The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

New Zealand Bus Transit

New Zealand Approves Sweeping Land Use Reforms

The five largest cities in New Zealand will be zoned to allow townhouses. The latest bill continues a recent string of zoning reforms.

December 15 - Stuff

Climate Change

Climate Change Is All Around

A massive interactive feature published by the New York Times tells 193 stories—for 193 countries—to illustrate the ravages of climate change in every corner of the globe.

December 15 - The New York Times

Orenco Station

Opinion: Upzoning Isn't Just for Major Streets

The practice of limiting high-density development to busy arterial streets puts renters and low-income households at higher risk for the effects of air and noise pollution created on major roads.

December 15 - Slate

New York City Subway

New York MTA to Cap Weekly Transit Fares

Public transit agencies are getting creative in the effort to bring riders back to buses and trains.

December 15 - The New York Times

Lyft

PLANOPEDIA

What Are Transportation Network Companies?

Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), provide on-demand transportation services through app-based platforms to create a new level of convenience for riders—and a host of challenges for policymakers and regulators.

December 14 - Diana Ionescu


A woman with a baby in a stroller and two men are milling around in front a sign that reads Austin Texas: Live Music Capital of the World.

Austin Musicians Squeezed By Housing Crisis

The Texas capital's iconic music scene could suffer as higher housing costs push musicians out of the city.

December 14 - KUT

Charlotte, NC

Major Development Projects Coming to Charlotte in 2022

Big developments are in the works for Charlotte neighborhoods from Uptown to South End.

December 14 - Axios


Parking

Repurposing Car Parking Can Improve Commerce

In spite of concerns from business owners about losing parking, research shows that retail benefits from better bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

December 14 - Bloomberg CityLab

Suburban House

Single-Family and Build-to-Rent Homes Growing in Size

As people perform more daily functions at home, homeowners and renters are seeking larger footprints to accommodate a broader range of uses.

December 14 - GlobeSt.com

Sunstar electric bikes displayed during the japanese festival in Geneva on the 7th october 2012

Why Are U.S. Policymakers Ignoring Electric Bikes?

The singular focus on EVs is making U.S. cities miss out on the opportunity to promote e-bikes as a more efficient and sustainable transportation mode.

December 14 - Treehugger

An aerial view of New Jersey suburbs, with Manhattan and New York City in the distant background.

Ambitious Zoning Reform Package Proposed in New York State Legislature

Single-family zoning, parking requirements, and minimum lot sizes are on the chopping block in Senate Bill S7574.

December 14 - TheRealDeal

New York City Transit

Historic Preservation Appeal Could Delay Penn Station Redevelopment

New York State's Historic Preservation Office has moved to place the notorious Penn Station on the National Register of Historic Places, potentially upending redevelopment plans.

December 14 - Bloomberg CityLab

The Kern River passes through a steep river canyon filled with jagged rocks and surrounded by hills of golden grass.

Bringing the Kern River Back to Bakersfield

Bring Back the Kern is working to restore recreational flows to the Kern River in Bakersfield (cue Merle Haggard).

December 13 - Los Angeles Times

Downtown Austin with Lady Bird Lake in the foreground. Multiple bridges are crossing the lake and small personal water-crafts dot the water.

Light Rail and Buses and More, Oh My!

A light rail bridge proposed for Lady Bird Lake, still pre-design, is causing controversies about whether adding buses to the bridge would be too dangerous for the other non-automotive modes.

December 13 - KUT

A aerial view of the Lobau floodplain, located to the north of Vienna, Austria and across the Danube River. Vienna is in the background.

Austria Halts Eight Highway Projects to Fight Climate Change

Austria's Greens political party has achieved a rare political victory against automobile dependence.

December 13 - Agence France Presse

A block of the Bowery in New York City seen from high above, with taxis and other cars passing on the street in front of the buildings.

Conceding Density, SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan Clears Final Hurdles

A closely watched rezoning effort in New York City cleared a key City Council committee last week, while making some concessions from the original vision to get across the finish line.

December 13 - TheRealDeal

Aspen

Aspen Presses Pause on New Construction, Short-Term Rentals

Residents and elected officials of the famously wealthy mountain town of Aspen don't like the way the city is headed.

December 13 - The Colorado Sun

Noise

Using Tech to Control Noise Pollution

Several cities are piloting programs that use machine learning to identify and understand urban noise patterns and enforce noise ordinances.

December 13 - Bloomberg CityLab

Electric Cars

Study: EV Adoption Isn't Enough. Car-Centric Culture Needs To Change.

The focus on electrifying personal vehicles misses the opportunity to transform urban transportation systems, reduce congestion, and make cities more affordable.

December 13 - Fast Company

An image of a bridge in Vermont with a sign in front of it announcing a COVID-19 quarantine order.

Revisiting Vermont: A COVID Update

PBS NewsHour investigates the surging coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Vermont which, along with Rhode Island, has 75% of its total population fully vaccinated, the nation's highest, as the U.S. appears to enter a winter surge.

December 13 - PBS NewsHour

Post News

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.

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.