United States
Department of Interior Plans to Open 1 Million Acres in California to Fracking
The Bakersfield Office of the Bureau of Land Management released an environmental study that is the basis for undoing a 2013 de facto moratorium on fracking on federal lands in California. The Supplemental EIS triggers a 45-day public comment period.
Opportunity Zone Investors Look to Fuel Tech in Chicago
One venture plans to fund a 100-acre campus for tech, bioscience, and medical research in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood.
From McMansion to McMain Street
In attempt to design buildings that convey the complexity and scale of the traditional Main Street, we frequently end up with buildings that are a cartoon version of the real thing. Perhaps we are trying too hard?
'Project Sidewalk' Crowdsources ADA Compliance
A crowdsourcing app allows citizens to hold the public realm to higher standards of access and mobility.
Watch: What it Takes to Retrofit Suburbia
June Williamson explains the necessary components of the next generation of the suburban retrofitting project, and why these actions are so necessary.
Bird Lays Out Sustainability Goals for Scooters
The scooters contribute to a more diverse mobility landscape, but the environmental impacts of producing and maintaining them need to be reduced.
Friday Funny: The Self-Driving Car That Stole All of Tesla's Money
Satirists at The Onion wrote a totally fake, but also very funny, article about a self-driving car.
Scenario Planning Can Help Prepare for a Hard-to-Predict Future
Questions about the variables that could significantly alter the future of transportation, and the configuration of the public realm to accommodate those futuristic forms of transportation, illustrate the potential power of scenario planning.
Predicting the 'Next Generation of Historic Places'
The public responds to a list of "40 Under 40"—places built between 1978 and 2018 bound for historic significance.
Republicans Block Virginia from Joining Regional Cap-and-Trade Program
The Virginia Air Pollution Control Board approved a cap-and-trade policy for utilities to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, but Republicans added language in the state budget bill to prevent it.
We Need More Words for Play
Could cities harness the power of play to build more healthy, resilient, and equitable communities, if only we had the words for it?
Study Reveals Ineffectiveness of Work Requirements for Housing Assistance
Work requirement programs achieve very little in helping housing assistance recipients find work, according to a recent study.
Compare Transit Ridership in U.S. Cities
A new interactive tool called Transit Insights offers access to the local trends of transit ridership.
Mapping the Political Ramifications of a Census Citizenship Question
The Supreme Court heard opening arguments Department of Commerce v. New York this week.
2019 'Parking Madness' Shows How Much Has Changed
Streetsblog USA's annual showcase of the worst examples of car-oriented land use this year focused on places that had overcome the worst excesses of 20th century planning.
The Fair Housing Act at 50
In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, Penn IUR Faculty Fellows Vincent Reina and Susan Wachter bring experts together to debate the important topic.
Urban Forestry Managers Need Better Climate Change Data, Report Says
Results of a new survey suggest that there are benefits to be reaped from a focus on climate change.
Striving for a Zero-Waste Future
A number of U.S. cities have set ambitious zero-waste goals, but reaching targets has been challenging. Turning waste into a viable commodity is one strategy to get materials out of the waste stream.
Judge Halts Sales of New Coal Mining Leases on Federal Lands
Once again, the president's efforts to undo his predecessor's environmental legacy were thwarted by a court ruling. In this case, the Interior Department's failure to conduct an environmental review of a Trump executive order ran afoul of NEPA.
$1.5 Billion in BUILD Grants Funding for Transportation Projects Awarded
The U.S. Department of Transportation has favored grant funding for rural communities under the Trump administration.
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.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
