The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Taxi of Tomorrow Scuttled Yesterday
Mayor Bloomberg's plan to mandate a standardized taxi for the streets of New York was given a potentially fatal blow this week by a State Supreme Court judge. With his successors unlikely to take up the legal battle, the plan appears doomed.
Decision Over Proposed Chicago Area Tollway Divides Regional and State Planners
Amid heavy political pressure, a plan to build a new expressway between Chicago's suburbs and Indiana backed by Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois Department of Transportation was dealt a significant defeat by Chicago's regional MPO this week.
On Garcetti's 100th Day: Let There Be Metrics
On Eric Garcetti's 100th day in office, the new mayor of Los Angeles showed progress on his promise to increase accountability by launching a beta website to track City Hall performance in nine categories and for each city department.
Two Years Before Opening, New Streetcar Already Driving Kansas City Development
Building on a decade of phenomenal growth, downtown Kansas City is poised to add 1,500 new and renovated apartment units in time for a new streetcar to begin operating in 2015.
Strict Standards for Ship Emissions Cleanse Bay Area Air
Thanks to a Calif. law implemented in 2008 requiring ocean-going ships to switch from high-sulfur bunker fuel to cleaner fuels within 24 miles of the coast, Bay Area air quality significantly improved by reducing deadly particulate emissions.
What Will It Take to Move Detroit's Holdout Homeowners?
Marooned in an ocean of crumbling homes, declining city services, stray dogs, and crime, as many as 10,000 Detroiters live in areas that are unlikely to rebound. What incentives can the city devise to get them to relocate?
Opponents Question Plan to Replace Sydney CBD Parking With Cycle Lanes
Debates rages on in response to the City Centre Access Strategy as it's revealed that the CBD could loose around 20% of its parking places and loading zones on two key streets to make way for the expanded cycle path scheme.
Immigrants Help Revive Struggling Midwestern Cities
As the U.S. struggles once again to pass comprehensive immigration reform, Midwestern cities like Dayton, Ohio see attracting immigrants as the key to reversing population declines, reviving distressed neighborhoods, and boosting their economies.
Do Digital Billboards Have Any Place in Public Space?
A city-hired consultant has recommended an expansion of the areas where digital billboards are allowed in Toronto. The sign industry claims the billboards contribute to “vibrancy” but critics argue they're an unwelcome intrusion into public space.
How Do You Plan a City for the Next 90 Years?
Planners in Copenhagen are bringing new meaning to the concept of long-term planning. A 10-person team is focused solely on envisioning how the city will adapt to the next 90 years of climate change.
Minneapolis' Influential Modernist "Park Plaza" Saved from Demolition
The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) and the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) have reached a settlement with the City of Minneapolis to preserve and rehabilitate Peavey Plaza, ending a lawsuit brought by the groups to prevent demolition.
Bikes Emerge as a Viable Alternative for Urban Freight
It may be hard to image fleets of cargo bikes replacing the large polluting trucks that tear up our city streets. But a European Union project estimates that the majority of freight in 322 cities studied could be moved by cargo bike.
Where to Find Federal Data During the Shutdown
When the federal government shut down last week it took many agency websites along with it, depriving planners around the U.S. of resources they use daily. The blog Data Insights has put together a list of alternative sources for federal data.
A Mesmerizing Interactive History of the High-Rise
Told over four parts meant to evoke chapters in a storybook using films, photos, archive materials, text, and miniature games, this "Op-Doc" is a short masterclass in the 2,500-year global history of vertical living.
What Is a Place Without the People?
In an illustrated essay, Chuck Wolfe contrasts the ideal form of the New England town with an abandoned French village, calling out the human infrastructure essential to successful urban places.
Will Amtrak Regional Service End in California, Illinois and Indiana?
Unless these states come to an agreement with Amtrak by Oct. 16 to help subsidize regional rail service, required by the Passenger Rail Investment & Improvement Act of 2008, Amtrak will cease operating them. Agreements were reached with 16 states.
Searching for a Sequel to the Plan of Chicago
Calling Chicago a "city on the brink", the editors of the Chicago Tribune issue an "RFP" for residents and civic groups to put forth a vision for Chicago that can address its chronic woes, ensure its survival, and inspire people to action.
Can UK Politicians Force Owners to Develop Fallow Properties?
Britain's opposition Labour Party is promising to tackle the country's housing crisis as a centerpiece of its next election campaign. A proposed “use it or lose it” law aimed at forcing developers to build on fallow land is causing controversy.
N.J. Supreme Court Wisely Rejects Gov. Christie's Attempt to Dismantle Mount Laurel Ruling
The New York Times editorial board praises the Sept. 26th decision of the N.J. Supreme Court to uphold the 1983 landmark, affordable housing, anti-exclusionary zoning principles known as Mount Laurel and reject the appeal by Christie and 11 towns.
How Can We Hype Downtown's Resurgence If We Can't Define It?
The U.S. Census Bureau uses a relatively crude definition of downtowns, complicating comparison between metros and opening up their findings to criticism. A new method of measuring downtowns via heat maps of job density aims to address this problem.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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.
