The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Seattle Releases Draft Rezonings for its 'Urban Villages'
Seattle is planning to add height and density in "urban villages" around the city—part of the growth and affordability goals targeted by previous planning efforts by the city.
The Silent Expansion of Fiscal Control Boards in the U.S.
The power and process of boards that take control of a city or territory's finances is becoming more generalized, although they affect local democracy, impose austerity measures without controls, and lack mechanisms to evaluate their efficiency.
Downzoning in the Hopes of Attracting Prestige Businesses
South Side Chicago Alderman Leslie Hairston says downzoning 71st will help 'take control of our corridor,' but some worry the move is a power grab that will ultimately stifle prospects for the neighborhood.
Trump Ends Infrastructure Week by Streamlining the Permitting Process
President Trump made a compelling case for reducing the length of time needed to construct major infrastructure projects to justify the creation of a new White House council to streamline permitting. Only one problem: it already exists.
New York Unveils Design Guidelines for Climate Resiliency
New York is piloting new building design guidelines aimed at improving the city's climate resiliency.
Internet of Things Brings More Surveillance and Vulnerabilities to Cities
Too often, smart city technology is described as an innocuous tool, but Adam Greenfield argues the technology acquiring this data will be used to distribute city resources, an inherently political act.
California Progress Report: GDP Increases While GHGs Fall
California is demonstrating that improving the economy and the environment go hand in hand. A new inventory report from the state's Air Resources Board notes changes in gross domestic product, population, and greenhouse gas emissions since 2000.
Cook County Property Taxes Cheat the Poor
In Cook County, which contains the city of Chicago and some of its suburbs, property values have been manipulated to disguise the value of homes, helping the rich at the expense of the poor (particularly poor minorities).
Changes to Tax Credit Criteria Are Breaking Up Concentrated Poverty in New Jersey
Recent news reports have highlighted the low number of federally-funded affordable housing projects that are built in high-opportunity areas, but an examination has found that strategic allocation changes are having a beneficial effect in New Jersey.
A New Government Planned Mega-City Shapes Up Next to Beijing
Planners for the Xiong’an New Area hope to cure the ills of "megacity disease"
Safety Should Be Just Half the Goal of Vision Zero
A Streetsblog NYC article argues that New York misses an opportunity to make itself more vibrant and accessible by focusing only on safety and not also on active transit infrastructure.
Defining Key Zoning Code Terms for the Masses
What it means when planners use their words.
Pennsylvania House Goes All-In on Big Gambling Expansion
A bill that would greatly expand legalized gambling to new locations around the state flew through the Pennsylvania House of Representatives this week.
Hey, Young People! Stay in Your Parents’ House Forever!
A new voice in the unending chorus of complaints about Millennials, the Wall Street Journal reports that Millennials should be blamed for wanting to live in places that are popular to live in, and implies they should spend more time driving.
Seattle's Cup Runneth Over: Suburb Launches Long-Range Transit Plan to Handle Growth
The city of Everett is expecting a 60 percent jump in population by 2035, most of which will be focused in its city center. All of those people will also need an efficient and useful citywide transit system.
Meet New York's New 'Subway Library'
Public transit has always been a good place to catch up on some pleasure reading, but now the New York MTA and the New York Public Library have taken their synergy to new levels.
Chicago 'L' Train Celebrates 125th Birthday
The 'L' train has survived calls to be disbanded and a tumultuous century and a quarter to become a, sometimes unreliable, city icon.
Denver Suburb Rejects TOD at Light Rail Station in Special Election
Tuesday's mail-in vote by residents of Greenwood Village to overwhelmingly reject a city-council approved plan to allow mixed-use development at a light rail station is a major setback for smart growth proponents.
Friday Eye Candy: Ancient Rome's Maps, Reimagined as a Transit System
There are surprisingly few maps of ancient Roman roads, and many fewer maps of ancient Roman roads that resemble big-city subway maps. An intrepid student has improved upon that situation, however.
BLOG POST
What's the Matter With the Upper East Side?
In a free market, the richest neighborhoods would ordinarily be the most popular. But some well-off urban neighborhoods are actually losing population. Why?
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
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.
