The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
L.A. Metro Announces Big Bus System Redo
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) announced plans last week to undertake a review of the agency's massive bus system. The redesign will hope to address declining ridership.
'Plansplaining' and its Discontents
Yes, planners have expertise to share, but according to this rather pointed critique, they also sometimes forget that other people do too.
Trump's Tax Reform Proposal Would Have a Big Effect in the Housing Market
Housing prices may fall 10 percent on average nationwide, according to a preliminary estimate commissioned by the National Association of Realtors, if the Trump Administration's tac code reform package becomes law.
Study: Transit Really Does Reduce Obesity
It's difficult to definitively link transit use with lower rates of obesity, but it makes intuitive sense. Here's another attempt, using county-level data.
Federal Infrastructure Grants: The Historical Trends
On the cusp of a new infrastructure proposal from the White House, how has federal spending changed over the last 70 years? What will it take to reach historical averages?
George Washington Bridge Bus Station Reopens After Delayed Renovation
The George Washington Bridge Bus Station should have reopened at the end of 2016, but now that it is, a lot of weary commuters have received a huge quality of life improvement.
A Deadly Crash Is an Accident Because it Isn't Terrorism
Cable news networks interrupted broadcasts on Thursday morning with breaking news: a vehicle had just driven three block on the sidewalks in Times Square, New York, resulting in massive casualties. Anchors asked, "Was it terrorism or an accident?"
Sunday Fun: Visualizing the Vibrations of Five Miles of Fiber Optic Cable
This new visualization helps us see the unseen: the underground fiber optic cables that lie beneath campus at Stanford University in California.
Op-Ed: The Shortcomings of Matthew Desmond's 'Evicted'
Matthew Desmond's ethnographic study has received critical praise. But David Adler asks whether the book's approach tacitly lets affluent non-landlords off the hook.
California's Inland Empire Ready to Build Again
As an article in Builder puts it: the 'Inland Empire Strike Back' with a large new masterplanned community in Riverside County. This region, hit particularly hard by the housing crash of the Great Recession looks ready pick up where it left off.
Pittsburgh Trains Going Cashless
This summer, the Port Authority of Allegheny County will implement a long-expected plan to go cashless on the T light-rail system.
Seattle's New Seawall: An Experiment in Climate Adaptation and Habitat Restoration
Engineers and scientists in Seattle are testing a new generation of shoreline infrastructure that hopefully can do a better job of letting people and wild animals—in this case salmon—coexist.
Four Miles of Protected Bike Lane Proposed After Queens Bike Fatality
A two-way bike lane protected by a concrete barrier could be on the way for Northern Boulevard in Queens as a way to increase bike safety around the Joe Michaels Mile bike path.
Vancouver, Washington Ready to Adopt a Complete Streets Policy
According to Smart Growth America, more than 1,000 local, regional, and state agencies have adopted Complete Streets policies, which means many suburban communities, like Vancouver, Washington, are focusing on safety for all users.
Budget Surpluses and Capital Investments in Pittsburgh
A transportation agency with a budget surplus and money to spare on capital investments isn't something that happens every day, especially not in cities considered part of the "Rust Belt."
Colombia the Latest to Recognize the Legal Rights of a Cherished River
Colombia joins New Zealand and India as countries that have recognized the legal status of rivers in recent months.
Large Michigan Utility to Go Coal-Free by 2050
Apparently Michigan's largest electricity supplier did not receive the Trump memo that the Clean Power Plan will be rolled back as they are proceeding on a plan that will achieve even higher carbon emission reductions.
The Scourge of Setbacks
Accepted by planners as a way to make buildings feel less 'crowded' and baked into many zoning codes, setbacks achieve no benefit other than giving opponents of development a bargaining chip.
Inside the Interior Department's Review of National Monuments
The fate of 26 national monuments hangs in the balance, as the Interior Department holds a review process. Public comment is open until July 10.
A Call for Prevailing Wages as a Housing Solution
An op-ed written by city officials from two South Bay Area cities argues that reform of land use regulations won't be enough to solve California's housing crisis.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
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.
