United States
Obama's Mortgage Rescue Plan a "Frankensystem"?
Mike Whitney at Alternet warns that, between a poorly-understood "frankensystem" of federal housing relief combined with an estimated 9-year "shadow inventory" of distressed homes, homeowners are facing a "lost decade."
Greens Vs. HOAs
HOAs are mandated to protect the aesthetics of their community. That goal is clashing with many who want to install solar panels on their roofs. States are fighting back with laws prohibiting HOAs from banning panels.
Urban History, Coming to a TV Near You
In case your knowledge of urban history is a bit fuzzy, tune into the History Channel this week.
Ceding Local Control to Highway Planners
Roger Valdez looks back at the history of highways, and the switch from local control to state and federal control due to the burden of financing and maintaining roads.
New Housing/Mobility Measurement For Affordability Is 45%
The housing affordability rule of thumb is that you should not pay more that 30% of your income in rent or mortgage payment. Yet that ratio doesn't include the transportation costs that vary by community. What would it be if it was included?
Packing The Court -- With City-Dwellers
If Elena Kagan is confirmed, not only will the Supreme Court get its third sitting woman. It will also get its second woman New Yorker. Bill Fulton considers the importance of the urban experience in jurisprudence.
Sharing Land, Not Property
Community land trusts are an unusual but growing method of ownership, where the land is shared but members own their own homes. According to the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, they're good for neighborhood stabilization and rarely foreclose.
Transit and Car-Sharing Get Boost from Technology
The increase in transit ridership and carsharing isn't just due to the rise in gas prices, but also the rise in new technologies providing up-to-the-minute reports on location and ride availability.
Richard Florida and The Great Reset
The Urbanophile reviews Richard Florida's new book, defending his populist approach and tackling Florida's central arguments of investing in the grassroots, encouraging "rentership" and the fundamental societal changes coming soon.
The Sustainable Transportation Divide
Grist's David Roberts attended a national conference on the future of transportation at Ohio State in early May and noticed a divide in the concluding discussion on how panelists approached the issue of sustainability in transportation.
From White Flight to "Bright Flight"
The Brookings Institution finds that suburban America has reached a "tipping point" and is now home to more ethnic minorities, seniors, and lower income households.
U.S. Carbon Emissions Drop 7%
In the most significant decrease since 1949, carbon emissions in the U.S. fell 7% in 2009. Sadly, part of the falloff is the result of the economic crisis.
Iron Man 2 and the Future of Energy
The plot of the summer blockbuster Iron Man 2 revolves around a fictional 1974 Expo, with the slogan "Better Living Through Technology." Managing Editor Tim Halbur says the film reflects the misplaced faith in technology and innovation that still drives Americans optimism.
The Curse of the Cul de Sac
A new study found that residents in areas with interconnected streets travel 26% fewer miles by automobile than those in areas with lots of cul-de-sacs.
Looking Back at I.M. Pei's Plan for Oklahoma City
I.M. Pei's 1964 redesign of Oklahoma City involved the destruction of more than 500 buildings. It was abandoned in the 80s. A model now on display reveals the modernist ideal that Pei envisioned and eventually failed to inspire redevelopment.
Mortgage Tax Breaks Encourage McMansions
Edward L. Glaeser says that the government policy of encouraging homeownership through tax breaks subsidizes Americans to buy bigger homes which waste energy.
How to Fix the Highway System
Two major reports released in the last couple of weeks detail very different approaches to fixing the highway system in the U.S. At the National Journal, experts weigh in on who has the right approach.
Peak Hour Parking Pricing Working In Greenwich Village & Brooklyn
Marketplace reports on the parking market from NYC. Peak hour parking is being applied on Sixth Ave in Greenwich Village as a trial to increase parking availability and decrease congestion. Due to positive results, it's now being tried in Brooklyn.
Turning Freeways Into Parkways
Across the country, grey-to-green transformations are in the works, capping freeways to reconnect neighborhoods with urban parks.
Videoconferencing as Planning Tool
Former Planetizen managing editor Christian Madera proposes that videoconferencing could revolutionize the public meeting because the entire proceedings could be "broken up and digitized."
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
