Humor
Cash-for-Vote Scandal Rocks Top 10 Livable Cities List
Officials in Portland are accusing nearby Vancouver, British Columbia of bribing judges to buy their first place spot in a recent top ten list of the world's most livable cities.
9 Months After 9-Day Traffic Jam, A Baby Boom in Beijing
Nine months after a horrendous traffic jam clogged a Chinese roadway for 62 miles outside Beijing for 9 whole days, area hospitals have seen a fivefold increase in births.
Buses Add Car Racks to Ease L.A. Drivers' Uneasy Transition to Transit
Rising gas prices have pushed many in L.A. to ditch their cars in favor of public transit. But the switch has been tough for some car-tethered Angelenos, so the MTA has added car racks to its buses for those not ready to leave their cars behind.
Smart City Accidentally Downloads Virus
A brand new city in South Korea -- wired with smart grid technologies, a real-time control platform, deep sensing, simulation, and advanced analytics -- has accidentally downloaded a major computer virus.
Courtin' Participation With a Bluegrass Music Video
To kick off its Legacy Plan update process, the Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, NC planning board made a music video featuring an original song, a bluegrass band and some familiar scenes.
Top 10 Websites - 2011
Our annual list of the 10 best planning, design, and development websites represents some of the top online resources for news, information and research on the built environment.
Los Angeles' "Public Transportainment"
An enterprising couple from Los Angeles turned an RV into a mode of public transportation for the party-going crowd. Recent partnerships with Foursquare and Walt Disney Imagineering have made the RV a popular way to get around Tinseltown.
Designing Cities for Animals
A design student from the Royal College of Art, London raises the question of whether urban design can be used to bridge the gap between humans and animals which share urban environments.
Friday Funny: Detroit Light Rail in the House
Enjoy this detailed demonstration of Detroit's Light Rail Proposal, using rap and LEGOs to communicate the message that light rail in the center of the road is better than then on the sides.
Friday Funny: HSR Mad Men Style
Selling high-speed rail to the American public has just gotten a whole lot easier with the assistance from the brilliant minds at "Mad Men."
Make No Little Plans Without Twitter
Chuck Wolfe suggests five "Burnhamisms" for getting communities inspired and engaged with urban planning, including using social media and video to communicate your message.
China Blocks Google Maps, Creates Own Virtual 3D Views
Chinese search engine company Baidu has developed an alternative to Google's (banned in China) 3D view.
Friday Funny - Top Ten Cities That Need Statues from 80's Movies
While Philadelphia has a real-life statue of the famous underdog Rocky Balboa, an online campaign in Detroit wants a similar RoboCop statue put up. TIME Magazine has other must-have icons from the 80s era it thinks cities should adopt in stone.
Top 5 Urban Infographics
Yuri Artibise is an expert on infographics and has chosen his favorite ones on cities.
Is the Professionalization of Planning a Bad Thing?
Daniella Fergusson believes that a case in Raleigh, North Carolina proves that some agencies use the professionalization of planning to promote "pay to play" policies.
"Don't Sleep In The Subway, Darling"....or else
No, this is not a video of Petula Clark, but do take her message to heart. Rats are not just on the subway tracks - occasionally they hop a ride too, so riders beware - stay awake! Caught on tape...
Historic Preservation with the Muppets
The plot of a new Muppets movie in the works is said to focus largely around historic preservation issues, according to this post from Curbed LA.
10 Urban Planning Songs
While there may not be popular songs specifically mentioning urban planning, there are many songs about cities and the impact of planning decisions. Here are my 10 of favorites.
Top 10 Books - 2011
Planetizen is pleased to release its ninth annual list of the ten best books in urban planning, design and development published in 2010. This year's selection includes some big names, some big ideas -- and a book called "Toilet."
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.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
