environmental Justice Area Expanded to Cover a Third of Pennsylvania's Population

More residents in the state will be protected by environmental regulations enforced by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

July 21 - State Impact

Self-Driving Shuttle Shows Off in Times Square

As skepticism about the viability of autonomous vehicles mounts in the media, one company takes on a publicity stunt at one of the busiest locations in the world.

July 20 - Digital Trends

Pedestrians and Cars

Despite Reports, Federal Safety Officials Didn't Act on Danger of SUVs to Pedestrians

A 2015 NHTSA report showed that pedestrians were multiple times more likely to die if struck by SUVs, but that information was neither shared nor acted upon.

July 20 - The Detroit Free Press


San Francisco Skyline

California Achieved its Climate Goal; Now the Hard Part Begins

New York Times climate reporter, Brad Plumer, comments on California's landmark accomplishment in reducing emissions, observing that with the low-hanging electricity generation fruit picked, reducing transportation emissions will prove formidable.

July 20 - The New York Times

Cleveland, Ohio

How Urban Investment Patterns Fuel Healthcare Inequities

Inequities in healthcare are linked to inequities in urban planning, a public health researcher argues.

July 20 - Barcelona Laboratory for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability


Yawkey Way, Boston

Friday Fun: Ranking the Ballpark Neighborhoods of Major League Baseball

The Midsummer Classic is over, and the dog days of summer are looming. Not every team has a chance at October baseball, but some still offer a lot to love in the neighborhood outside the ballpark.

July 20 - Chicago Tribune

Boston, Massachusetts

East Boston Kicks Off Series of New Neighborhood Plans

Planners and officials in Boston are gathering feedback from the community as an initial step in the recently announced planning and zoning process for East Boston.

July 20 - The Bay State Banner

Would-Be Tallest Timber Building Shelved in Portland

A planned and approved building in Portland would have pushed Cross Laminated Timber to new heights, but fell short of the needed financing to get done.

July 20 - The Architect's Newspaper

Society Hill Historic Buildings

Master Plan Proposed for Philly's Society Hill

The master plan proposed by the Society Hill Civic Association contains lessons about single-family zoning in a historic neighborhood with fingerprints of 20th century urban renewal also present.

July 20 - PlanPhilly

Transportation Ideals

Equity and Mobility: A Comic Treatment for Transportation Professionals

What does "equity" mean for transportation professionals? This is discussed in a 12-page comic published in the Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers newsletter.

July 20 - Transportation Talk

Housing Construction

We Can Totally Build Our Way Out of This Problem

A list of responses to the statement, "We Can't Build Our Way Out of This Problem."

July 20 - Shelterforce

Manhattan and Brooklyn

New York City Clamps Down on Short-Term Rentals

New York City just approved new regulations on short-term rentals that could greatly reduce the number of listings in Airbnb's largest domestic market.

July 19 - The New York Times

Housing Starts, Permits Declining

Housing starts haven't ben this low in nine months, according to new data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

July 19 - Reuters

Aqueduct

Voters to Decide on Repair of Vital Aqueduct for San Joaquin Valley

California voters in November will have the opportunity to help repair the Friant-Kern Canal, damaged by subsidence, as well as invest in watershed conservation programs, by passing a citizen-initiated $8.9 billion general obligation bond measure.

July 19 - The Sacramento Bee

Philadelphia

Gentler Gentrification in Philly's Germantown

Germantown has acquired many more wealthy residents without displacing many of its long-term residents or losing its diversity.

July 19 - Next City

Detroit Vacant

Growing in the Gaps

In post-bankruptcy Detroit, planner Maurice Cox and his interdisciplinary team are making vacancy an asset, revitalizing through preservation, and listening to residents who know the city the best.

July 19 - Urban Omnibus

The Penninsula

Bay Area City Could Extend Development Restrictions Beyond Their Expiration Date

A signature-gathering campaign has expressed a desire to extend height and density limits in San Mateo.

July 19 - The Daily Journal

Planning in Earnest for a Hyperloop From Pittsburgh to Chicago

Funded studies of the hyperloop concept are underway in the Midwest.

July 19 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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.