The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

ADA Ramp

Google Expands Wheelchair Access Mapping

Offering prizes and status, Google wants to motivate Maps users to add information about wheelchair accessibility.

September 14 - CityLab

Self-Driving Car

Trump Administration Issues New Rules for Self-Driving Cars

The U.S. Department of Transportation has updated its voluntary guidelines for companies looking to test self-driving cars.

September 14 - Mercury News

New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina

Homeland Security Advisor Recognizes Effects of Climate Change, Ignores Causes

In response to a question linking Hurricanes Irma and Harvey to climate change, White House Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert appeared to recognize the need to adapt. He qualified his statement regarding the "cause" of said climate change.

September 14 - The Washington Post

Busy Crossing Street

Where Cities Have Helped Walkers

Laura Laker surveys efforts to make cities more walkable, from Melbourne's converted alleys to Guangzhou's 60-mile ecological corridor.

September 14 - The Guardian

Miami Beach

Miami Beach: A Four-Foot High Barrier Island Awaited Irma

A city of almost 92,000 people sits on a one-mile wide island designed by nature to protect the mainland from ocean swells, storms, and hurricanes. The seven-mile long island, which floods even when sunny, was spared from catastrophic storm surge.

September 14 - Planetizen


Electricity Pylon

A New Commitment to an Efficient, Smart Grid in Arizona

Arizona's largest electric utility is proposing a set of next-gen energy conservation tools for its customers, as well as an accompanying educational component.

September 13 - Smart Cities Dive

LA Metro, Wilshire and Western

Luxury High-Rises Sprout Alongside Los Angeles' Expanding Subway

Los Angeles' extended Purple Line subway may very well spur an extension of the "linear downtown" along Wilshire Boulevard. Luxury high-rises are the most conspicuous new arrivals.

September 13 - The Architect's Newspaper


Trees and People

Putting a Dollar Value on Urban Trees

According to this study, existing "leafy infrastructure" in ten of the world's largest cities confers an estimated $505 million in benefits. Planting more could magnify the effect.

September 13 - CityLab

Rockaway Beach

Long Island Developers Taking Storm Risk Seriously

Tree-huggers many of them are not, but there's consensus among Long Island developers that storm resilience is an investment worth making.

September 13 - Newsday

Harvey Floods Houston

FEMA to Buy Flooded Houston Homes

In the hopes of helping some Houston homeowners rebuild in more sustainable living places, FEMA will buy some homes flooded during Hurricane Harvey.

September 13 - The Houston Chronicle

Guadalupe Arts Center San Antonio

Preserving the Character of San Antonio's Near West Side

Latino activists look to preserve a 'Chicano epicenter,' recently given the designation of a UNESCO site.

September 13 - Next City

D.C. Metro

Redesign D.C.'s Metro With an Interactive Mapping Tool

Metro Map Maker allows users to add, alter, and erase pieces of the WMATA system—or redraw it from scratch.

September 13 - DCist

Hong Kong Taxis

China to Ban Gas and Diesel Car Sales to Spur EVs

Electric vehicles (EVs) have a bright future in the world's most populous nation and largest auto market, unlike those powered by oil. That was a ministry chief's message at an auto forum on Saturday.

September 13 - Bloomberg News

Crash

Study: Warm Weather Is a Factor in Increased Road Deaths

A downward trend in deaths from car crashes reversed sharply in 2015. Many blamed cell phones and the distractions they can cause, but a recent study complicates that hypothesis.

September 13 - Minneapolis Post

Downtown Reno

Homeless People Could Pay the Price of Reno's 'Revitalization'

Reno is considering a law that critics say is a textbook example of the criminalization of homelessness and everyday life.

September 13 - Next City

Bike Commuting

When Cyclists Break Traffic Laws for Their Own Safety

A study examines whether and why bicyclists break traffic laws to shed light on how rational those laws really are.

September 12 - The Washington Post

Small Town Art

Rural Areas Embrace the Arts for Economic Development

A burgeoning revitalization model uses the arts as an opportunity to bring in outside money while hiring local.

September 12 - Star Tribune

Tucson, Arizona

College Campuses Prepare for a Future Without Parking

Some college campuses need more parking than others, depending on commuting rates and walkable housing supply. Some campus planners are hoping, however, that soon all universities will need a lot less parking.

September 12 - The New York Times

Country Grid

Study: Agriculture's Carbon Output Higher Than Previously Thought

Over the span of history, agricultural uses have released nearly as much carbon into the atmosphere as actual deforestation. New problem areas are still appearing in places like Brazil.

September 12 - The Washington Post

Moving

Political Sorting: Americans Moving to Places That Match Their Views

Americans are more likely to relocate to places where residents share their politics. One man is making a business out of helping conservatives move to conservative districts.

September 12 - The New York Times

Post News

Top Books

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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.