The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Text and Drive

Dearth of Data Masks Scale of Distracted Driving Fatalities

Bloomberg links the uptick in traffic fatalities throughout the United States to rising smartphone use while driving.

October 24 - Bloomberg

Bay Bridge Toll

Analysis Debunks Equity Criticism of Congestion Pricing

Oregon's recently approved gas tax legislation also calls for tolling of I-205 and I-5 in the Portland metro area, with the application of value or congestion pricing so peak period tolls would be higher, which have raised equity concerns.

October 24 - City Observatory

Northern California Wilidfires

Wine Country Wildfires Put Spotlight on Transmission Lines

No cause has yet been attributed to California's deadliest wildfires, but the connections to fallen power lines and exploding transformers, maintained by PG&E, have been exposed in a series of reports by the Bay Area News Group.

October 23 - The Mercury News

Pollution

Progress on a Moonshot: Direct-Air Capture of CO2

Long considered unfeasible, direct-air capture of carbon dioxide has been achieved by a set of entrepreneurs. Scaled up, the expensive technology could slow climate change.

October 23 - Quartz

Tolling the Interstates: Will Indiana be the First?

Indiana is on track to be the first state to apply new tolls on all lanes of selected interstate highways if they are successful in their application for a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration.

October 23 - The Times of Northwest Indiana


Autonomous Vehicle

BLOG POST

The Many Problems With Autonomous Vehicles

Optimists predict that autonomous vehicles will be a transportation panacea, but there are good reasons to be skeptical. They may create as many problems as they solve.

October 23 - Todd Litman

Austin

Which U.S. Cities Changed the Most This Decade

Analysis looks at a decade of data to determine which communities are undergoing dynamic transformations, and which are standing still.

October 23 - Modern Cities


Intersection

Confronting Wisconsin's $1.1 Billion Highway Widening Proposal

A coalition of environmentalists, civil rights activists, and other community interests teamed up to successfully oppose a Milwaukee highway widening proposal. In an interview, one of the leading lawyers discusses his work.

October 23 - Streetsblog USA

New York Vacant Storefront

Data Shows a Tepid Post-2008 Recovery in America's Cities

According to data compiled by the Lincoln Institute, public revenue and spending on the local and municipal levels hasn't truly bounced back following the Great Recession.

October 23 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Hubway Bikeshare

16 Boston-Area Cities Team Up for New Regional Bikeshare

A new regional bikeshare program with all the latest advancements in bikeshare technology is on a fast-track in 16 Boston-area communities.

October 23 - WickedLocal Concord

Ontario, Canada

Sidewalk Labs, Waterfront Toronto Partnership Shoots the Smart Cities Moon

The most ambitious example of the almost-mythological "smart city" will be tested in the Quayside district in Toronto as result of a partnership between Sidewalk Labs and Waterfront Toronto.

October 23 - The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

Down Payment

Study: It's the Land That's Making Housing Expensive

A new study explains why so many small homes have such a massive price tag in desirable coastal areas: It's not the coast of building; it's the value of the land.

October 23 - Buildzoom

Electric Car

Atlanta Ordinance Would Require Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in New Buildings

The infrastructure to support a world full of electric cars isn't going to build itself.

October 22 - Atlanta Business Chronicle

Sockeye Salmon

Spawning Salmon Are Changing the Natural Environment

In the course of spawning, salmon are uplifting sediment and changing the course of watersheds.

October 22 - Laboratory Equipment

Highway Speed

Speed Limit Changes Coming to L.A.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation announced proposed speed limit changes and enforcement budgets. Changes to the speed limit will mean an increase in most places.

October 22 - Streetsblog LA

Atlanta Beltline Acquires Major Piece of the Future Eastside Trail

The Atlanta Beltline will be realized one step at a time, and this was a big one.

October 22 - Curbed Atlanta

Apartment Building

Minnesota Investing $346 Million in Affordable Housing

A $988 million bonding bill approved by Minnesota state legislators earlier this year is paying off in funding for affordable housing projects around the state.

October 22 - MPR News

An Architectural Review of Toyota's New Texas Headquarters

Toyota Motor Company of North America has arrived in Texas.

October 21 - The Dallas Morning News

Wood Fire Smoke

California to Implement Wood Smoke Reduction Program

The program is voluntary, providing incentives to replace older, uncertified wood stoves for cleaner replacements or alternatives. In addition to decreasing air pollution, it reduces emissions of a "super climate pollutant," black carbon.

October 21 - California State Senate

Coal Railroad

Spokane Voters to Decide Whether to Regulate Oil and Coal Trains

Proposition 2, the Safer Spokane Initiative, would require railroads to reduce health and safety risks posed by certain types of oil and coal trains traveling through specified parts of the city or risk being fined.

October 21 - The Spokesman-Review

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

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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.