The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Lush urban community garden with raised beds in dense New York City neighborhood with brick apartment buildings in background.

Even Small Urban Green Spaces Boost Biodiversity

A recent study from the University of Melbourne demonstrates the positive impacts small urban greening projects can have on city ecosystems.

October 23 - Earth.com

View straight down empty wide street in downtown Toronto, Canada with stoplights during Covid-19 pandemic.

Sound Equity: The Unequal Impacts of Covid’s ‘Great Silence’

During the pandemic, many neighborhoods became quieter than ever—but not everyone experienced the benefits equally.

October 23 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up of cash drawer with various dollar bills and coins.

D.C. Bans Cashless Businesses

Critics of card-only transactions say they exclude ‘underbanked’ individuals and limit access to essential services.

October 23 - Smart Cities Dive

Multicolored tiny homes for temporary shelter in complex adjacent to freeway overpass in Los Angeles, California.

Tiny Homes are a First—but not Last—Step in Ending Homelessness

Cities are trying to stretch affordable housing funds to meet the demand for both short- and long-term housing.

October 22 - CALmatters

Close-up of decorative water fountain on La Rambla pedestrian street in Barcelona, Spain with blurred pedestrians in background.

Rick Steves on Walkability Lessons From Europe

Many of Europe’s pedestrian-friendly, transit-rich cities weren’t always that way.

October 22 - Strong Towns


New York City Air Conditioners

Tenant-Led Organization Fights Back Against Discriminating Landlords

Although it’s technically illegal for landlords to deny housing voucher recipients, tenants around the country have been rejected or charged exorbitant fees for using vouchers.

October 22 - Next City

Single oil derrick on dry prairie with faded blue sky in background.

Do Environmentalists Confuse Oil Production With Oil Demand?

Samantha Gross, the director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Brookings Institution, argues that the key to reducing emissions is to do the hard work of reducing oil demand rather than focusing on ending U.S. oil drilling.

October 22 - Brookings Institution


View of Santa Barbara, California street with neo-Spanish colonial architecture and wooden outdoor dining deck with tables and red umbrellas.

Santa Barbara Renews Parklet Program

The city updated its pandemic-era on-street dining program with new regulations that limit the locations and design of parklets.

October 20 - edhat

Close-up of row of colorful townhouses with triangular roofs

Quantifying the Impact of Pandemic Housing Assistance

The massive federal injection of funding into housing programs has had major impacts on many Americans’ ability to stay housed and out of debt, but fears loom as the end of some funding sources nears.

October 20 - Route Fifty

St. Paul skyline as seen from across river

St. Paul Approves Zoning Reforms

The zoning updates will permit multi-unit housing and promote transit-oriented development to boost the city’s housing supply.

October 20 - Pioneer Press

View of Burj al Babas, Turkey, abandoned development of French-style chateau homes.

What Abandoned Places Teach Us

Abandoned cities and other forsaken human-built sites are haunted by the mistakes city leaders and builders have made over centuries.

October 20 - Reader's Digest

Canada geese and ducks on the shore of a lake with red brick boathouse in background across the lake in Lincoln Park, Los Angeles.

Study: How Urban Redlining Impacts Bird Populations

A legacy of historic housing discrimination and disinvestment is having lasting effects on more than just human lives in cities.

October 19 - Phys.org

White and red Cruise self-driving vehicle on a San Francisco street.

Feds To Investigate Autonomous Car Crashes

The NHTSA has opened an investigation into Cruise self-driving cars after four separate incidents that injured pedestrians in San Francisco.

October 19 - Smart Cities Dive

Aerial view of downtown Baltimore, Maryland with freeways in foreground

Baltimore Could See a TOD Boom

Developers are calling on city leaders to support transit-oriented development amidst an influx of federal funding opportunities.

October 19 - Bisnow

Cottages on Western Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago Mayor Calls for Permanent Rental Assistance

A proposed ordinance would extend a pilot program launched during the pandemic to support struggling renters and prevent evictions.

October 19 - The Real Deal

View looking up at high-rise Art Deco Atlanta City Hall building.

Atlanta Approves New Affordable Housing and Eviction Protection Funds

Several city resolutions will fund projects that help residents find housing and eviction prevention services.

October 19 - Rough Draft Atlanta

Aerial view of Tampa, Florida skyline at dusk.

Tampa Awarded Federal Transit Planning Grant

The city will use the money to open a new office aimed at guiding major transit projects in the region.

October 19 - Tampa Bay Times

Sepia-toned photo of man riding bicycle on urban street with yellow cab and historic brick buildings in background.

NYC Bike Deaths Spike in 2023

Cyclist deaths on New York roads are on track to hit the highest number since 1999.

October 19 - WINS

Black and white digital illustration of Newark, New Jersey town square with old clock.

BLOG POST

Jersey City and Newark: A Tale of Renaissance and Stagnation

The rise and fall (and rise again) of two great American cities teach us lessons about racism, economic opportunity, and more.

October 19 - Marcelo Remond

Modernist light brown cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, California.

Los Angeles Diocese Says ‘Yes in God’s Backyard’

A new California state bill lets churches and other faith-based institutions bypass environmental reviews for proposed affordable housing on their properties.

October 18 - Episcopal News Service

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