The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Boston’s Big Dig Could be Model for Toronto
As Toronto contemplates the future of its crumbling Gardiner Expressway, columnist Christopher Hume suggests looking to Boston’s Greenway for a glimpse of what downtown might be like without the elevated eyesore.
Capacity to Predict Disasters Outstrips Our Desire to Avoid Them
Disaster prediction is a "growth industry", writes Nathaniel Rich, and one that has made incredible strides over the past several years. But will all this information lead us to make better decisions about where we choose to live?
College Towns Provide a Master Class in Bike-Friendliness
New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that college towns are even better at encouraging bicycle commuting than the most notable big cities (Portland, Seattle, etc); even when excluding commuting for school. What's their secret?
Bucking National Trend, Homelessness Rises in N.Y. and L.A.
Despite a "remarkable" drop in homelessness across the U.S., sobering new data from HUD reveals that New York City's struggle with record high homelessness is getting worse, not better. Homelessness is up substantially in Los Angeles as well.
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Green Urbanism is the Future! Well, maybe.
Students of landscape architecture are obsessed with cities and all things green - at least according to recent design awards. But are they forgetting about design?
Proposed Gated Community Threatens L.A. Wildlife, Scientists Claim
A proposed gated community in Los Angeles County has provoked the ire of a group of scientists concerned about its environmental impact.
Global Insurance Firms offer Resiliency Tools to Climate Risk Cities
"Building Climate Resilience in Cities" was developed by global insurers and non profits to offer tools and technical assistance to urban areas facing development changes in response to climate change risks.
12 Bold and Bizarre Visions for Cities
There's no shortage of bold and bizarre ideas for how to make our future cities more livable, sustainable, and efficient. Whether many of these ideas are feasible is another story.
Do You Know What Year the U.S. Hit Peak Gasoline Consumption?
Michael Sivak of the Univ. of Michigan has published another key report documenting our waning love affair with the automobile. Sivak documents peak overall gasoline consumption occurring in 2004. Per capita fuel consumption may have peaked in 2003.
Ann Beha Architects Will Rehab Gropius's Athens Embassy
The U.S. Department of State has selected Ann Beha Architects (ABA) to renovate the United States Embassy in Athens, Greece.
Long Beach Considers Replacing Parkway with Park
For those living in one of the most industrial areas of Los Angeles County, a little green can go a long way. A landmark project could see an isolated piece of freeway in Long Beach replaced with much-needed park space.
Mapping New York's Toxic Legacy
In bright blues, greens, and reds, an interactive map developed by property information website Property Shark documents New York City's cornucopia of polluted properties. Check the map to see if you might be living next door to a leaking oil tank.
27 Ideas for Keeping the Twin Cities Prosperous
A study prepared for the McKnight Foundation’s Food for Thought series has searched far and wide for lessons for keeping Minneapolis-St. Paul a prosperous and livable place.
Synchronized Street Repairs Save Chicago Residents Money and Aggravation
Tell me if this sounds familiar: A city repaves a crumbling street only to dig it up again 9 months later to replace an aging water main. Chicago's new Project Coordination Office (PCO) is intended to prevent such unnecessary and costly headaches.
Vacant Buildings: Renovate, Demolish, or Disguise?
To battle blight caused by the plague of vacant properties left by declining populations and the Great Recession, cities and property owners are resorting to some sly tactics.
Friday Funny: Celebrities on Invisible Bikes
Exploiting America's enduring fascination with fame and growing proclivity for cycling, a group on the social news and entertainment website Reddit has melded the two with one humorous twist - they've made the bikes invisible.
Qatar's X-Rated Stadium and the Dangers of Designing "Readable" Buildings
With the help of Buzzfeed, Zaha Hadid's design for Qatar's new Al-Wakrah sports stadium - which happens to bear a resemblance to "lady parts" - went viral this week. Philip Kennicott examines Qatar's "awkward moment".
Could Property Owners Sue if Cincinnati Cancels its Streetcar?
The cancellation of Cincinnati's under-construction streetcar became a real possibility this month with the election of Mayor John Cranley. Could property owners and businesses who expected a boost from its arrival sue if it's cancelled?
Can the Great Green Wall of China Keep Out the Desert?
At the edge of the Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia a nonprofit organization is planting millions of trees to slow the advancing sands. At stake is the air quality in Beijing and, perhaps, "the viability of the Asian continent."
California Ballot Measure Will Propose New Fee to Fund Roads
Would you be willing to increase the annual license fee you pay on your vehicle if the funds were to go to road repair and expansion? That's the question Californians will be asked to decide if the Road Repairs Act qualifies for the Nov. 2014 ballot.
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)
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.
