The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Friday Funny: Commuter Barbie Rides the Subway, Deals with Manspreading
Millennial Barbie reads literary fiction and wants you to know about it.
Rent Control: Illegal in Seattle Since 1981
For a long time now, rent control hasn't been an option to control housing prices in Washington state. Whether rent control works is another question entirely.
Bag Tax Making a Big Difference in Chicago, Study Finds
NYU study finds 30% decrease in use of disposable bags since the city of Chicago implemented a seven-cent tax on them.
Antiquities Act Executive Order Calls for Review of Large Designations
The Executive Order does not roll back the Antiquities Act nor rescind any designations made by presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, or Obama, but does call for their review if over 100,000 acres. President Trump feels that the act has been misused.
Friday Eye Candy: Winning Images of Urbanization and Migration
The Penn Institute for Urban Research, in collaboration with Perry World House, is pleased to announce the winner of its 2017 photo contest on the theme of urbanization and migration.
Is Placemaking a 'New Environmentalism'?
Like music, environmentalism's tenets evolved from precedent, and Kaid Benfield hopes they are evolving still.
Step Back For Sunlight in Portland
A growing Portland has seen many arguments about how to accommodate an influx of residents—recommends the "step back" as a way to add density without adding shadows or creating wind tunnels.
Indiana Legislature Passes 10-Cents Fuel Tax Hike on Final Day of Session
Just past midnight on Saturday morning, the Indiana State Senate passed the transportation plan after the Housed approved it Friday. It also passed a $32 billion, two-year state budget bill, then adjourned for the year, one week ahead of schedule.
Lyft Shuttle Test in Chicago and San Francisco Sure Does Resemble a Bus
Lyft's shuttle service runs along a pre-determined route during peak commuting times and you can pay for it with your Lyft app.
One Year Later: H Street and the D.C. Streetcar
Intended to spur redevelopment along blighted commercial corridors, the streetcars are the first to run in the District since the 1962 dismantling of the previous early 20th century citywide streetcar network.
A Timeline of CEQA-Circumventing Court Rulings
The California Environmental Quality Act is generally considered a major obstacle for development. In a few cases, however, the law's definitions have been used to clear the way for development in environmentally sensitive areas.
MTA Ready for Open Gangway Subway Cars
Open gangways are featured on subway trains in Toronto and Montreal. They could also be a welcome addition to the crowded New York Subway by 2023.
From Caracas to Remote Villages, One Family's Search for Venezuela
Like his father and great-uncle before him, 37-year-old Caracas native Guillermo Lares is using Venezuela's rural traditions to help himself and his contemporaries reflect on the country's current reality.
Historic Anchorage Theatre Inspires State-Level Preservation Support
The Anchorage Historical Commission declared the 4th Avenue Theatre in downtown Anchorage a culturally and historically significant building that needs state protection.
Phoenix Looks to Expand Bikeshare Into Neighborhoods
Grid Bike Share is expanding in Phoenix.
Cultivating Oklahoma City's Innovation District
A new Brookings Institution reports recommends strategies for Oklahoma City to continue to grow the influence of its innovation district.
The Environmental Trade-Off for Raising California's Fuel Taxes
Come November 1, gasoline and diesel taxes will increase by 12 and 20 cents per gallon, respectively, in California, providing badly needed revenue to repair roads, bridges, and improve transit, but truck pollution loophole will still foul the air.
Widening Portland's Freeways
The state of Oregon is looking to use a gas tax increase to, among other things, fund a billion-dollars worth of highway-widening projects.
Bad Bets on Detroit Housing Speculation
When investors from Belgium and elsewhere snapped up Detroit houses for a song, some of them didn't consider the full picture. The lesson: do your research, and maybe don't invest thousands of miles form home.
Chicago's Wabash Lights Concept Could Expand
An art instillation of colorful LED lights hanging under the L on Wabash looks to grow.
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.
