United States

Methane

EPA Releases Final Methane Rule for New and Modified Oil and Gas Wells

While the methane reduction targets are the same as the draft rule released last August (i.e., 40-45 percent reduction of 2012 levels by 2025), the new rule removes exceptions, resulting in a 30 percent improvement in reductions of methane.

May 18, 2016 - The Hill

Rent

The eBay for Apartments Is Here

A San Francisco startup will allow landlords to auction long-term rental leases to competing bidders online.

May 17, 2016 - SF Gate

Bike Lane

Federal Rule Changes Remove Obstacles to Multi-Modal Streets

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) made official a set of rule changes that overthrow an old way of thinking about street design.

May 17, 2016 - Streetsblog USA

Glenwood Green Acres, Philadelphia

Taking Urban Agriculture For What It Is

New research suggests urban agriculture’s biggest yields are social, cultural, and educational.

May 17, 2016 - Take Part

Electronic Waste

Activists Track America's Electronic Waste

When a watchdog group partnered with MIT to install trackers on a batch of e-waste, the results were sobering. Much of the haul left the country, ending up in Asian junkyards where unknowing workers are exposed to toxic substances.

May 16, 2016 - KUOW

Hudson Yards Subway Station

Cut Transit Amenities, Not Service

It's important for transit to look and feel nice, if only to resurrect its deeply tarnished image in the United States. But ridership depends on good service, not good aesthetics.

May 16, 2016 - the transport politic

Driving

Sunday Satire: What if We Shut Down Roads Like We Shut Down Transit?

Imagine if the federal government treated road safety as seriously as it does transit safety.

May 15, 2016 - City Observatory

Pennsylvania State Capitol

Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf Expresses Solidarity for Cities

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf grew up in a small town, but he has since adopted cities among his political causes. In recent remarks, he detailed his opinions about how public policy shortchanges cities—in Pennsylvania and the country.

May 13, 2016 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

trax light rail train in foreground, snow-covered mountains in background

Cities Discovering the Limitations of Half-Baked Rail Plans

Presenting less of an argument against transit than an argument for good transit and land use planning, Streetsblog surveys some of the country's worst performing rail lines.

May 13, 2016 - Streetsblog USA

Hyperloop One Hails its 'Kitty Hawk' Moment in the Nevada Desert

PBS kicks off its new science and technology series with a look at just what happened in the desert with MIT's Hyperloop team. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien likens the week's events more to the "glider moment" preceding Kitty Hawk.

May 13, 2016 - PBS NewsHour

Cows and Railroad Tracks

Friday Funny: Here's Where Cows Could Take Over the United States

Vox imagines a world in which cows stage a military coup.

May 13, 2016 - Vox

An Update on President Obama's 'Better Building Initiative'

A press release and fact sheet about the accomplishments of the Obama Administration's "Better Building Initiative" includes three new national programs designed to improve the efficiency and resilience of the built environment.

May 12, 2016 - The White House

Gender Neutral Bathroom

Gender Neutral Bathrooms Designs Respond to Controversial North Carolina Law

While the Justice Department and North Carolina duke it out over proper access to bathrooms, many places, including the White House, have designed gender-neutral bathrooms that address many of the problems associated with sex-segregated bathrooms.

May 12, 2016 - The New York Times

Uber Car

Could Uber End 'Surge' Pricing?

Anyone who has used Uber knows the dreaded surge. But before the self-driving cars take over the wheel at transportation network companies, will the machines also figure out a way to eliminate one of the key perks of being an Uber driver?

May 11, 2016 - MPR News

Houston

Planning in Houston: No Longer an Oxymoron

Houston, Texas, adopted its first general plan called Plan Houston late last year. Plan Houston covers everything from economic development to education to public health to arts and culture.

May 10, 2016 - Next City

Twitter Headquarters

Top Twitter Feeds

Some of the most active and valued Twitter users in the planning and urbanism conversation share their favorite Twitter feeds.

May 9, 2016 - James Brasuell

McMansions

The Land Value Tax Explained

A Vox article and podcast delve into the wonky but thought-provoking reasoning behind the land value tax.

May 9, 2016 - Vox

Oil

Interior Department Secretary Jumps Into Fossil Fuel Debate

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell expressed a surprisingly pro-industry viewpoint in response to the growing "keep it in the ground" environmental movement.

May 9, 2016 - The Desert Sun

Uber Sidecar Lyft

Your Next Lyft Ride May Not Have a Driver

The self-driving car of the future is getting closer to becoming a reality, with GM and Lyft partnering to launch autonomous vehicles for the ride-hailing service within the year.

May 9, 2016 - San Jose Mercury News - Silicon Beat

The Greening of Large Trucks Begins at California's Ports

A Planetizen blog post by Casey Brazeal asks, "When will the trucking industry electrify?" Three truck manufacturers and electric truck builder BYD Motors are now in competition thanks to a $23.6 million state grant to the South Coast Air District.

May 9, 2016 - Fleet Owner

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.