The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A recent article describes the context of urbanization around the country before examining the implications of the trend for the decisions made by bankers—i.e., where and how to invest—especially given the realities of the post-recession economy.

March 25 - American Banker

A recent article explores the promise—and potential pitfalls—of new technology to support the growing popularity of urban pedestrianism.

March 25 - FutureStructure

Historically, central markets served as grand social and commercial hubs for U.S. cities. A period of 20th century decline interrupted the evolution of markets, but creative and diverse examples have precipitated a recovery around the country.

March 25 - The Street Plans Collaborative

A barge spilled 168,000 gallons of heavy oil after colliding with a ship in Galveston Bay outside of Texas City on March 22, just two days shy of the 25th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez, 11 million gallon oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska.

March 25 - Galveston County Daily News

BLOG POST

In response to the news that transit ridership reached an all-time high in 2013, commentators of all stripes sought to deny or minimize the news. But such arguments are themselves flawed.

March 25 - Michael Lewyn

A familiar refrain: the EPA proposes new regulation of energy production, and the utility industry responds that new requirements will increase costs. The Center for American Progress recently looked back at how clairvoyant those claims proved to be.

March 25 - Triple Pundit

The 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize had been awarded to Shigeru Ban. Ban is best known for his innovative use of paper as a construction material and for relief work in disaster areas.

March 25 - The Architect's Newspaper

China recently announced ambitious plans to move 100 million former farmers to urban environments—enough to bring the country's urban population to 60 percent of its total.

March 25 - New York Times

The growing popularity of active transportation requires planners and advocates to better survey how, where, and when people are biking and walking. A new study by the Transportation Research Board shares the cutting edge of survey techniques.

March 25 - Transportation Research Board

A pair of articles pushes back on a recent study that claims public transit use in the United States is reaching record levels.

March 25 - The Washington Post

In 2013, the city of Columbus left $8.3 million in property taxes on the table as part of a tax break intended to increase the number of people living downtown. How did it respond? By extending the tax break.

March 24 - The Columbus Dispatch

Despite its mostly sprawling conditions, San Jose has recently prioritized walkable, dense urban environments. But should the city focus its development downtown or build a connected network of urban neighborhoods?

March 24 - Silicon Valley Business Journal

In a pair of articles, The Hill's energy and environment blogger Timothy Cara looks at political efforts to increase natural gas exports to Europe on account of Russia's annexation of Crimea, part of Ukraine, and environmental groups opposed to it.

March 24 - The Hill

Chicago recently began construction on the $60 million Navy Pier Flyover—an elevated bike and pedestrian path built along Lake Michigan near the Navy Pier.

March 24 - Chicago Tribune

Despite installing many innovative traffic management schemes over the years, the 41 miles of highway between Fredericksburg, Virginia and Washington D.C. are snarled by some of the worst traffic in the country. Can HOT lanes change that?

March 24 - Atlantic Cities

A new book by Charles Montgomery makes the case that many of the best possible outcomes for the built environment require human interaction—whether commuting to work or walking around residential neighborhoods.

March 24 - The Globe and Mail

“A City of Neighborhoods,” a new exhibit at the Boston Public Library, uses maps to illustrate how waves of immigration shaped the city and its neighborhoods throughout the 20th century.

March 24 - Wired

Earlier this month, Portland’s TriMet restored high frequency bus service to ten bus routes around the city. Jarrett Walker makes the case that the frequency of service can make or break a city’s transit system.

March 24 - Human Transit

Thanks to the 2010 federal requirement of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and new Tier 4 emissions standards by the EPA, particulate emissions from non-road diesel engines, including agricultural and construction equipment, have been reduced by 99%.

March 24 - Environmental Health News

FEATURE

Neil Roberts shares details of Melbourne's Yarra Trams, which has exceeded its service delivery and punctuality goals by the use of intelligent transit technology like sensors, the tramTRACKER app, and mobile work stations for employees.

March 24 - Neil Roberts