The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge

Legal Battle Over Wildlife Refuges in Northern California and Southern Oregon

A lawsuit marks the latest twist in an ongoing legal battle over what conservationists consider one of the most important waterfowl sanctuaries in the country.

January 22 - The Oregonian

Design Guidelines for the New York City Housing Authority

An article notes the signs of change at the New York City Housing Authority, which has adopted its first-ever design guidelines in a renewed effort to deliver safe and healthy homes to residents.

January 22 - Next City

Climate Change Removed from White House Website

Well, that didn't take long! Goodbye Obama Clean Action Plan and restrictive environmental regulations; hello shale oil and gas revolution.

January 22 - Planetizen

Tour of California

BLOG POST

Urban Cycling Revolution Under Threat by 'Shights' Epidemic (Satire)

Researchers have detected a disease threatening cycling infrastructure investment. Although city administrators continue to invest in living streets, until cyclists becomes self-aware, the automobile will continue to dominate cities.

January 21 - Steven Snell

New Neighborhood Plan in San Francisco Pitches the Public Benefits of Density

Central SoMa ("South of Market") in San Francisco will soon have a new neighborhood plan. Planners hope zoning changes will reap rewards in property values and public benefits.

January 21 - Curbed SF


 Decatur Marta station

How Planning Can Put the Access in Mobility

The Brookings Institution has announced a new "Moving to Access" initiative.

January 21 - Brookings Institution

San Francisco STreetcar

Families Feel Pushed Out of San Francisco

Many families cannot afford to live in San Francisco, where housing prices are high and houses fit for families raising children are hard to come by.

January 21 - San Francisco Chronicle


Denver Biking

A Changing Neighborhood Is Not an Unstable One

Disavowing the perils of NIMY-ism. The difference between stability and sameness and allowing a city to change

January 21 - Modern Cities

Portland Bikeshare

Portland Bikeshare Drawing Big Crowds in First Six Months

Users of Portland's Biketown bikeshare system are choosing to rent bikes instead of driving.

January 20 - The Oregonian

President of the United States

One of Trump's First Actions Comes From HUD

A reduction of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) annual mortgage insurance premium rates was scheduled to take effect on January 27. One of the Trump Administration's first actions was to suspend the reduction.

January 20 - Reuters via Yahoo News

Friday Eye Candy: A Mashup of New York and Paris of the 1920s

Paris and New York, seamlessly photoshopped together—that's a cause we can get behind.

January 20 - CityLab

Alcohol

Friday Fun: Bikes and Beer Take to the Water

Hold my beer while I pedal this boat around Lake St. Clair.

January 20 - Detroit Free Press

State Capital of Utah

The Most Ambitious Land-Use Planning Effort in the U.S.—Not Where You Might Think

A 20-year, voluntary, bottom-up, large-scale, long-term planning effort in Utah has managed to bridge the divide between Mormons and non-Mormons, environmentalists and mining interests, farmers and city-dwellers.

January 20 - Politico Magazine

Jiujiang power plant

China Cancels 103 Coal Power Plants; Still Has Too Much Coal Capacity

The cuts mean that China is on target to meet its coal power generation limit for year 2020. But even with the cancellations, China will have surplus coal power resulting in underutilization of renewable power due to preference for coal by utilities.

January 20 - The New York Times

Succulent

Myths and Realities About Cycles: Avoiding the Inevitability Trap

When we start to liken housing and neighborhood cycles to the kinds of predictable, unstoppable cycles found in nature, we may find ourselves in a dangerous trap.

January 20 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Subway Station

Trump Budget Blueprint Would Nix Federal Transit Spending

Reports from inside the Trump transition are that the incoming administration will follow a budget blueprint laid out by the Heritage Foundation—public transit not included.

January 20 - The Hill

Capitol Hill

Over 275 Architects Agree: Trump Should Focus on Climate Change

An open letter to President-elect Donald Trump, signed by 276 architecture and design firms, argues that the country's new leader should build the economy by protecting the environment.

January 20 - The Architect's Newspaper

Obama Inauguration

BLOG POST

Farewell to the Obama Administration

A roundup of articles summarizing the final days of the Obama Administration, as well as a peek at Planetizen's eight-year archive of President Obama's policies in the world of planning.

January 20 - James Brasuell

Montezuma Castle National Monument

U.S. Housing Stock Aging Fast

Age is only a number, they say. But that number is growing for the nation's housing stock, just like for the rest of us.

January 19 - Realtor Magazine Online

Bank Owned

The External Costs of Vacant Homes

It might seem obvious that vacant homes attract crime and other noxious elements to surrounding properties, but researchers are still working to quantify those external costs.

January 19 - Next City

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.