The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Countless lives were likely saved by a strategically placed bollard on W. 45th Ave. which stopped a motorist who had driven three blocks on city sidewalks, mowing-down as many pedestrians as possible, from entering the Times Square pedestrian plaza.

May 31 - The New York Times

Overall, Chicago's regional train service the Metra has been losing ridership, however, Hyde Park neighborhood stations have seen some growth.

May 31 - DNA Info

Journalist Peter Markowitz has written a provocative, and profoundly disingenuous, analysis of the causes and effects of gentrification in American cities. He sows division at a time that requires collaboration, writes Josh Stephens.

May 31 - California Planning & Development Report

Air fresheners have bene installed on D.C.'s Green Line, an attempt to improve riders' satisfaction with cleanliness. Despite some mixed reactions, perceptions of cleanliness are rising.

May 31 - The Washington Post

Tech thrives on connection, and America's west coast tech hubs are more connected than ever before. But Seattleites aren't in a rush to abandon their city's distinctiveness.

May 31 - The Economist

Unlike the American focus on luxury personal self-drivers, the European approach favors small self-driving buses that can ferry riders to larger transit lines.

May 31 - The New York Times

The National League of Cities has released its annual report aggregating the "State of the City" speeches from over 100 U.S. mayors, revealing the ambitions and concerns of the nation's local leadership.

May 31 - Next City

Matthew Desmond, author of "Evicted," looks at the lives of Americans across the economic spectrum to gain insight into how homeownership, mainly through the mortgage tax deduction, keeps the U.S. unequal.

May 31 - The New York Times

Brutalism might not be anybody's idea of beautiful, but that doesn't mean examples of the architectural style aren't beloved by many. As Brutalism comes of age as historic, preservation battles are heating up—especially in Washington, D.C.

May 30 - AP via SFgate

According to this opinion piece, the tales of urbanizing Canada are overblown. "We're a suburban nation," says one of the sources quoted in the article.

May 30 - The Globe and Mail

In 2015, the U.S. Census made some changes to its methodology for estimating city populations. The city of Ralston, a suburb of Omaha, provides a case study for the effect of the changes.

May 30 - Ralston Recorder

Chris Otten says change doesn't come from "being nice to decision makers," so he's comfortable being confrontational with developers and City Council members he sees as taking advantage of the poor.

May 30 - The Washington Post

A new Texas state law that regulates transportation network companies also overrides more restrictive local regulations, like Austin's requirement for fingerprinting drivers. Austin voters supported the tighter regulations at the ballot box last May.

May 30 - The Texas Tribune

President Trump points to the passage of multi-billion ballot measures last November as proof that federal funding isn't needed to fund transit, justifying elimination of a major grants program. The CEOs of two large transit agencies fight back.

May 30 - The Source

UIC architecture students competed to design improvements for the spaces under Chicago's South Side "Skyway," which carries drivers from the city to and from Northwest Indiana.

May 30 - Chi.Streetsblog

Downtown businesses still need a diverse supply of high-turnover parking spaces, argues former downtown San Diego shopkeep, planning activist, and parking guru, Bill Keller.

May 30 - UrbDeZine

Funding for Caltrain electrification, which Transportation Secretary Chao approved May 22, is one of 21 transit projects receiving funding in the omnibus spending bill that may be contingent on approval from the Trump Administration.

May 30 - The Washington Post

FEATURE

An opinion piece acknowledges the similarities between the nostalgia of New Urbanism and the "Make American Great Again" sentiment behind Trump's rise to power. New Urbanism has a chance, still, to change its path.

May 30 - Dan Piatkowski

BLOG POST

In Zoned Out!, Tom Angotti, of City University New York (CUNY) tries to make the case against upzoning New York's neighborhoods (or at least its poorer ones).

May 29 - Michael Lewyn

The Outlet Shoppes mall in Laredo opened in March and has done brisk business since—including cash transactions that are likely indication of spending from Mexican residents from across the border.

May 29 - CNBC