The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Washington D.C.

The Other Cyclists

In arguments about how to construct transit and infrastructure, the voice of the poverty-stricken cyclist is rarely heard.

May 9 - Strong Towns

Miami-Dade Transit

Miami-Dade Considering Bus Service Cuts as Ridership Drops

Transit planners at the county of Miami-Dade in Florida are asking permission to reroute and discontinue bus routes from the county bus system.

May 8 - Miami Herald

Backyard Pool

U.S. Housing Prices Still Haven't Recovered from the Great Recession

While some cities become more and more expensive, most of the country's housing prices still haven't recovered from the great recession.

May 8 - Bloomberg

park at night

Do Good Fences Make Good Neighborhood Parks?

A Chicago city park, recently redesigned to be more welcoming, could become less so in its final form. Neighbors complaining about "really shady" park visitors are lobbying for a 6-foot fence to be included in the park's multi-million dollar revamp.

May 8 - DNA Info

Los Angeles

Inclusionary Zoning Bill to Increase Affordable Rentals Passes California Assembly

Due to a 2009 court decision, cities and counties in California are prohibited from requiring that a percentage of units in rental developments be affordable. A bill by Assemblyman Richard Bloom would restore inclusionary zoning for rentals.

May 8 - Planetizen


New York Subway

Omnibus Spending Bill Will Save Transit Grant Programs—for Five Months*

Congress passed a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill to keep the government operating through September that also restores funding to transportation programs that the president had eliminated or greatly reduced. Trump signed the bill Friday.

May 8 - The Hill

California Big Sur

The New California Coastal Commission

The commission spent a significant part of last year in the spotlight. Now, its new director is moving ahead on climate adaptation and resilience efforts as a federal policy change looms.

May 8 - The Planning Report


Flodding

Middle Neighborhoods: On the Edge of Greatness or Distress

St. Louis provides the backdrop for a discussion about "middle neighborhoods"—the subject of a 2016 book by Paul C. Brophy.

May 8 - St. Louis Public Radio

San Jose, California

Silicon Valley's Beleaguered Transit System Getting an Overhaul

Strapped for cash and faced with rapidly declining ridership, the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is reorganizing its service in the hopes of stopping the bleeding.

May 8 - The Mercury News

Trick Biker

'Bikelife' Brings BMX Style to a New Generation

The Wall Street Journal introduces "Bikelife" to the masses, showcasing an another side to bike culture.

May 8 - The Wall Street Journal

Atlantic City Boardwalk

Atlantic City Showing All the Signs of Recovery

One of the East Coast's most conspicuous signs of the Great Recession is finally turning itself around.

May 8 - NorthJersey.com

Silicon Valley

Solar Power Turning Energy Consumers Into Energy Producers

As the energy grid evolves to accommodate more and more solar energy, conflicts emerge.

May 7 - 99% Invisible

San Francisco Coast

The Great Highway Should Be Better, Not Bigger

San Francisco's Great Highway is losing great chunks of asphalt to the ocean. A new plan intends to change that.

May 7 - San Francisco Magazine

Iowa

Federal Reserve Banks Look for Small Town Lessons in Growth

What do Rochester, Cedar Rapids, Grand Rapids, and Chattanooga have to do with each other? According to Federal Reserve Banks, they are all examples of cities doing growth right.

May 7 - Chicago Federal Reserve

Coastal Erosion

Tiny Bugs Causing Big Problems for the Vanishing Louisiana Coast

A mealy bug is devastating the cane that holds the land on the Louisiana coast in place. Without the cane, many square miles of land may wash away.

May 7 - The Washington Post

Bicycle Track

Cyclists Still Waiting for Chicago's Navy Pier Flyover

Delays and slow financing have kept a Navy Pier flyover grounded, and cyclists are tired of getting hit as they bike around the construction.

May 7 - The Chicago Reader

Stanford

$2.5 Million is Too Much for a Teardown

Palo Alto has become so expensive, plots of land with derelict houses sell for millions of dollars. Mathew Yglesias argues allowing small municipalities to make their own zoning laws is partly to blame.

May 6 - Vox

A Planner's View of the Los Angeles Riots

Parts of Los Angeles erupted in flames 25 years ago this week. The causes were varied, but the results were geographic. Planners and community development efforts tried to help, but their effects have been lost in the wind.

May 6 - California Planning & Development Report

Electric Cars

EVs Not Exempt From California’s Transportation Infrastructure Plan

Governor Jerry Brown and the California Legislature reached a historic agreement to raise the gas tax, but electric vehicle owners will now be required to pay a yearly fee, Will this impact EV sales in the US's best market?

May 6 - The Planning Report

Klyde Warren Park

Taking Back Highway Airspace: It's Happening

Building over highways is not a particularly new idea, but it has been a rare novelty. Former SPUR director and development consultant Jim Chappell sees a brighter future for highway caps parks and projects.

May 6 - UrbDeZine

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.