In Portland, up to 400 food stands have sprung up around the city, enlivening underused spaces.
Philip Langdon of New Urban News tours Portland's popular food "carts" - which aren't really carts at all, but small stands. Langdon reports that the carts not only activate dead spaces in the city, they also provide jobs and micro-businesses for a community that suffers from low employment.
Langdon writes, "The explosive growth of food carts runs counter to the usual trend in urban regeneration. Typically when a city center becomes a place where middle- and upper-middle-class people want to spend time, the architectural code of conduct becomes more formal, more carefully constructed. Food carts, with their budget-driven, ad hoc designs, take a city in the opposite direction."
FULL STORY: Food carts take the curse off Portland's parking lots
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One of the nation's most prominent projects that would have tolled all lanes on two urban interstate highways may have come to an abrupt end on March 11 after Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek pulled her support for the controversial Portland area projects.
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.
Portland Council to Consider Zoning Amendments
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Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
