The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

'America’s First Climate Refugees' Are Still on the Island
The 99 residents of Isle de Jean Charles have $48 million to relocate together, but that doesn’t make it easy.

One Obstacle to ADU Construction in California: The Price of Permits
The price of a permit to build an accessory dwelling units in the city of Thousand Oaks in Southern California is prohibitive—putting the permitting fee in opposition to the stated intent of the city's zoning code and state law.

Why Change Can Be Hard for Transit Agencies
Jarrett Walker discusses some reasons why transit authorities can be resistant to change. It all comes down to considering their point of view.

Embracing the Future of City Streets
Streets will have to evolve, again.

Desalination Projects Get a Big Boost in California
Desalination is often suggested as a potential panacea for California's ongoing struggles with drought. The catch in the announcement of $34.4 million in state funding for desalination projects shows why desalination is not there yet.

Affordable Housing Fallout From Tax Reform
Despite saving tools like the low-income housing tax credit, affordable housing will still take a hit.

Concord, New Hampshire to Draft a Form-Based Code
Concord will become the latest city to add a form-based code to its menu of development regulations.

How British Investments Enabled American Segregation
Exploring the surprising origins of the American suburbs.

Millennials and Housing Markets: Case Studies From Houston and Phoenix
Researchers from Arizona State University have produced a new working paper that examines efforts to attract and retain Millennials to downtown neighborhoods in Houston and Phoenix.
A $48 Million Bet on the 'L.A. Model' of Juvenile Justice
With Campus Kilpatrick, Los Angeles County has made a serious investment in progressive design to support progressive programming.

Gov. Jerry Brown Calls for Five Million ZEVs on California Roads by 2030
The executive order calls for $2.5 billion for rebates and electric charging and hydrogen fueling stations, subject to approval by legislature. His earlier executive order called for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2025.

New HUD Rule Could Redefine the Geography of Section 8 Voucher Payments
A new rule will make it easier to send vouchers for rent assistance to wealthier neighborhoods. The Trump Administration is not a willing partner in this effort.

How Amazon's Second Headquarters Could Retrofit the Suburbs
It's possible Amazon could select a suburban campus for its second headquarters. Here's why that possibility could be a benefit to suburban environments everywhere.

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Fun Parking Facts
Parking requirements are the dark matter of the urban universe: they affect transport and land use in mysterious ways. These fun facts illustrate the costs and impacts of economically excessive parking supply.

L.A. Transit Ridership Drops 15 Percent in 5 Years Despite New Light Rail Extensions
Bus riders, comprising about three-quarters of Los Angeles Metro ridership, declined 21 percent since 2013, But it wasn't just bus routes—two light rail lines also lost riders.

Cleveland Still Experiencing Fallout From Great Recession
National economic indicators may look good, but some areas are still clawing their way back from the 2008 recession. Cleveland's Slavic Village, an "epicenter" of the foreclosure crisis, is one of them.

Is Washington D.C. Preserving Buildings or Hoarding Them?
A piecemeal, reactive approach to historic preservation in the capital may burden the future with too many buildings of "middling merit."

Addressing Online Retail's Ceaseless Curbside Deliveries
The rise of online retail has come with a flurry of delivery trucks that don't always have good places to stop. Researchers from Amazon's hometown are on the case.
Gov. Jerry Brown's 16th and Final State of the State
Infrastructure, climate change, and natural disasters were among the themes of the California governor's final address to the legislature and public. Two of his accomplishments, high-speed rail and increasing the gas tax, face uncertain futures.

Creating Complete Streets
The complete streets movement calls for streets to be designed—or redesigned—in order to accommodate a broad range of users and uses.
Pagination
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Portland
City of Laramie
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.