The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

FEATURE
10 Principles Toward More Sharing and Less Sprawl
A manifesto for street livability, health, and humanity in the era of driverless cars.

U.S. Traffic More Dangerous Than Other Developed Nations
Around the world, car crashes are the tenth leading cause of death, and while the United States is spending money on transportation, that money isn't making the roads safer.

The 'Wide-Ranging Ecological Downside' of Road Salt
A study from the USGS using five decades of data shows salinity and alkalinity are up in waterways across the United States.

The Slow Transition from Gas Taxes to Mileage Fees
Oregon was the first to conduct a pilot program in 2006, followed by California and Colorado last year. With financial backing from the U.S. DOT, at least four more states are exploring charging by the mile driven rather than the fuel burned.

Brightline Launches In Florida, Eyes Expansion To Other States
Pundits predicted that a privately-funded passenger rail system in Florida would fail to materialize. Those predictions were wrong, and now company officials are eyeing regional expansion.

Massachusetts Considering Statewide Zoning Reform
A statewide zoning reform bill that made it part of the way through the Massachusetts State Legislature in 2016 is back up for consideration this year.

Funding Shortfalls Result in Service Cuts for Cleveland's Regional Transit Authority
A $20 million hole in the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's (RTA) budget means 15 bus lines around the city will run less frequently. More cuts are soon to come.

Foreign Ownership Still a Hot Button in Vancouver
A controversial proposal has incited new debate about the causes of Vancouver's skyrocketing housing prices. Potential solutions depend on an accurate diagnosis.

What the Largest Tech Confab of the Year Revealed About Self-Driving Cars
CES has wrapped up in Las Vegas, but not before event offered numerous experts a chance to prognosticate about the timeline for autonomous vehicles to arrive on the market.

'Textalyzers' Could Help Cops Bust Distracted Drivers
Chicago is one of the first cities to consider the use of "textalyzers," which would allow police officers to scan phones to see if they were in use during an accident.

Largest Desalinated Water Reserve Ever Unveiled in Abu Dhabi
The UAE has created a storage facility under the desert that can provide up to 100 million liters per day in the event of an emergency.
Streetcars Coming to the OC
The conservative bastion of Orange County will soon begin on construction on the mode of transit favored by the Obama Administration: the "modern streetcar."

Two Kinds of Affordable Housing Policies for Two Kinds of Affordable Housing
A short and simple "explainer" post makes sense of why there seems to be so little ground on affordable housing issues in expensive urban areas.

Airbnb Sheds Thousands of Hosts in San Francisco
New registration requirements have proven an effective disincentive for thousands of short-term rental hosts in San Francisco.

Higher Cost Estimates Could Doom Fort Lauderdale Streetcar
While the 2.8 mile Wave Streetcar project has secured $195 million, proposals for design and construction are coming in higher than expected, which would leave Broward County and Fort Lauderdale responsible for half the extra cost.

A Growing D.C. Corridor Gets Badly Needed Bus Service
The new 59 bus route down 14th Street in Washington, D.C. represents a major win for transit advocates.

Divvy's Top Rider Talks About Getting African-Americans Onto Divvy Bikes
Kerida Roland is an African-American delivery man based in Chicago's South Loop who put more than 6,000 miles on Divvy bikes in 2017.

The Perpetuation of Segregation
A new book describes segregation as a cycle of social structuring: segregation begets segregation.

Rent Down 3.9% for Apartments in the Nation's Capital
After years of rising rents D.C., 2017 brought a bump in new apartment supply and a dip in apartment rents around the city.

Mapping the World's Proximity to Urban Areas
When it's said that most people live in cities, a significant portion of that number are people living in suburbs near cities. A new map shows just how far everyone travels to get to a big city.
Pagination
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.