The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
No Self-Driving Cars Without Hyper-Local Maps
While the fame and the glory might go to the first companies that bring self-driving cars to the market, the companies that provide the detailed, constantly changing maps will make a lot of money.

Planning for Water Scarcity in Colorado
The state of Colorado is growing quickly, and that means planners and developers will have to actively implement more efficient water infrastructure.

Coffee With Your Gentrification?
The Los Angeles Times published a pair of incendiary articles this week in which coffee plays an integral role in the conversation about gentrification.

Oregon Bike Tax Attracts Interest of Influential Colorado State Senator
The Colorado legislature has been unable to agree on a transportation funding package, but the recent bill passed by Oregon has prompted one influential Republican senator to suggest that the state tax bicycle sales.
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, Here the Day After That
Have NIMBYs and YIMBYs arguing in your neighborhood? Scott Doyon talks residential development.

FEATURE
How Planners Can Liberate the Next Amazon
The path to business success occasionally passes through the garage—famously demonstrated by industry titans like Amazon or Hewlett Packard. Zoning codes should encourage, not obstruct, these kinds of American success stories.

Buying American Is Making Infrastructure More Expensive, Study Finds
From train cars to buses, a new study finds that buying American adds cost.

BLOG POST
Lawrence Halprin and the Public Realm: Can the United Nations Plaza Unite San Franciscans?
Since its inauguration in 1975, San Francisco’s United Nations Plaza has not served its intended purpose.

Permits for Single-Family Homes in Texas Once Again Outnumber Multifamily Permits
The longstanding trend in Texas of permitting more single-family homes than multi-family developments looks to be accelerating.

London Releases Tunnels Map for Claustrophobic Tube Riders
Transport for London has responded to customer requests for a new accessibility measure: a map to help riders avoid long tunnels.

A New Video to Explain the High Cost of Free Parking
Mobility Lab, the Chilton Media Group, and Vox have produced a new video on the price of parking, and "how we have historically done it all wrong" in the United States.

Difficult Data to Understand: City Drivers Logging More Miles, Rural Drivers Fewer
As America's VMT returns to record highs, more of the miles are coming from cities than ever before.
Transit Village Plans Popping Up All Over San Jose
A long-awaited BART extension into San Jose, California is also bringing major development interest of the transit-oriented variety.

Trump Administration Suddenly Drops Fair Housing Concerns in Westchester, New York
The news that the Trump Administration hired a former party planner to oversee HUD's New York and New Jersey office went viral in June. The hire has already had an effect on affordable housing policy in Westchester County, New York.

California Legislature Approves Continuation of Cap-and-Trade Program
The nation's only state-run, market-based program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will continue until 2031 without fear of litigation, as it passed with the required two-thirds supermajority needed for tax increases, along with two related bills.

Seattle Considers Licensing and Fees for Cyclists
Many argue that bikes save cities millions by lessening pollution, improving public health, and opening up space that would otherwise be taken by cars and parking, but some counter it's too hard to ticket bikers when they don't have licenses.

Desert 5, Humans 0
Look no further than the American Southwest for signs that human ingenuity is no match for the ability of the planet to reassert its power.
Austin Neighborhood Objects to Proposed Transect Zone
The CodeNext project of updating the city of Austin's zoning code and land use policies has faced a controversial and protracted period of public scrutiny. The Allandale neighborhood provides a case study.
Pittsburgh Bikeshare Trips Decline, While Users Mostly Coast Downhill
"Healthy Ride," the bikeshare system launched in Pittsburgh in 2015, is looking to improve on sagging performance.

New Orleans Begins Planning for the Future of Mobility
The city of New Orleans recently launched a new 20-year transit planning process.
Pagination
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.