Exclusives

BLOG POST

Summer Reading about Planning: The Basics

As the northern summer starts, one of the questions I am asked most frequently by current and prospective planning students is: what should I read? A number of resources are available to answer this question. This month I look at general planning readings for a North American audience but in coming months I’ll explore readings about global planning issues, planning methods, and planning classics. For those wanting an overview of planning issues, the following lists are good places to start:

May 28 - Ann Forsyth

BLOG POST

Comprehensive Analysis of Transit Energy Conservation Benefits

A recent report by the libertarian Cato Institute, <a href="http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9325">Does Rail Transit Save Energy or Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?</a>, claims that public transit service improvements are ineffective at conserving energy and reducing pollution emissions. But this conclusion is based on faulty analysis.

May 27 - Todd Litman

FEATURE

Generations of Planning Commissioners

Planning and zoning commissions need to be diverse to make sure the broad range of issues and concerns are considered. That requires commissioners who are from different parts of town, different walks of life, different ethnic backgrounds, and now, different age groups.

May 26 - Wayne Senville

BLOG POST

The Double and Triple Whammy – Rising Fuel, Transit Reductions, and the Presidential Election

Three whammy’s are pressing America’s luck this spring as the nation engages in one of the most exciting presidential elections in my lifetime. The problem is that the only solution that has been proposed at the national-level has been a gas tax holiday. A gas tax holiday would have the effect of starving our increasingly troubled transportation system of the necessary funds to maintain and improve infrastructure and service.

May 21 - John Renne

BLOG POST

The Public Mis-Education of Transit Oriented Development

In 2004, voters in Denver approved the FasTracks ballot to build a regional rapid transit system. Now that planning is underway to construct about 120 miles of new rail and 60 new train stations, planners are beginning to focus on transit-oriented development (TOD) around many of these new stations. While much excitment exists in Denver for creating one of the top 21st century cities, some fears for TOD are unfounded. Mr. Ferguson's "<a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/13/four-fallacies-transit-oriented-development/" target="_blank" title="Rocky Mountain News article">Four Fallacies of 'transit-oriented development</a>'", published May 13, 2008 in the Rocky Mountain News is typical of a common mis-education about TOD. What Mr. Ferguson does not realize is that TODs can help protect the rural and suburban nature of communities surrounding Denver. He proposes four tenets about why TODs are bad for the future. Below, I address each of these.

May 20 - John Renne

FEATURE

Community Supported Agriculture and the Return of the Small Farm

May 19 - Greg Ramsey

BLOG POST

The Case Against Flexibility

A few weeks ago, I was reading yet another think-tank paper arguing against new rail projects. Amidst the sea of technical detail, one assertion bothered me: the common claim that bus service is more “flexible” than rail.

May 18 - Michael Lewyn

BLOG POST

Is 'Walking Distance' Overrated?

The common wisdom about walkable neighborhoods holds that density – proximity to destinations – determines the number of walking trips. An ideal walking distance of a quarter mile is usually prescribed between residences and the nearest transit stop or retail center. I don’t dispute that walking distance is important, especially when I’m lugging an armload of groceries. However, some trendy high-density development favors compactness at the expense of comfort and safety.

May 18 - Diana DeRubertis

BLOG POST

Don't Fill-er-up With Stupidity

People’s response to death typically proceeds through various stages: disbelief, denial, anger, bargaining, guilt, and eventually acceptance and hope. Motorists’ response to increased fuel price seems to follow similar stages:

May 18 - Todd Litman

BLOG POST

Public Input by Blog (Or, 'Care to Comment on the New EcoDensity Charter?')

I believe it's very likely that within a few years, planning departments will be using blogs, and perhaps other social networking site options, as approaches to public input on planning policy or development applications. Perhaps some are doing it already?

May 15 - Brent Toderian

BLOG POST

There's a National Train Day? In America?

