Urban Development

Mediterranean food cart in Portland

Dallas City Council Will Consider Food Carts

As the pandemic leaves restaurants and food businesses struggling to make ends meet, the Dallas City Council will evaluate a proposal legalizing detached food carts.

January 28, 2021 - The Dallas Observer

Vancouver 2012

Vancouver Might Allow Non-Profit Housing to Skip Rezoning Application

Vancouver is considering eliminating a rezoning application, which could save non-profit developers up to two years in the city's approvals process.

January 28, 2021 - Daily Hive

Washington, D.C.

Biden Promises New Attention to Racial Inequality, Including Fair Housing

The Biden administration is announcing its intentions to overturn several controversial products of the Trump administration to weaken the the implementation of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the doctrine of disparate impact at its core.

January 28, 2021 - The White House

Granny Flat

Proposed Law Would Legalize Accessory Dwelling Units in New York State

Advocates have been calling for the New York State Legislature to legalize accessory dwelling units for years. A new law would take the first step.

January 28, 2021 - New York ADU Legislation

C.J. Peete Public Housing, New Orleans

Opinion: Public Housing Won't Solve the Affordability Crisis

Seeking repeal of the Faircloth Amendment could be a needless distraction in the new administration's efforts to create more affordable housing, according to an article by Jenny Schuetz for the Brookings Intitution.

January 27, 2021 - Brookings Institution

East Bay Area

Berkeley to Remove Parking Requirements for Residential Properties

Berkeley is the second city in Northern California to approve landmark zoning reforms so far in 2021.

January 27, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Savannah, Georgia

Warehouse Moratorium Sought in Suburban Georgia to Slow Road Damage

Traffic from the area's booming distribution centers is damaging local roads and causing concern among residents.

January 27, 2021 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Detroit Motor City

Detroit's Unique Climate Challenges

As climate change intensifies, Detroit could see more devastating floods and deadlier heat waves.

January 27, 2021 - Planet Detroit

Mount Rainier

Upping Tacoma's Missing Middle Housing Game

Tacoma is looking to expand on the accessory dwelling unit reforms of the Home in Tacoma project by planning for new residential density along the city's transit routes.

January 26, 2021 - The Urbanist

Port of Miami

Elon Musk Wants to Dig Tunnels in America's 'Sinkhole Capital'

Musk claims the tunnels could ease traffic and "be an example to the world," but experts caution that underground work in Miami is expensive and unpredictable.

January 26, 2021 - Curbed

Commuter Rail

New Transit-Oriented Development Requirements for Boston-Area Transit Stations

Cities with commuter rail stops will have to accommodate higher-density housing or risk losing access to state resources and housing grants.

January 26, 2021 - The Boston Globe

Coronado

Lawsuit Targets Granny Flat Law Compliance in California

A real estate group claims the city has been denying and delaying ADU permits in violation of city and state laws.

January 25, 2021 - San Diego Union-Tribune

Seattle Protected Bike Lane

Bike and Pedestrian Improvements Proposed for Seattle Light Rail Stations

Anticipating the opening of two new stations in 2024, the Seattle Department of Transportation released a study prioritizing bike infrastructure in the surrounding areas.

January 25, 2021 - Seattle Bike Blog

Sutter Street from above

San Francisco's Housing Crisis is Deepening, Despite Falling Rents

Despite the purported exodus of untethered Silicon Valley workers from the Bay Area, rents in the city are still the highest in the United States.

January 24, 2021 - The Guardian

Highway Sign in North Carolina

Expert Voices 2021: What Will Be the 'New Normal'?

Impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic are reverberating through cities around the world. The Penn Institute for Urban Research asked 20 urban experts what the lasting effects will be and how we can rebuild equitably and sustainably.

January 24, 2021 - Penn IUR Urban Link

BART Train

Change of Plans: Transit Funding Priorities Shift in the Silicon Valley

Santa Clara County cities rebel against the agency's proposed plan to spend most of the Measure B funds on a Silicon Valley BART extension.

January 22, 2021 - The Mercury News

Manhattan, New York City, New York

Kicking Commercial-to-Residential Conversions Into High Gear

A plan included in New York Gov. Andre Cuomo's draft 2022 budget will make it easier to do adaptive reuse for new housing in New York City.

January 22, 2021 - The Real Deal

Atlanta, Georgia

New Property Tax Proposed to Fund Final Atlanta Beltline Construction

A financial plan to get the Atlanta Beltline across the finish line.

January 21, 2021 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Subdivision

CNU Report Outlines Incremental Steps for More Walkable Suburbs

Transforming suburban sprawl is a massive undertaking, but these small steps can help communities understand their needs and assets and develop clear, actionable goals for the future.

January 21, 2021 - CNU

Champs-Elysees

'The World's Most Beautiful Avenue' Getting A Green Makeover

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo approved a new plan to revitalize the Champs Élysées ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

January 21, 2021 - The Guardian

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

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.