Followers of Vancouver city planning will remember that in 2008, as part of the approval of the EcoDensity Initiative, our Council approved what remains (we think) the highest green standard for private sector building design in North America. The 2008 policy requires that buildings that go through rezonings (representing most buildings built in Vancouver) must establish that their design, at approval, is capable of achieving LEED™ Silver. We actually nick-named it "Silver Plus", because we mandated that there be a minimum of 3 energy points, 1 water point, and 1 storm water point, emphasizing the things that matter most to us.
Land Use
Carjacked: The Culture of the Automobile and Its Effect on Our Lives
Planetizen talks with Anne Lutz Fernandez, author of the new book Carjacked: The Culture of the Automobile and Its Effect on Our Lives, about how Americans feel about their cars, the Starbucks Effect, and the built environment.
Moving the Tipping Point for Creative Places
Human-scaled, creative development isn't getting built because most of the money in real estate comes from institutional investors that prefer predictable, large scale projects like subdivisions and strip malls, says Neil Takemoto of CoolTown Beta Communities.
Florida Amendment Could Shake Up Local Planning
Florida voters are facing an amendment this November that could dramatically reshape the way local planning occurs.
St. Petersburg Times
Is Walkscore A Useful Planning Tool?
The online walkability tool is sexy but not perfect. Real estate site are beginning to use it; could planners use it too? Bill Fulton gives his two cents.
California Planning & Development Report
The Mormon Church Backs Mixed-Use Project
City Creek Center is a $1 billion mixed-use development project that some say is a godsend for downtown Salt Lake City, creating jobs during a tough economy. Others wonder how the church's influence will play out in the culture of the project.
The New York Times
Decay in Suburbia
Fast Company pulls together a handful of recent reports to paint a grim picture for the suburbs, as the number of people living in poverty rises, housing values decline, and infrastructure built in the 60s and 70s erodes.
Fast Company
How Bill's Hotel Room Saved Some Trees
Bill Fulton was prepping for a panel on transferrable development rights programs for last weekend's New Partners for Smart Growth conference in Seattle when he realized the hotel he was in was the beneficiary of just such a program.
California Planning & Development Report
Policy Confusion Over Food Trucks
Food trucks are becoming an increasingly visible part of streetlife in many cities, but few have figured out how to deal with them from a policy standpoint.
The City Fix
Fighting Obesity With Traffic Calming
The latest news in the impact of the built environment on health: A new study says that children who live within 150 meters of congested roads have higher body mass indexes than kids that do not.
Streetsblog
Hopping the HSR to Future Detroit
America 2050 releases a new video imagining what a commute in future Detroit could look like, including car sharing, high-speed rail, and a light rail connector.
America 2050
The Economics of Greenfield Development
This essay from The Urbanophile looks at the economics behind greenfield development.
The Urbanophile
Brazil Approves Controversial Dam
The Brazilian government has approved a new hydroelectric dam in the Amazon. Many locals and environmentalists are fuming.
Guardian
Global Warming? It's All About Land Use
In a new report looking at how cities in the American West can fight global warming, the authors conclude that the best strategy is to focus on economic and energy efficiency through smart growth.
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy blog
Portland's Pricey Bike Plan
The City of Portland is considering its 2030 Bike Plan today. Some question whether the $613 million price tag is worthwhile.
The Oregonian
Air Force Quashes Unborn NIMBYism in Arizona
As a preventive measure to avoid future NIMBYism, an Air Force base in Arizona has effectively blocked the spread of residential development close to its borders.
The Arizona Republic
What Lies 20 Years Ahead for London
The Guardian asks prominent thinkers what sort of city London will be in 20 years.
Guardian
What Can GIS Do For You?
Allison Arieff takes a look at some of the ways GIS and other data-visualization technologies can help to address urban problems.
NYTimes: Opinionator Blog
Planetizen picks
Contribute
- A Farm Grows in San Francisco, Where A Freeway Once Stood
- Vision Survives Public Process in Berkeley
- Canada Housing Prices Return to Pre-Recession Peak
- Americans Buying Less, Doing More
- New High-Speed Rail in China
- Complaints Grow Over Increasing "Ugliness" of Paris
- Florida Amendment Could Shake Up Local Planning
- The State of Happiness
- Transportation On Parade
- Is Walkscore A Useful Planning Tool?
Carfree Design Manual -- Todd Litman
New Books Depict Car Culture at a Turning Point -- Michael Dudley
Why not rail? -- Diana DeRubertis
In Olympic year, Vancouver chooses LEED™ Gold for private buildings! -- Brent Toderian
Taming the Office Park -- Michael Lewyn
Economic Development Strategic Planning training course to be held in Springfield, MO.
International Economic Development Council
Feb 09, 2010
(New Date Added) Public Involvement & Impact of Private Sector Privacy Protection, Data Security Laws
PublicDecisions
Feb 08, 2010
Planetizen's Top 10 Websites List, 2010: Call for Nominations
Planetizen
Feb 08, 2010
BOCEP helps you be more effective in sustainability, urban design, management, and more...
Rutgers University Professional Development Institute
Feb 06, 2010
Assistant Planner
CITY OF PACIFIC GROVE
Feb 05, 2010
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