The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Amanda Erickson explains how communities could wield the power of eminent domain to rescue residents with "underwater" mortgages, by condemning homes and allowing owners to refinance their mortgages and pay a new, lower rate.

August 14 - The Atlantic Cities

As the world turned its attention Sunday from London to Rio, host of the next Summer Olympics, Theresa Williamson and Mauricio Hora penned an op-ed for <em>The New York Times</em> arguing how the city's preparations are threatening its history.

August 14 - The New York Times

The Crossrail train service being built in London will not only drastically decrease commuter travel times, it is also expected to catalyze the transformation of areas along its route, reports Graham Norwood.

August 14 - Financial Times

Elsa Brenner looks at the boon for developers, and residents, that a city-and-state-funded effort to daylight the Saw Mill River has provided for the New York City suburb of Yonkers.

August 13 - The New York Times

As part of a Foreign Policy magazine special report on cities, Peter Calthorpe examines the form of China's urban growth, which is beginning to resemble the car-oriented development of the United States in the 1950s and 60s.

August 13 - Foreign Policy

With Mitt Romney's announcement of Paul Ryan as his running mate, America's Presidential campaign is heating up. With Ryan, and his policies, attached to the ticket, Yonah Freemark looks at the contrast in transportation policy with President Obama.

August 13 - the transport politic

Milan's six-month-old congestion charge, indirectly authorized by public referendum and by all measures successful in reducing traffic, crashes, and pollution, has been brought to an abrupt end by the successful appeal of a parking garage owner.

August 13 - The New York Times - Europe

Mirroring a nationwide trend, office parks in suburban Chicago are emptying out as companies increasingly favor urban locations. As a result, developers and local officials are having to think creatively about possibilities for office park reuse.

August 13 - Chicago Sun-Times

Stalled for 5 years, the 45-acre NorthPoint mixed use development in East Cambridge re-launches with a new development team and an updated vision for its urban form.

August 13 - The Boston Globe

Seeking to rival the Broadway theater district in New York and the West End in London, DreamWorks Animation SKG recently announced plans to develop a $3.1 billion cultural and entertainment district in Shanghai.

August 13 - The New York Times

The rise of the innovation economy is driving fierce competition between cities across America to attract medical facilities and universities as job providers and engines of development.

August 13 - Urban Land Magazine

Zurich underwent a major parking policy change for its downtown - from 'predict and provide' (i.e. parking minimums) to 'cap and replace'. When a new parking space is provided, a surface parking space is designated toward public plazas.

August 13 - The Atlantic Cities

By opening nine new homeless shelters in just the last two months, the Bloomberg administration has responded quickly to an 18% increase in the number of people entering NYC's shelter system in the past year, much to the dismay of local officials.

August 13 - The New York Times

J. David Goodman spotlights New York-based Transportation Alternatives, the 40-year-old pedestrian, bicycle, and transit advocacy organization that has become a potent political force.

August 12 - The New York Times

This week it was announced that a private company will pick up the passenger rail ball dropped last year by Gov. Rick Scott by financing a $1 billion project to connect downtown Miami to Orlando by 2014.

August 12 - Miami Herald

The mostly unfamiliar cities of China's vast inland territories are growing at an exponential rate, attracting global businesses, infrastructure investment, and residents in search of opportunities.

August 12 - NPR

Experimental efforts are being made to harness the extreme currents off Maine's coast, as underwater tidal energy turbines could soon generate power for nearby homes and businesses.

August 12 - The New York Times

Enrique Zaldivar, Director of the Bureau of Sanitation, explains the city's efforts to maintain public health and promote water conservation. As urban areas guard natural resources and urban environments, L.A. presents some successful first steps.

August 12 - The Planning Report

As cities across the world expand their infrastructure to support more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly environments, outdated laws still support the use of streets by automobiles over people.

August 11 - Governing

From Buenos Aires, to Mexico City, to Bogota, cities across Latin America are embracing the bicycle. Across Central and South America, bike lane miles and the numbers of bicycles on the streets are on the rise.

August 11 - The Wall Street Journal