Government / Politics

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

Shanghai to Create Suburbs as Remedy for Urban Density

Shanghai in its 12th Five-Year Plan is modeling seven new satellite cities as suburbs to alleviate the density in the city center, reports Yu Ran, China Daily.

July 14, 2011 - Chila Daily

Experts Weigh Mica's Transportation Bill

Since the release of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica's proposed $230 billion surface-transportation bill, reviews have been mostly negative. National Journal asks its panel of experts for their take.

July 14, 2011 - National Journal

Mixed Feelings As San Diego Dissolves Planning Department

As the San Diego Planning Department folds into another department to save city money, locals and former officials grapple with whether it was the right move and how the city could change as a result.

July 13, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

Government Control Vs. Individual Responsibility

Climate Central intern Ruthie Nachmany writes how one conference on energy envisions individuals taking a role in being energy efficient, while another conference prefers cities creating systems that can lead to energy efficiency.

July 13, 2011 - Climate Central

Federal Officals to Aid Recovery in Six Problematic U.S. Cities

Federal officials are being sent to work in six cities including Detroit, Cleveland and New Orleans to help coordinate local officials to "tap federal funds and leverage local and regional resources," The Wall Street Journal's Sharon Terlep reports.

July 13, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

Brazil to Receive Billions for Mobility Ahead of World Cup

The cities hosting the 2014 World Cup in Brazil have been awarded an infusion of $6 billion from the Inter-American Development Bank to fund urban mobility and other efforts ahead of the event.

July 13, 2011 - The City Fix

Private Sector the First Stop in Public Project Fundraising

When Toronto City Councilor Kristyn Wong-Tam wanted to raise money for a street redesign project, she went directly to the private sector. They raised the money and recently released the master plan for their proposed street project.

July 13, 2011 - Globe and Mail

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.