Government / Politics
Road Lobbyists Take Hit From Livability Movement
The concept of "livability" seems to be catching on -- both at a local level and up in the federal government. This is especially true in the Department of Transportation. That could mean bad news for the road building lobby.
Portland's Empty Urban Renewal Area
Tax breaks and incentives helped spur a rash of development in Portland's South Waterfront district. But the development has struggled to lure residents.
Science City Approved in Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland, could become home to a new "science city" development that creates a hub of scientific research institutions and thousands of jobs.
Reintroducing Cars To Pedestrian Malls
Downtown Sacramento's 'K' St. has been one of the city's most notable economic failures. Banning cars while providing the light rail an undisturbed path never fulfilled the hopes that urban planners had for the pedestrian mall. Now cars will return.
Tech-Focused Planning for the Future of Cities
Broad thinking about the future may mean focusing on smaller, technology-based planning solutions, according to this essay from Regional Plan Association Executive Director Thomas K. Wright.
Stadium in a Box
The desert nation of Qatar is trying to win hosting duties for the 2022 World Cup. A new plan to build temporary stadia is helping to increase the country's chances.
LEED-ND Officially Launches
LEED for Neighborhood Development, seen by many as a corrective to the green building rating system emphasizing sustainability at the neighborhood scale, is now official. Kaid Benfield was part of its creation, and has this report.
Planning to Improve Public Health
Public health was an early impetus for better urban planning. But over the years, it has faded into the background. This piece from Miler-McCune looks at how health concerns are moving their way back into mainstream planning.
Georgia Transportation Bill Just the First Step
The Georgia legislature recently passed the Transportation Investment Act of 2010, which could greatly transform the urban realm in Atlanta and the rest of the state. The key phrase here is "could".
Won't Somebody Think of the Children?
Kids make up a big part of city populations. But often the built environment doesn't reflect a world planned with children in mind. This post from Polis looks at an effort to put children's needs back in the minds of planners.
LaHood's Bicycle Ambitions for the U.S.
The future of American transportation could be a bit more multi-modal, if Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood gets his way. NPR takes a look at LaHood's plans to get bikes back onto the nation's transportation menu.
Seeking a Federal Bailout as City Jobs Dry Up
Democrats in congress are trying to divert some federal bailout money to cities and counties, where job losses are crippling municipal services.
The Failure of the Public Process, San Francisco-Style
David Prowler, a former San Francisco planning commissioner, says that the public process of the city fails to engage the people of the community.
Mayors Say Abolish States
At a recent talk, former mayors Manny Diaz and Greg Nickels (of Miami and Seattle, respectively) talked about the frustration mayors face in having to go to the state to receive funding.
Real Estate Scandal and Planning Reform in Jerusalem
Described as being the biggest corruption scandal in Israel's history, the Holyland Park scandal highlights the need for tighter regulation of land use planning in Israel. But with the Prime Minister's support for deregulation, reform looks unlikely.
Stats Systems to See Upgrade in Federal Budget
This post from The New Republic explains how the federal budget includes plans to upgrade some of the varied parts that track statistics in the country.
Community Design for Public Health
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are getting in the urban design racket with a new guide to community design that focuses on how urban form can affect public health.
3 Reasons New Yorkers Ignore the Census
Many New Yorkers who haven't returned their census forms fear that doing so could cost them their apartments.
The One-Two Punch of Job Losses and Falling Home Values
Housing devaluation and job loss are the two major problems affecting America's urban areas. But as this article from Governing explains, those two problems are playing out in drastically different ways from metro to metro.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
