Government / Politics
An Urban Protest Movement Arises in Beirut
A new anti-sectarian political movement has emerged in Lebanon challenging the government. It is mimicking the successful urban strategies of ongoing Arab revolutions, like the occupation of public spaces.
To Beat The Backlash, Expand The Bike Network, Say Planners
Bike lanes have become one of the most controversial topics in all of New York City. For cycling to take hold, the city needs to make sure all groups have equal access to cycling, say a team of Hunter College grad students.
Emergency Avenue
Your streets could be killing you -- or at least making it harder for emergency services to reach you in times of need.
Investigation Uncovers String of HUD Failures
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has supported roughly 700 affordable housing projects around the country that have never been completed, some stalling out for over a decade.
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."
Making Good Design a National Priority
A growing number of nations are instituting design standards and architecture policies to help make good design a part of the national strategy.
Architect/Planner-Turned-Councilman Offers Thoughts on City's Future
An architect takes a seat on the Wet Hollywood City Council, and offers his thoughts on density and parking in the city and where things went wrong.
The Spectre of Death and Speeding
New speed limit signs will alert drivers that they are going to fast by showing them an image of a skeleton -- an image intended to warn drivers that their speeding could kill.
Houston Roadway Would Fuel Growth, Harm Migratory Birds
Plans to build a parkway around Houston will help ease traffic and spur growth in the region, but it will also run right through a key stopover point for millions of migrating birds.
Overflow Plant Aims to Reduce Sewage Contamination
A new sewage plant has opened in New York that hopes to reduce the amount of sewage overflow when storms overwhelm the city's combined sewage and stormwater system.
Floating Walkway Planned for London Olympics
Officials in London are considering a plan to build a 1-kilometer floating walkway on the Thames River in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
NYC Streets Transformation a Cause for Celebration
A number of articles have recently been written criticizing New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan for dramatically changing the city's mobility. This column from Metropolis says that criticism is misdirected.
Planning Slips From San Diego's Org Chart
Last month, the planning department of the City of San Diego was folded into the Development Services Department. Locals worry the shift in perspective will endanger plans being developed in a dozen different neighborhoods.
Trying To Reclaim and Reuse Abandoned Land in Philadelphia
Community groups in Philadelphia are trying to remake blighted vacant properties into community gardens and neighborhood amenities.
Cities at Risk from Political Budget Cuts
Mary Newsom comes away from a conference on cities concerned that the gains of the past decades in cities - improved transit, downtown revitalization - could be destroyed by budget cuts.
Chilean Dam Project Approved Amid Controversy
A plan approved to build a $7 billion dam in Chile has some worried about the loss of land, but others excited about looming economic opportunities.
Mega-Events Take Toll on Brazil's Slum Dwellers
This op-ed from Al Jazeera looks at some of the negative ways preparations for the World Cup and Olympics are affecting the poor in Brazil.
Can Different "Greens" Mix?
Governing Magazine identifies a trend: States consolidating their various environmental agencies (parks, wildlife, energy, etc.) to less than stellar effect.
The Planner Behind the Parklets
Andres Power, an urban designer for the San Francisco Planning Department, is the driving force behind the city's now-popular Pavement to Park program. Streetsblog's Bryan Goebel sat down to talk with him about the process.
"There Aren't Nearly Enough People Here."
That was David Motzenbecker's thought as he began a public meeting of the Minneapolis Planning Department, which inspired him to re-think how the city engages the public.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
