Infrastructure

Could Old Bay Bridge Span Become a Park?

Architect Ronald Rael proposes preserving the discarded span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge and turning it into a park and mixed-use development, in the spirit of NY's High Line.

September 10, 2009 - Streetsblog SF

Dubai's Metro Rail Starts Rolling

Citywide metro rail service is set to begin operations today in Dubai. The system will start out with ten operational stations, but eventually include 47 stops along 70 kilometers of track.

September 9, 2009 - Business 24/7

More Renewable Energy = More Acreage

As the push for renewable energy increases, The Nature Conservancy points out that renewables need a lot of land to work and could cause "energy sprawl."

September 9, 2009 - Renewable Energy World

Ticket to Ride Now Needed in L.A.

Turnstiles are coming to the Los Angeles subway. Some say the move will help raise revenue for the city's transit authority, given its recent increases in ridership.

September 7, 2009 - Next American City

Brown Says Expensive Olympics Will Boost London

English Prime Minister Gordon Brown is confident that the 2012 Summer Olympics will bring a big economic benefit to London. But with costs rising beyond expectations, some are skeptical of the PM's prediction.

September 5, 2009 - Reuters

The Dangers of Mega-Events

2010 will bring with it a series of huge international events -- the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the World Cup in South Africa and the World Expo in Shanghai. Though seen as major opportunities for their hosts, these events can also be dangerous.

September 5, 2009 - Next American City

Street Greening Upsets Some Portland Businesses

A new street greening project in North Portland that seeks to reduce stormwater runoff is fueling a debate between the area's young, eco-conscious businesses owners and older owners who are worried about interruption from the project.

September 4, 2009 - The Oregonian

How the Economy Could Hurt Atlanta's Beltline

Atlanta's Beltline project is one of the most ambitious transportation plans the city has seen in decades, but the downturn in the economy could wreak havoc on its progress.

September 4, 2009 - The Signal

Heart of California's Agriculture on Life-Support

Water restrictions on farms in the state have atrophied jobs in the fertile Central Valley, giving communities some of the highest rates of unemployment in the state. As jobs dry up, the need for aid is surpassing what's there to give.

September 3, 2009 - The Wall Street Journal

Room for Improvement in Prospective Olympic Host Cities

A new report from the International Olympic Committee has evaluated the four host candidates for the 2016 Summer Olympics and found many places for improvement ahead of its October 2 decision.

September 3, 2009 - The Chicago Tribune

REVIEW: Contemporary Urbanism in Brazil: Beyond Brasilia

Susanna Diaz reviews a new book covering the history and thought of urban planning in Brazil, edited by Profs. Vicente del Rio and William Siembieda of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

September 3, 2009 - Vicente del Rio

Dengue Fever Increased by Rapid Urbanization

Rapid urbanization and dense cities with inadequate infrastructure are being cited as leading causes in the spread of dengue fever throughout Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.

September 3, 2009 - Reuters

BRT Gets Rolling in Johannesburg

A new dedicated-lane bus rapid transit system has begun operations in Johannesburg, South Africa. The system is part of a nationwide plan to update public transit facilities as the country prepares to host the 2010 World Cup next June.

September 1, 2009 - AFP

Broadband Stimulus Grant Requests Flood In

The application period has opened for federal stimulus grants to fund broadband Internet access projects in underserved areas. The response has been overwhelming.

August 31, 2009 - USA Today

Tarmac 2.0

New solar road technology could both absorb solar energy for electricity and provide a changeable LED grid that could respond to traffic conditions.

August 31, 2009 - autobloggreen.com

An Emerging High Speed Rail Hub

As California moves forward with its plans for a high speed rail network, one hub is coming into shape. This review looks at the new hub planned for the Southern California city of Anaheim.

August 30, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Fight Congestion, Boost the Economy

Reducing traffic congestion can have big economic benefits for communities, according to a new study from the Reason Foundation.

August 30, 2009 - Reason

How Do We Pay For City Services?

Inspired by the revelation that Oakland, CA is stepping up their traffic and parking enforcement to make up a budget shortfall, Geoff Manaugh rethinks the entire process of how we fund our cities.

August 28, 2009 - BLDBLOG

Europe's Plan to Turn Sahara into Solar Power Source

Significant interest and investment has descended on a plan to create vast solar power plants in the Sahara Desert to power Europe, but the challenges are great, says Reuters.

August 28, 2009 - The New Republic

Toilet to Tap to Farm

Farmers in the Monterey Bay area of California have been feeding their artichoke plants with recycled urban wastewater. And they've been doing it safely for years.

August 27, 2009 - Miller-McCune

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.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

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.