USA Today
Bodybuilding Moves to the Playground
Haya El Nasser reports on the latest trend in park design: free public 'fitness parks' that feature exercise equipment "built to withstand the rigor of weather vandalism."
Millennials: They Came, They Saw... They Stayed?
According to Haya El Nasser, cities across America have succeeded in attracting young professionals for over a decade. “They came, they played, they stayed,” she writes. But, she asks, will these Millennials stick around as they age and have kids?
Can Electric Cars Break Out of Niche Market?
Are you an environmentally aware, well educated, upper-middle class white man in your early 50s with a garage equipped with an electric outlet? If so, you meet the demographic to buy an electric vehicle. And that may be the EV's only potential group.
Fracking Debate Shifts To $
The public is increasingly showing support for hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas - and it's reflected at the ballot box as many pro-drilling candidates were elected. In fact, the debate has shifted from banning to what to do with new tax revenue.
LEED Certification: Path to Better Buildings or Bigger Bottom Lines?
With supporting evidence from a USA TODAY analysis, Thomas Frank examines the LEED points system and finds that certification, and the tax breaks and other rewards that go with it, can be easily obtained without proven environmental impact.
Local Governments Work Together to Fight Recession
Chuck Raasch looks at how combining services can help local governments "to capitalize on the economics of scale and offset declining revenue since the Great Recession."
Suburbs Become the New Cities
Small towns like Carmel, Indiana have gained national prominence after redeveloping into "cities where people can live, work and play," writes Haya El Nassar.
Amtrak Joins Fight Against Trafficking
Amtrak announced this week that they will train 8,000 employees across the nation on how to identify and report potential victims of human trafficking.
50 Years Later, Silent Spring Still Causing Controversy
50 years ago yesterday, Rachel Carson's seminal book Silent Spring was published. Wendy Kock examines how the book, which is credited with inspiring the modern environmental movement, is still sparking controversy to this day.
New Home Construction Shows More Porches, Fewer Garages Per 2011 Census Data
As if to show that "walkable" is the new mobility in America, even with single-family-homes, new census findings show two-thirds of homes constructed last year had front porches while the number of garages or carports decreased to late 1990 levels.
Group Commuting Continues Upward Trend
New Census data out this week shows the share of Americans commuting by alternatives to the automobile continues to rise. In two-thirds of 342 metropolitan areas for which data was provided, public transit use was up, while solo driving dropped.
How Andres Duany Envisions the Future by 'Translating' the Present
Rick Hampson explores the New Urbanist vision for how cities will be designed and planned over the next 30 years, as told by the movement's co-founder, Andres Duany.
Portland Shifts Gears
America's burgeoning bicycle culture gets the star treatment, as USA Today focuses its attention on the new infrastructure, new funding, and new culture that have made bicycling in Portland an ease.
Refugees Find Sanctuary in Urban Gardening
Melanie Eversley writes on the healing power of urban gardens and farms for refugees new to the U.S. who are looking for a taste of home.
Silicon Valley Companies Relocate To SF - Apartment Rents Skyrocket
In this pair of 'cause and effect' articles, USA Today reporters describe the many companies seeking new office and R&D sites in San Francisco, whether relocating from expensive downtown Palo Alto, the South or East Bay, or outside the state or U.S.
China's Housing Tries to Go Green, but Fails
A so-called "eco-friendly" apartment complex complete with solar panels that derives more than 90% of its energy needs from coal? China struggles to take sustainable development seriously.
Tech Start-Ups Move to the Beach
Jefferson Graham describes how an influx of tech start-ups are turning Los Angeles into "Silicon Beach" - the newest hot spot for entrepreneurs with an entertainment, celebrity or mobile edge.
Public Sector Stops Firing, and Starts Hiring
According to new data, state and local governments hired 828,000 workers in the first four months of the year, "up 20% from a year earlier, and the most since 2008," stoking hopes that government job growth may be on the way.
City Officials, Homeless Advocates at Odds over Bans
Is "compassion fatigue" driving Philadelphia and other cities to adopt ordinances to crack down on the homeless? Homeless advocates contend that these measures are counterproductive, as they force the homeless into criminal means of getting by.
Rise in Home Rentals Is Transforming a Neighborhood Near You
Julie Schmit explores what the "unprecedented" growth in the single-family home rental market means for home builders, school districts, and the consumer economy.
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Barrett Planning Group LLC
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
