Exclusives
FEATURE
Gandhinagar Endangered: A Capital's Plan Dismantled
Prakash M Apte, a planner in India, brings us this in-depth and fascinating look at the history of town planning in Gandhinagar, which was developed with an "egalitarian ethos," says Apte, but now it is at risk of becoming "just another suburb."
FEATURE
Charles Moore's Los Angeles
Architect Charles Moore was an intellect and practitioner that loved Los Angeles, pushing the envelope of the city's nostalgia and utopianism while simultaneously embracing them, says urban designer Vinayak Bharne.
BLOG POST
How Race Street Pier Is Set to Redefine Philadelphia's Riverfront
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FEATURE
Downsizing Detroit: How They Found the Money to Shrink, and What We Can Learn
Cities like Detroit can find the funds and initiative to make downsizing work by identifying as many stakeholders and potential partners as possible, writes Alison Bates, who thinks that "right-sizing" is the right move for the city.
BLOG POST
Dagwood Should Be Fat, Sick and Impoverished
By all logic, the comic strip character Dagwood should be fat, sick and impoverished due to his gluttonous eating, sedentary habits, and automobile-dependent lifestyle. Blondie should worry about his high blood pressure and clogged arteries [...]
FEATURE
Why I Decided To Go To Planning School
Planetizen intern Victor Negrete explains how he made the choice to attend planning school, and the thought process he went through deciding which schools to apply for, and ultimately to attend.
BLOG POST
Jane Jacobs on "Truth," Discovery and the Future of the Soviet Union
<p> As just about everyone in the planning profession now knows, this is the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Death-American-Cities-Modern-Library/dp/0679600477/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304357036&sr=1-1"><em>The Death and Life of Great American Cities</em></a><em> </em>by urbanist icon <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Jacobs">Jane Jacobs</a>. While <em>Death and Life</em> was itself iconic, Jane Jacobs was also a great public intellectual who continually built on her ideas in subsequent books and articles. </p>
BLOG POST
Using Balloons for Bird's Eye View of Community
At the GeoDesign conference in San Diego we heard mention of folks at MIT using helium balloons with cameras attached to take aerial pictures. Thinking this was a fabulous idea I decided to find out more and see if this was a technique [...]
BLOG POST
Summer Conferences with an Agenda: Ideas for Students and Others
<p> <span><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">Spring is conference season for many major professional associations including the American Planning Association. However, if you missed APA this year, or even if you didn’t, a number of more specialized groups meet over the summer in smaller and more focused settings. Student registrations and deals on accommodation can make these very affordable.</span></span></span><span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small"> </span></span> </p>
FEATURE
Leading Thinkers in Urban Planning & Technology
Planetizen founding Editor Chris Steins offers his evaluation of the top 25 thinkers at the intersection of planning and technology.
FEATURE
Planners and the Jane Jacobs Conundrum
When it comes to Jane Jacobs, planners pick and choose what they find useful, says Roberta Brandes Gratz, missing Jacobs central argument for grass-roots, bottom-up planning. Gratz reviews a new book "Reconsidering Jane Jacobs."
BLOG POST
The City/Suburb Income Gap- Bigger or Smaller?
<p> The Brookings Institution's "State of Metropolitan America" database (at <a href="http://www.brookings.edu/metro/StateOfMetroAmerica/Map.aspx#/?subject=7&ind=70&dist=0&data=Number&year=2009&geo=metro&zoom=0&x=0&y=0">http://www.brookings.edu/metro/StateOfMetroAmerica/Map.aspx#/?subject=7&ind=70&dist=0&data=Number&year=2009&geo=metro&zoom=0&x=0&y=0</a> ) contains a wealth of information both on central cities and their metropolitan areas. One issue I was curious about was the economic gap (or lack thereof) between cities and their suburbs.
BLOG POST
An Election Call-to-Action for Canadian Urbanists!
<p> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'">Here in Canada, we're in the midst of a Federal election. It’s an election where if you’re interested in urban issues, you’re likely quite frustrated.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'"> <br /> </span>
FEATURE
How Landscape Architects Can Save the World
The excesses of the "landscape urbanism" aside, Michael Mehaffy believes landscape architects are well positioned to lead the way towards positive change in the urban landscape. Here's why.
BLOG POST
The Trouble With Monuments to the Living
Living public figures, whether they be Lockyer, Haggarty, Sarah Palin, or Mummar Gaddafi generate their own fanfare. They do not need a building, an airport, or a trail to speak for them.
BLOG POST
Planners' Sacred Trust
<p class="MsoNormal">Most professions have special responsibilities to society. Physicians are expected to observe the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath">Hippocratic oath</a>. Police officers must apply the law fairly and refrain from abusing their power. Lawyers and accountants are expected to offer accurate advice and protect client confidentiality.</p><p class="MsoNormal">And planners? We have a special responsibility to consider all perspectives and impacts. When evaluating public policy questions most people ask selfishly, “How does this affect me?” Planners, in contrast, should ask selflessly, “How does this affect the community, particularly disadvantaged and underrepresented groups?”</p>
FEATURE
Portland's Portal of Opportunity
FEATURE
Every City For Itself: Adapting to Climate Change
What cities are best prepared for climate change, and which will falter? Josh Stephens reviews <em>Climatopolis: How Our Cities Will Thrive in a Hotter Future</em> by Matthew Kahn.
BLOG POST
The Next Urbanism: A Movement Evolves
Since 2004, the Next Generation of New Urbanists (NextGen) has welcomed new ideas and new faces into the Congress for the New Urbanism.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
