Oregon

Pacific NW States to Study Regional High-Speed Rail

The proposal promises a one-hour commute between Vancouver and Seattle.

March 25, 2018 - The Urbanist

Keep Portland Weird

Friday Funny: Portlandia Is Over

It's a sad day. Portlandia will no longer skewer the idiosyncrasies of enlightened urban lifestyles.

March 23, 2018 - The Oregonian

Portland Multi-Modalism

Portland Looking for Ways to Speed Up Buses, Protect Pedestrians

Freeing buses from congestion and protecting pedestrians from speeding cars are two of the goals expressed by the Central City in Motion planning process.

March 21, 2018 - The Oregonian

Portland

Property Tax Exemption for Affordable Units Under Consideration in Portland

The proposed property tax exemption in Portland would be from the "carrot" school of affordable housing incentives.

March 15, 2018 - The Oregonian

Willamette River

Study: Wider Highways Won't Reduce Congestion

Widening highways won't reduce congestion—that's the conclusion of a report paid for by the state agency proposing several highway widening projects in Oregon.

March 13, 2018 - The Portland Mercury

Portland Oregon Bus

Portland Lowers Penalties for Fare Evasion

Fines will be waived for low-income riders, among other changes aimed at bringing "fairness and equity" to TriMet's enforcement system.

March 12, 2018 - KOIN6

Oregon

The Other Affordable Housing Trend in Oregon: Construction Excise Taxes

Inclusionary zoning hasn't helped as much as the state of Oregon was hoping when it passed a law to lift restrictions on the policy in 2016. Construction excise taxes could be the next policy to catch on around the state.

March 5, 2018 - Mail Tribune

Leaving California

California Has Been Shedding Residents—For Decades

The state Legislative Analyst's Office looks at California's out-migration data. Every year since 1990, more Californians left for other than states than arrive. Which states are sending their residents here, and where are Californians fleeing to?

March 3, 2018 - California Legislative Analyst's Office

Portland Bike Safety Signage

Oregon Could Expand its Bike Tax

The state of Oregon is already tinkering with a bike tax it approved last year.

March 1, 2018 - Bike Portland

Portland Weird

Inclusionary Zoning Under the Microscope as Housing Development Declines

An inclusionary zoning case study is emerging in Portland. Even if inclusionary zoning isn't broken, it might still need a fix, say local planners.

February 21, 2018 - The Oregonian

A Skyline-Changing Pair of Towers Proposed in Portland

A "once-in-a-generation" redevelopment plan, called for in Portland's Central City 2035 Plan, has inspired big thinking from architects and planners.

February 20, 2018 - The Architect's Newspaper

Portland, Oregon

Portland's Division Street Express Likely Delayed to 2022

To close a $14 million budget shortfall, TriMet may scale back aspects of the planned bus line.

February 8, 2018 - Oregon Live

Oil and Gas Extraction

Will Anybody Drill for Oil in the Pacific Northwest, Now That They Can?

Now that the Trump Administration has reopened the U.S. coastlines to oil and gas extraction, it's unclear whether anyone will take up the opportunity in the Pacific Northwest.

January 28, 2018 - EarthFix

Pearl District

'Skyscraper Backlash' Comes to Downtown Portland

As the Portland City Council considers the Central City 2035 plan, downtown residents, many of whom live in high-rises, are actively opposing regulations that would allow new high-rises.

January 26, 2018 - Willamette Week

Speed Limit

Portland Lowers Most of its Speed Limits to 20 mph

Portland has implemented one of the most sweeping commitments to traffic safety of any city in the United States: 20 mph speed limits over the vast majority of the city's streets.

January 19, 2018 - Streetsblog USA

Mt. Hood and Traffic

The Slow Transition from Gas Taxes to Mileage Fees

Oregon was the first to conduct a pilot program in 2006, followed by California and Colorado last year. With financial backing from the U.S. DOT, at least four more states are exploring charging by the mile driven rather than the fuel burned.

January 17, 2018 - Governing

State capital building

Oregon Proposed 'Cap and Invest' Bill, Explained

Oregon legislators are hard at work on two new "cap and invest" bills that would establish a "market-based, carrot-and-stick approach to reducing greenhouse gas pollution."

January 14, 2018 - The Oregonian

Oil Rig

Despite Bipartisan Opposition, Trump Administration Opens Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling

In a major blow to former President Obama's restrictions on offshore drilling in sensitive areas, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced that he would open the Outer Continental Shelf in four regions: Pacific, Arctic, Atlantic, and the Gulf Coast.

January 8, 2018 - The Washington Post

Vancouver transit

Cross-Border High-Speed Rail Studied for the Pacific Northwest

The state of Washington has taken a first, serious look at a high-speed rail project linking Vancouver in British Columbia to Seattle and Portland.

December 26, 2017 - Vancouver Sun

Tilikum Crossing

Portland Bike Lanes and the Danger of Half-Measures

Willamette's new bike lanes make for an important link in Portland's bike infrastructure, but building unprotected bike lanes on a high-speed street carries risk.

December 19, 2017 - Bike Portland

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.

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.