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Amtrak Train 715. We're expecting a smooth ride today and should be moving along right on time," said the voice of the train conductor over the loudspeaker. He then continued, "And thanks for joining us for National Train Day". The loudspeaker then turned off, and was followed instantly by the voice of an incredulous woman a few rows behind who said "What?"

May 13 - Nate Berg

BLOG POST

Myth and Reality About European Sprawl

Some commentators argue that sprawl is an inevitable result of affluence, based on European development patterns. These pundits tell a simple story: European urban cores are losing population and becoming more automobile-dependent - just like American cities. So if Europe can’t beat sprawl, neither can America.

May 13 - Michael Lewyn

BLOG POST

End Powerpoint Abuse

We’ve all been subject to them – the endless powerpoint presentations that extol the worst aspects of animated text and mind-numbing bullet points. While Edward Tufte has written about the <a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html">horrors of powerpoint</a>, I see it as just a tool and like any tool it can be used wisely or poorly. After all, David Byrne, the former Talking Heads front man, makes <a href="http://www.davidbyrne.com/art/eeei/index.php">art with powerpoint</a> so it can’t be all bad. But one thing struck me at the American Planning Association’s (APA) conference two weeks ago: some sessions would have been much better if the powerpoint presentation (or abuse thereof) didn’t get in the way. In actuality, some of the best presentations I attended didn’t use powerpoint at all.

May 12 - Scott Page

BLOG POST

Economic Principles Still Apply

It turns out that the “law of demand” (the tendency of higher prices to reduce consumption) and the principles of urban economics (that improved accessibility increases land values) still apply. If we are smart, we can use these to help solve problems and benefit consumers.

May 7 - Todd Litman

BLOG POST

People Like Cars, And There's Not Much You Can Do About It

With climate change on the mind of the world's policy makers, the auto-oriented design of our cities has been singled out as a major culprit -- and understandably so. Cars burn a lot of fossil fuel, so getting people to walk, bike and use public transportation more would help cut down on pollution and green house gases. But how to get people out of their cars? The key, many agree, is to redesign cities. Right now cities are designed for people moving around in their cars, so it's unreasonable to expect people to use any other means of transportation. But give them a city that's planned for walking, biking and public transit -- and it could be a whole new ballgame.

May 7 - Christian Madera

BLOG POST

Yes or No: Evaluating Public Transit

On the bus this morning I was handed a survey asking me to detail my satisfaction with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's public transit system. As a daily bus commuter, I was more than happy to spend my two cents, but I'm a bit skeptical that those two cents will really do anything.

May 5 - Nate Berg

BLOG POST

Two kinds of sprawl

Once every few semesters, I teach a seminar on "Sprawl and the Law." On the first day of the seminar, I ask students what "sprawl" is. After getting a variety of answers, I reveal the truth: most definitions of sprawl involve one of two separate definitions: "Where we grow"- Sprawl as movement from the core to the fringe of a region. "How we grow"- Sprawl as development oriented towards drivers as opposed to nondrivers.

May 5 - Michael Lewyn

FEATURE

Inside the American Community Survey - A Non-Planner's View

May 5 - Ishmael Sanchez

BLOG POST

A City The Car Built?

When talking to people about Los Angeles, one comment I often here is that L.A. was the first city to be built around the automobile. This statement certainly makes sense when you look at the current landscape of Los Angeles – with its freeways and strip malls and crowded parking lots – and lack of a widespread rail transit infrastructure when compared to other dense American cities. The problem with this statement is that it’s not really true. While the car has definitely left its impression on the region, Los Angeles could actually be considered a textbook example of a city built around transit – albeit one that no longer exists.

April 29 - Christian Madera

BLOG POST

Finishing the Exit Project in Planning

My recent posts have provided advice on the exit project or thesis in planning: how to <a href="/node/29520" target="_blank">get started</a>, write a <a href="/node/29949" target="_blank">proposal</a>, <a href="/node/30572" target="_blank">manage</a> one’s committee, and <a href="/node/29121" target="_blank">troubleshoot problems</a>.

April 29 - Ann Forsyth