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.

July 20 - PC Magazine

Boulder, Colorado

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.

July 20 - The Journal

Abbot Kinney, Venice

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.

July 20 - Los Angeles Times

Colorado Bikes

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.

July 20 - The Gazette (Colorado Springs)

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, Here the Day After That

Have NIMBYs and YIMBYs arguing in your neighborhood? Scott Doyon talks residential development.

July 20 - PlaceShakers


Amazon Fulfillment Center

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.

July 20 - Olivia Gonzalez

Seattle Light Rail Construction

Buying American Is Making Infrastructure More Expensive, Study Finds

From train cars to buses, a new study finds that buying American adds cost.

July 20 - The Hill


San Francisco, California

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.

July 20 - Linda Day

Texas Suburb

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.

July 20 - Houston Chronicle

London Underground

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.

July 20 - Metro Magazine

Parking Meter Fail

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.

July 19 - Mobility Lab

Rural Bus

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.

July 19 - Slate

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.

July 19 - The Mercury News

U.S> Department of Housing and Urban Development

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.

July 19 - lohud

California

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.

July 19 - Planetizen

Gas Works Park

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.

July 19 - The Seattle Times

Reflection Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

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.

July 19 - Pacific Standard

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.

July 19 - Austin American-Statesman

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.

July 19 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

New Orleans Streetcar

New Orleans Begins Planning for the Future of Mobility

The city of New Orleans recently launched a new 20-year transit planning process.

July 19 - The Times-Picayune

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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.