The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Icelandic "Elf Lobby" Tries to Halt Highway Project
Concerned that a proposed highway from the Alftanes peninsula to the Reykjavik suburbs will disturb Icelandic elf habitat, an elf lobbying group is joining forces with environmentalists to try to stop the project.
Possibly Coming to a City Near You: Bike Boxes, Bike Traffic Signals
Bike boxes and bike traffic signals can greatly assist cyclists in navigating through intersections where the majority of bike-motor vehicle collisions occur. A key advisory committee may recommend official acceptance, which would green-light them.
The Smart Home Has Arrived
Though smart cities and smart phones have tended to dominate professional discussions of late, the smart home has been a gleam in the eye of futurists for decades. Experts predict home automation will accelerate over the next few years.
Public Art on the Cheap: Providence's Custom Metal Trashcans
In Providence, Rhode Island, local craftsmen are turning trashcans into art. The metal bins are custom-worked with designs celebrating local businesses and more general themes.
Lawsuit Aims to Chop Down Proposed Minneapolis Park
A park planned to accompany Minneapolis' new football stadium has raised controversy because of the amount of proposed subsidies. While the details are worked out, planners consider the elements that will ensure its success.
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An Urbanist's 12 Days of Christmas!
As we get ready to celebrate Christmas, let's remember all the "gifts" that our cities give us. Our cities deserve a Christmas Carol! Here is an Urbanist's "12 Days of Christmas."
Should New York Better Police Its Skyline?
As a Billionaires' Row of sky-high residences rises along 57th Street, towering above Central Park, Michael Kimmelman wonders if it's time to tame the "leggy, cloud-piercing, sliver-thin residential towers".
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How Important is Your Graduate Planning Specialty or Concentration?
As students plan their spring semester courses and make early plans for the summer, they often wonder how to choose a planning specialization or concentration. They ask how important the concentration is for their future career as a planner.
Is Suburban Exploitation to Blame for Camden's Decline?
Are failing cities like Camden, New Jersey, to blame for their own downfall? Or are they the victims of a regional exploitation in which the suburbs foist their problems onto the nearest urban center?
"Catastrophic" Ice Storm Freezes Toronto, Mayor
A severe ice storm struck southern Ontario and the northern U.S. over the weekend, delivering prolonged power outages and disrupting holiday travel. Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was allegedly unreachable after the storm.
Will L.A.'s "Less is More" Approach to Station Design be a Bore?
After 25 years of scattershot station design, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is bringing rationality and consistency to the design of three new rail projects. A "kit of parts" has been designed by Johnson Fain.
When Driving Wanes, Local Economies Gain
Want to boost your local economy and produce significant environmental dividends at the same time? Just drive one mile less per day says a new report from CEOs for Cities.
Whole Foods as Gentrification Bellwether
Whole Foods' newest store in Gowanus, Brooklyn is causing local vendors and artists to tread "a fine line" between reaching new customers and supporting what they think of as new, "big" development.
Saving More Than Water: Big Benefits from Green Infrastructure
A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council demonstrates that commercial investment in green infrastructure, particularly in stormwater management, can lead to substantial financial benefits for both owners and tenants.
Applauding the Bus: Transit's Unsexy Workhorse
Though new streetcars, light rail, and subway projects get much of the attention, the lowly bus does most of the heavy public transit lifting across the U.S. Even in rail-heavy cities like Philadelphia and Chicago, bus ridership exceeds trains.
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Even Controlling For Poverty, Urban Places Are Thinner Than Suburbs
Poor neighborhoods tend to be fatter than rich ones, whether they are urban or suburban. However, poor urban areas tend to be thinner than poor suburban areas, and rich urban areas tend to be thinner than rich suburban areas.
8 Fat Cats Who Can Fund L.A.'s 'Great Streets' Initiative
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's "Great Streets" plan is long on vision, but short on budget details. Terry Sweeney identifies some wealthy locals who should be called on for help.
As Developers Reach for the Sky, New Yorkers Lose Their Access to the Sun
While much attention has been paid to the stunning views that NYC's new skyscrapers offer their affluent tenants, the effects on those left in their shadow are rarely discussed.
Reaching the Limits of Passionate Defense: Time to Turn Back
Ben Brown confronts the politics of NO and finds -- spoiler alert(!) -- "to score, you need to shoot, and to shoot, you need the puck." Welcome to the waning days of Passionate D.
The Politics of Lane Closures: GW Bridge-Gate
The unannounced lane closures on the George Washington Bridge in early September have brought down two Port Authority directors and now hold serious implications for popular N.J. Gov. Chris Christie (R), thought to be a 2016 presidential candidate.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.
