Government / Politics

Something's Afoot in Lower Macungie

Jon Geeting of Nazareth Patch says that something fishy is happening in the township of Lower Macungie as megaproject is approved on 600 acres of farmland.

July 23, 2011 - Patch

Walmart Win in Washington

Walmart easily received approval for four new big box stores in Washington, D.C. With so much opposition elsewhere, why the open arms in the Beltway?

July 22, 2011 - New Urban Network

NY MTA Chief Resigns, Takes Job In Hong Kong

The head of the New York MTA, Jay Walder, is leaving to take charge of a private transportation company in Hong Kong.

July 22, 2011 - The New York Times

Placemaking Is Key To Job Creation, Says Politician

In a post at Project for Public Spaces, a politician from Spokane, WA is quoted as saying the way municipal governments could spur job growth is by building public spaces where people want to live, work, shop and invest.

July 21, 2011 - Project For Public Spaces

Rethinking the Streetspace: What's Next?

July 21, 2011 - Amber Hawkes

U.S. Still Missing Bike Lessons from Europe

Bicycling is growing in popularity in the U.S., but it still isn't considered a serious form of transportation as it is in Europe, according to this piece from Yale Environment 360.

July 21, 2011 - Yale Environment 360

Graffiti Tags Up Cities Nationwide

Graffiti has cropped up this year in metropolitan areas like Los Angles to smaller communities like Florence, Alabama. The rise in graffiti has prompted a debate that it may reflect that anxiety and alienation are growing from the recession.

July 20, 2011 - The New York Times

Bridge Planned Between Egypt and Saudi Arabia

A proposed 20-mile bridge would span the Red Sea to connect Egypt and Saudi Arabia -- connecting Arab states and reducing reliance on land passage through Israel.

July 20, 2011 - Der Spiegel

Downtown Minneapolis Unprepared for Influx of Children

The amount of children under five has jumped in downtown Minneapolis, which is posing problems for the city and its school system.

July 20, 2011 - Minneapolis-St.Paul Star Tribune

California Cities Sue Over Laws That Kill Redevelopment

Cities have filed a lawsuit with the California State Supreme Court over recently passed laws that eliminate funding for the state's redevelopment agencies.

July 19, 2011 - San Jose Mercury News

The City Manager, Post-Bell

The small southern California town of Bell became notorious for corruption when the exploits of its city manager were revealed in a newspaper investigation. The crime highlights the power of the city manager and how those powers can be misused.

July 19, 2011 - Zocalo Public Square

Neighborhood Sustainability the Focus of New Code Ideas in Seattle

A set of recommendations for changes to land-use regulations in Seattle is being highlighted by Mayor Mike McGinn as a way to both create sustainable neighborhoods and jobs. One of the authors of the recommendations explains.

July 19, 2011 - Crosscut

Film Looks at History of Demolished St. Louis Housing Project

A new documentary film delves into the complicated history, life and demolition of the Pruitt-Igoe housing project in St. Louis.

July 18, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

Public Parks Online

As the desire for wireless internet increases, some public parks are finding that Wi-Fi networks are becoming a new and important amenity.

July 18, 2011 - Time

The Carmageddon Effect

Carmageddon failed to live up to the hype, as Los Angelenos opted to leave their cars in the garage. As the hysteria fades, Planetizen's Tim Halbur asks: is there a real story here about good transportation planning?

July 18, 2011 - Tim Halbur

China's Urban Development Closing in on its Military Bases

New development is spreading uncontrolled throughout much of China, and it's closing around many of the country's military bases.

July 16, 2011 - Reuters

Friday Funny: A New Direction for Transportation Policy?

James Sinclair points out that the cover of the Republicans' newly announced transportation reauthorization proposal, picturing an empty freeway overpass, makes the title - "A New Direction" - pretty ironic.

July 15, 2011 - Stop and Move blog

How Do US Cities Measure Up in Broadband Accessibility?

According to this piece from CivSource, US cities have fallen considerably behind other developed world cities when it comes to broadband accessibility. The influence of private sector "incumbents" is to blame, writes the author.

July 15, 2011 - CivSource

The Future of Los Angeles' Union Station

On Wednesday, LA Metro started the process of soliciting proposals for the redevelopment of the 42 acres of land it owns around Union Station.

July 15, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

Clean Economy Shows Potential for Rapid Growth

In the Brookings Institute's pulse check on the nation's clean economy, researchers found that most of the country's clean economy jobs and recent growth were held in the largest metropolitan areas.

July 14, 2011 - The Brookings Institute

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.