The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

View of Chicago river and waterfront with boats at night.

Designing the Path to a Consequential Place

What is public interest design? And what should we be considering as we shape a process that fully embraces and realizes a project’s public interest potential? Understanding these key principles and characteristics can help.

January 22 - Studio Civic | Pulse

Bird's eye view of park with green trees, concrete walkways, and benches on lake or riverfront.

Latest Trends in Parks and Recreation

Learn about the top trends impacting parks and recreation, including the use of mobile phone data to track park usage, impacts of climate change, rise of pickleball, a four-day work week, and more.

January 22 - Parks and Recreation Magazine

Bird's eye view of historic single-family home neigthborhood in Stratford, Connecticut.

Connecticut Housing Advocates Call for Zoning Reform

A new report highlights a growing affordability crisis, calling for state-level zoning changes and renter protections.

January 22 - CT News Junkie

Close-up of rooftop solar panel on sandy peach with tall palm trees.

Puerto Rico Pilot Program Harnesses Household Renewables

The experiment could become the largest renewable energy grid of its kind.

January 22 - Next City

White wind turbine sitting on ground at wind farm construction site.

States Preempt Local Control on Renewable Energy Projects

To meet ambitious climate and decarbonization goals, some states are barring local governments from restricting wind and solar development.

January 21 - U.S. News & World Report

Blue tent with small charcoal grill and plastic bin set up by unhoused person in snow in Portland, Oregon.

Portland Warming Shelters Close Despite Persistent Cold

Advocates say using an arbitrary temperature cutoff to open and close winter shelters ignores the reality of cold weather risks.

January 21 - The Oregonian

View of lake in Central Park, New York City with people in rowboats and bright red and orange fall trees, buildings in background.

Report: How to Fund NYC Parks

A set of 20 creative suggestions for increasing parks revenue.

January 21 - Center For An Urban Future

A New Housing Affordability Hurdle: Property Taxes

Skyrocketing home values are driving up property tax bills, putting lower-income homeowners at risk of losing their homes.

January 21 - Pew Stateline

Google street view of Bethel AME church in San Diego, California. White building with red Spanis-style tile roof.

San Diego Church Breaks Ground on Housing Project

The 25-unit development is part of a growing ‘Yes in God’s Backyard’ movement to build housing on properties owned by faith-based organizations.

January 19 - KPBS

Rows of photovoltaic solar panels in the Nevada desert with mountains in background.

Federal Plan Identifies Millions of Acres for Solar Production

The proposal targets areas near transmission lines in 11 western and southwestern states.

January 19 - Reuters

Row of three-story buildings with stores and restaurants with awnings on ground floor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Preserving Affordable Housing Through Existing Stock

As the cost of building new housing rises, mechanisms that support the purchase of existing housing by local governments and housing authorities can help mitigate the housing crisis and create affordable housing faster than new construction.

January 19 - The Philadelphia Citizen

Dead fish washed up on Florida beach during 2018 'red tide' algae bloom event.

‘Red Tide’ Imperils Southwest Florida Economy

A new study quantifies the potential economic losses that would result from another algae bloom.

January 19 - Fox 4

Aerial view of residential buildings in Koreatown, Los Angeles with downtown skyline in background

Los Angeles Looks to Preserve Affordable Housing

The maintenance of existing affordable housing units often falls through the cracks as funding programs target new construction.

January 18 - The Real Deal

View of Washington state capitol dome in Olympia, Washington at golden hour.

Washington State Transportation Budget Must Weigh Megaprojects, Maintenance

Major infrastructure projects face ballooning costs, putting basic maintenance and safety upgrade projects on the back burner.

January 18 - The Urbanist

Photovoltainc solar panels in green grass field.

The Climate Outlook for 2024

This year could mark a turning point for climate policy and energy systems.

January 18 - Yale Climate Connections

Aerial view of small tribal community of Upper Moenkopi on Navajo nation.

Tribal Communities Create Own Broadband Networks

Access to quality internet connectivity in many tribal and rural communities lags far behind other regions.

January 18 - Stateline

Aerial view of Denver, Colorado skyline at golden hour.

Denver Road Fatalities at Record High in 2023

The city says it is accelerating its Vision Zero initiative to improve road safety for pedestrians and vulnerable road users.

January 18 - The Denver Gazette

Power lines with dense icicles hanging from them against blue sky.

Texas Grid Holds Up to Freezing Temperatures

Efforts made to prepare the state’s infrastructure for winter storms after 2021’s disastrous freeze are paying off.

January 18 - The New York Times

Red public bus on street in San Antonio, Texas with line of four red e-scooters on sidewalk.

Mid-Size Cities Struggle to Provide Reliable Transit

Smaller transit agencies face some unique challenges.

January 18 - Streetsblog USA

Historic homes with intricate white trim on tree-lined street in Richmond, Virginia.

Richmond Program Promotes Black Homeownership

Economic Mobility and Black Homeownership Pilot identified barriers to homeownership and provides homebuyers with down payment assistance and counseling.

January 18 - Next City