Government / Politics
China's Superhighway on Kenyan Soil
Three Chinese companies are building a 31-mile highway to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. It's a move locals see as an effort to gain favor with the Kenyan government.
The Top 10 Cities Leading the Way on Climate Change
Predictable cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland are in the Top 10, but cities like San Diego and San Jose also hold prominent spots on the list.
Western Australia's Capital Envisions its Transformation
Recently released Capital City Planning Framework for Perth outlines a mixed-use city that is both livable and welcoming to outsiders.
A Neighborhood of Stairs
The La Independencia neighborhood in Medellin, Colombia sprawls up a hillside, leaving the inhabitants to walk up to 10 flights of stairs every day. An ambitious development program is considering building an outdoor network of escalators.
Seattle Considers Car Fee to Fund Transit
Facing $60 million in deficits over the next year, transportation officials in metropolitan Seattle are pushing a plan to ask voters to approve an increase in the price of registering cars in the area to create a transportation fund.
New Bridge and Park Reconnects Detroit Neighborhood
A new pedestrian bridge over a freeway has reconnected a Detroit neighborhood with new accessibility and a new park.
America's Hidden, Distributed Infrastructural Dependencies
The WikiLeaks release revealed the locations of a set of infrastructural sites operated by the United States all across the world. This piece from Domus looks at the geographical and geopolitical implications of this network.
Reviewing Recent Books on Cities
In reviewing a handful of new books looking at cities and how they work, this piece from The New Yorker glosses over the current thinking behind the urban conversation and wonders if city celebration has gone too far.
Republicans Opening the Door to Public/Private Partnerships
Senator Mark Kirk presented details yesterday about his plan to lease public transportation assets to private companies or partner with them to expand transit.
Will Dogs Return To Downtown Santa Cruz?
Banished for 35 years, the merchants themselves have asked the city council to loosen this legislative leash. Dog-walking visitors are surprised when police inform them of the current law, and merchants seek the business that they provide.
More Extensive Bus Service to Serve Seattleites
In Washington state, King County Council will vote on a measure to adopt a new algorithm for transit service policy.
Discrimination Dressed Up As Discriminating Taste
In this post from Reason, Tim Cavanaugh joins the debate over preservation holding back the city, and argues that land use regulations have a wholesale negative impact on the city.
Prepared for Disaster, But not to Respond
Japan is typically associated with strong disaster preparedness plans, but the devastation following the March tsunami highlights some of the nation's shortcomings in adapting and reacting, according to this piece from Citiwire.
More Transit than Roads Projects on Deck, But Transit Funding Lags
In Northwestern Indiana, transit projects will outnumber road projects for the firs time in history. Funding for roads, however, still outpaces transit projects.
Bill Proposes Privatization of Northeast Rail Corridor
House Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica has proposed a bill to privatize Northeast Corridor rail operations. This post from Pedestrian Observations looks at what such a plan would mean.
South Korea to Build New Capital for Southern Sudan
The new country of Southern Sudan, officially declaring its independence in July, will have help from the national development arm of South Korea in building a proposed new capital city.
Cities Try New Approaches to Fund Streetcars
As federal transportation funding grows increasingly uncertain, cities across the country are trying new approaches to generate funds for their planned streetcar projects.
Old Airport to Become Large Urban Campground
An old disused airport in Brooklyn will be converted into an urban campground, expanding from its current 5 campsites to more than 600.
Busy L.A. Street to get Bus-Only Lane
The Los Angeles City Council has approved a 7.7-mile bus-only lane on one of the city's busiest thoroughfares.
Does Climate Change Transcend Partisan Politics?
A Yale University survey yielded a surprising result: climate change policy is becoming less polarizing among Americans of different political affiliations.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
