News

The American dream is alive and well in Detroit, as artists, urban farmers, and intellectuals see opportunity.

Kaid Benfield reads ULI's latest 'Emerging Trends' report, and finds, amidst the doom and gloom, significant support for infill and smart growth.

Chinese officials have decided to expand Beijing's Central Business District, clearing out nearly four square kilometers with 10,000 homes on it in the process.

More than 750 traffic signals in Montgomery County, Maryland, were crippled last week after the failure of a piece of electrical equipment that was 37 years old. The old technology and the repercussions are being called a warning to other cities.

A new report from IBM looks into the future of the trucking industry. The report predicts that new technologies for systems monitoring will become standard.

The ban on billboard advertising in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is showing pressure cracks, as continued opposition to the citywide policy has some lawmakers considering a repeal.

A new rating system for open and planted spaces has been created, offering a way to identify the most sustainable landscapes.

Prizewinning architect Thom Mayne says that tension inspires him, while admitting that he'd love to design more demanding, artistic buildings.

Denver's FasTracks light rail system was set to be the nation's most aggressively constructed transit system when it was approved in 2004. But five years into the 12 year plan, budget issues and delays are calling the system's future into question.

Despite taking billions in stimulus funds with the promise of forging ahead on electric vehicles, Chrysler has dissolved the engineering team working on their three proposed electric offerings.

The state of California is unveiling an effort to create a detailed strategy for how the state should grow. The ambitious plan is being kickstarted with a modest $2.5 million investment.

Jonathan Jarvis, named the head of the National Park Service last month, says that he'll work with the National Academy of Sciences to fight global warming, which he says is "the greatest challenge ever to face national parks."

An ex-pat American returns home to Milwaukee, and is overwhelmed by the extensive auto-oriented infrastructure needed to support the U.S. lifestyle, very different from his life in Almeria, Spain.

The current government strategy to increase fuel efficiency is to mandate it through increases in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, currently set for 35.5 mpg by 2016. In this piece, auto executives suggest a better way - using gas taxes.

A new program in India is teaching women in tribes that live in remote areas how to make and use solar panels.

In Starksboro, Vermont, planners are using storytelling and community art projects to get at the heart of what matters to residents.

That was the message of nonprofit San Francisco Beautiful in their successful campaign to stop Proposition D, which would have created a special sign district in the mid-Market area in hopes of revitalizing it.

Put the chief planners of seven of North America's most progressive cities in a room and ask about their challenges, they inevitably point to the overriding role of the political leaders they serve. Expanding public open space also was raised.

Private industry often points to governmental regulations as a source of added expense that makes them less competitive. In this case, NYC's requirement two years ago that taxis accept credit cards has resulted in growth in ridership and revenue.

Cool Town Studios offers this list of 19 development types for the creative class.