The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Friday Fun: CityLab Picks the Best Games of 2020
In the year of stay-at-home orders, people turned to old and new games to stay sane and stay connected.

PLANOPEDIA
What Is the American Community Survey?
The American Community Survey offers a treasure trove of social, economic, housing and demographic data.

The Census Missed its Dec. 31 Deadline
The pandemic didn't help, but this moment has been a long time coming, and the delay is bad news for President Trump efforts to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count.

Richmond Seeks to Expand Bus Rapid Transit
After seeing impressive ridership growth, Richmond's transit agency wants to expand bus rapid transit to more destinations in the region.

The Price of an Uber Ride to Increase in Seattle Jan. 1—to the Benefit of Drivers
A new law setting a minimum wage for Uber drivers takes effect in the New Year.

WSDOT Report Outlines Plan for Cascadia High-Speed Rail
A regional high-speed rail network could be coming to the Pacific Northwest, linking cities from Oregon to British Columbia.

Cars, Covid, and California
Pultizer-winning science journalist and global health expert Laurie Garrett, an Angeleno, points to the Golden State's auto culture during an interview on MSNBC as one reason why the state is now the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S.

FEATURE
Urban Planning and the Coronavirus: 2020 Year in Review
If ever there was a doubt about the sheer depth and breadth of intersectionality found in the practice and theory of planning, the pandemic provides daily reminders.

BLOG POST
Smart Growth C'est Bon!
Compact infill development can create affordable, inclusive and attractive cities, like Montreal, "plus belle ville au monde."

Federal Funding Could Vastly Improve Transit Services
With a $17 billion federal investment, every city's public transit could look like Chicago's.

Legal Dispute Grounds Last Remaining Potomac River Ferry Service
Historic White's Ferry, which has crossed the Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland since the late 18th century, has announced that it will cease operations.

EVs Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, but They're Not Pollution-Free
To reduce harmful particulate matter emissions, we need fewer cars on the road—electric or otherwise, according to the findings of a recent report.

Pandemic Disrupts Ski Town Life in More Ways Than One
The working class that make ski towns run are getting squeezed out of work by public health restrictions while wealthy newcomers push real estate markets to crazy new heights.

Report Makes 'The Case for Social Housing'
The economic disruption of the pandemic has strengthened public support—even among Republicans—for an ambitious social housing program at the federal level, according to the findings of a recent report.

Washington State Active Transportation Plan Draft Released
The Washington State Department of Transportation is undertaking a legally mandated update of its plan for bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

Pandemic Endgame: The Goalposts are Moving
With most of the nation in the coronavirus "red zone," the endgame to the pandemic in the U.S. is likely through achieving herd immunity, preferably through vaccinations, but the nation's top infectious disease expert has been changing the threshold.

Preservation Blind Spot Apparent on Philly's Black 'Doctor's Row'
Christian Street, known at the beginning of the 20th century as the Black "Doctor's Row" should have been on the Historic Register years ago, according to this article.

Miami Beach Could Permanently Pedestrianize Ocean Drive
The city banned vehicle traffic from the popular street during the pandemic. Now, transportation planners hope to make the change permanent as part of a new plan to prioritize pedestrians and improve transportation in the Entertainment District.

Arizona Proposes Legislation to Protect Water After Trump Rollbacks to Clean Water Act
To protect the state's water resources, Arizona's Department of Environmental Quality has drafted a new set of regulations aimed at replacing Clean Water Act provisions struck down by the Trump administration.

We Need Rental Registries Now More Than Ever
Most communities lack a way of collecting real-time data on whether landlords are complying with rules. A rental registry could change that.
Pagination
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
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.