The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Melissa Hege, AICP, shares her thoughts on what every urban enthusiast should know about good streets and great places.

May 6 - Modern Cities

The long-awaited Q-Line opened to the public earlier today.

May 5 - Detroit Free Press

Some local officials in unincorporated Hillsborough County, outside of Tampa, Florida, are trying to take local residents up to the consequences of unmitigated sprawl.

May 5 - Tampa Bay Times

The new book "Detroit: The Dream Is Now" tells a story of revitalization and ambition, in the same city where far too many "ruin porn" photographers have tread.

May 5 - Detroit Free Press

As usual, California's fastest growing counties were inland, far from coastal job centers. The big surprise was that the fastest growing city was an affluent Silicon Valley suburb that had been sued in 2012 by affordable housing advocates.

May 5 - The Mercury News

Bridj's bet that it could, well, bridge ride-hailing and public transit didn't pay off. Lacking new investment, the company is shutting down.

May 5 - CityLab

With so much attention paid to the nation's housing crisis, it's still important to keep an eye on other kinds of uses. The office market is full of surprises, like cheap office build out costs in a city infamous for residential gentrification.

May 5 - Globe St.

Living near vegetation appears to be linked to a longer life and better mental health—for women, at least.

May 5 - CNN

Can a few splashes of water on hot pavement reduce the heat island effect? Researchers find evidence to support a traditional Japanese method of cooling the environment.

May 5 - The Poetry of Science

Research from Brookings identifies metro areas with economies that are not only growing, but growing in an equitable way. The list is short, but may offer some insights.

May 5 - Brookings

The satirical website takes on the darling of community and economic development: the local craft brew industry.

May 5 - The Onion

Philadelphia's green roof law allows developers to build 25 percent more units if they put a green roof on their buildings. Councilmember Squilla wants to exempt his district from that law.

May 4 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) officials are optimistic that a new BART station, with connections to VTA light rail, will open ahead of schedule.

May 4 - East Bay Times

FEATURE

Coinciding with the 101st anniversary of Jane Jacobs's birth, a documentary film showing in select theaters around the country recounts the history between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses, and the ideas that forced their struggle.

May 4 - James Brasuell

The controversy over the recent ballot initiative known as Measure S has Los Angeles thinking: How can the city accommodate new housing supply without disenfranchising communities?

May 4 - The Planning Report

In New York's subway, stations are not the only historic parts of the 113-year-old system. Essential communications infrastructure responsible for keeping the trains running belongs in a museum, explaining the cause of many recent delays.

May 4 - The New York Times

The disastrous state of the country's most busy transit station presents an opportunity to make big improvements.

May 4 - The New York Times

Dealing with a tightening budget, the Milwaukee County Transit System will eliminate free rides under the Go Pass program, which offered free transit passes for qualifying riders.

May 4 - Urban Milwaukee

Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver have all prioritized the design and implementation of bike infrastructure. A study of how each is implementing its goals reveals the many ways cities can decide to make healthy, active transportation a priority.

May 4 - Sightline Institute

Developers have announced plans for a $1.5 billion, multi-phase development to be located in Turtlecreek Township, in Warren County, Ohio.

May 4 - Dayton Business Journal