The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
Pagination
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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