The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A Booming Brooklyn Seen from the Back of a Garbage Truck
New York continues to grow, and as the city changes, so does its garbage.

London's Tallest Buildings Currently Under Construction
In a growing London, skyscrapers seem to be popping up everywhere, We Plan London catalogs the ten tallest.

A Super Weekend for Houston Rail Transit
"Sunday might have been the Super Bowl, but Saturday was Metro’s super day," reports Dug Begley.

Op-Ed: Brooklyn-to-Queens Streetcar Won't Pay for Itself
Who thinks the Brooklyn-to-Queens (BQX) would pay for itself? Someone whose paycheck depends on it, Neil deMause argues.

Los Angeles Bans Sleeping in Cars
Critics of new regulations by the city of Los Angeles that ban sleeping in cars and RVs overnight say the new restrictions amount to a ban on homeless people.

Philadelphia District Council Taking a Hard Line on Unsanctioned Planters and Benches
A bill to require Philadelphia residents to get a letter from their district council before putting a bench or planter in front of their homes faces a petition from 5th Square.

Public Space Offering Surprising Lessons While Hosting Trump Protests
Christopher Hawthorne examines the unprecedented protests of the Women's March and the more recent airport protests for lessons in the understanding and appreciation of public space.

Is This a Way Forward for Urban Farming?
Pulling in community members and a network of local nonprofits, Phoenix's "Spaces of Opportunity" is an attempt to make urban farming something more than a catchphrase.
Tennessee Valley Authority on Trial for Drinking Water Contamination from Coal Ash
Two environmental groups are suing the nation's largest public power utility for contaminating drinking water through prolonged leaks from coal ash ponds at TVA's coal-burning Gallatin Fossil Plant into the Cumberland River and ground water.

Fortress No Longer: What's in Store for Willis Tower
Designed for a different era, Willis Tower's pedestrian-phobic base is in line for a complete overhaul. The goal is to open the immense tower to the street.
Rolling Digital Billboards Hit New Orleans' Streets
A southern Louisiana company is bringing a mobile, four-sided digital billboard to the streets of New Orleans

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Vouchers Can Work, But...
School vouchers might expand educational choice and thus make city life more appealing to middle-class families—but the most appealing versions of a voucher system are also the most costly.

Georgia State Senate Pumps the Breaks on Cityhood Processes
Atlanta's quickly growing region means many communities are seeking to incorporate. Several controversial processes, however, have compelled the state to reform the incorporation process.

Spare the Air: Beijing to Drastically Reduce Coal Use
Beijing promises "extraordinary" measures to reduce pollution in the infamously smoggy city.

D.C. Bill Would Restrict Short-Term Rentals
The nation's capital could join other cities around the country in drastically limiting the use of Airbnb and other short-term rental companies.

Google Maps Update Opens New Access to Mobility and Culture
Google Maps and other navigation and mapping apps have done a lot to inspire and educate people to make the most of their surroundings. New changes to the Google Maps app will add new functionality for those purposes.

Know of Any 'Suburbs in Name Only'?
No cities are entirely urban, or even similar from one neighborhood to the next. The Corner Side Yard has some fun thinking about which Chicago neighborhoods we "Chicago in Name Only" and which of its suburbs are "Suburbs in Name Only."

California Stuck With an Expensive Overabundance of Energy Facilities
The Los Angeles Times uncovers a state with a lot more energy that it needs, which has regulators explaining their decisions residents and businesses opening their wallets.

A New Housing Strategy for Akron, Ohio
The city of Akron has lost 93,000 residents since 1960, so it has room to grow. Now it has a draft housing plan that uses a tax abatement program modeled on examples in Cleveland and Cuyahoga Falls.
Baltimore Students Have to Adjust to Newly Limited Access to Buses
A local politician resorted to holding a bake sale to help fund free bus service for students.
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Tyler Technologies
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
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.