The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Making urban data available is important, but not as important as presenting that data in a digestible way, according to this piece from <em>Change Observer</em>.

July 10 - Change Observer

Construction is underway to prepare the Russian resort city of Sochi for its hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics. But it's not just venues for the games that are being built.

July 10 - The Voice of Russia

OF the many written works about Los Angeles, Mike Davis' "City of Quartz" stands out, according to this review by <em>Los Angeles Times</em> architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne.

July 10 - Los Angeles Times

Utopian developments often fail. This post from <em>The Awl</em> ranks the best and most desirable of the failed utopias throughout history.

July 10 - The Awl

The emergent urbanism of informal settlements has posed problems to governments in the Third World, and some are looking to address equality issues by issuing land titles. But one approach skips the titles and focuses on simple zoning.

July 10 - Old Urbanist

New parks -- even very small ones -- can have a major impact on the way cities and communities are revitalized, according to this post.

July 9 - Planet Forward

A new study from the nonprofit research center Good Jobs First looks into how relocation tax breaks for businesses have encouraged sprawl in the Cleveland and Cincinnati metropolitan areas.

July 9 - Crain's Cleveland Business

This post from <em>The Urbanophile</em> highlights some of the best videos focused on cities.

July 9 - The Urbanophile

In a new book, author Iain Sinclair argues against the Olympic redevelopment of London's East End, and argues that the legacy goals its planners are pushing largely already exist.

July 9 - Metro

The well-heeled foundation that's been pumping money into civic projects in Detroit is now reconsidering the role it's playing and how much it wants to contribute.

July 9 - The Wall Street Journal

The Manufacturer's Hanover Trust Company building of New York from 1953 has been the focus of much debate over the right way to preserve an historically significant building.

July 8 - Metropolis Magazine

The EPA announces new emissions standards for power plants that will "improve air quality for 240 million Americans living in states where the pollution is produced or where it travels downwind."

July 8 - The New York Times

A new report indicates that the average rent went up while vacancy rate fell in the second quarter of this year. Based on the data from 82 markets around the country, San Jose, California experienced the highest rent increase.

July 8 - The Wall Street Journal

A proposal to cut transportation funding by chairman of the House transportation committee John Mica (R-Fla.) received wide criticism from the Democrat counterpart.

July 8 - The Washington Post

Leading urban thinkers weigh-in on a debate of the merits of European and US approaches to urban planning, with a specific focus on the place of automobiles in cities. Ed Glaeser, Ellen Dunham-Jones, and Sam Staley are among the contributors.

July 8 - The New York Times

California Report previews 25 miles of new express or high occupancy toll lanes coming to LA as a pilot project paid from the competitive value pricing grant program under President Bush. The lanes currently are reserved for high occupancy vehicles

July 8 - The California Report

Developers in Sweden plan to use the several aquifers already located underneath Stockholm's streets to heat and cool the buildings located above them.

July 8 - This Big City

At a town hall meeting this week, President Obama proposed a new initiative that would give unemployed homeowners more wiggle room on their late mortgage payments.

July 8 - The Washington Post

As anemic budget becomes a new reality rather than a mere interlude, cities like Atlanta, Houston, and Sacramento close down pools to cut back expenses. School-age children with downtime in the summer suffer most.

July 8 - The New York Times

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) says that the US economy could lose up to 600,000 jobs if a transportation reauthorization bill is not passed by September 30.

July 8 - Streetsblog