The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A local Council in Scotland is considering convening a Citizens Panel to consider the next round of difficult cuts to local budgets. This opinion piece debates whether public involvement is a value-added, or if it just slows down decisionmaking.

February 10 - The Inverness Courier

BLOG POST

<p class="ecxMsoNormal"> A decade or so ago, after reading some of Jane Jacobs’ work, I became aware of the distinction between mixed-use and single-use neighborhoods.<span>  </span>In those days, I imagined that in a well-functioning urban neighborhood, every non-polluting use would be mixed together, and the lion of housing would lay down with the lamb of commerce. </p>

February 10 - Michael Lewyn

<em>The Tyee</em> talks with former Vancouver Mayor and British Columbia Premier Mike Harcourt, who argues that the investment to host the 2010 Winter Olympics are worthwhile.

February 10 - The Tyee

Officials in Lagos, Nigeria, are calling for the city's successful bus rapid transit system to be expanded to other cities throughout the country.

February 10 - Daily Champion

BLOG POST

<p> The Winter Olympics will begin later this week in Vancouver, British Columbia. Like other hosts of such large-scale sporting events, the city has been getting ready for the international spotlight for many years. To hear more about what&#39;s been going on in the city in terms of urban planning, I interviewed Vancouver Planning Director Brent Toderian, and you can <a href="http://places.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=12693" title="Places - The Olympics and the City">read a transcript of that Q&amp;A on Places</a>. </p>

February 10 - Nate Berg

Kyla Fullenwider offer ten simple ideas to improve the livability of your block.

February 10 - Good

Over the last decade, infrastructure went from the realm of policy wonks to the front pages. the Alex Marshall argues that this bodes well for infrastructure in the future.

February 10 - Regional Plan Association

Wind energy could generate two-thirds of the electricity people in Maryland currently use according to a new report funded by the Abell Foundation. It calls for installation of 2900 turbines far enough offshore so landlubbers can't see them.

February 10 - Baltimore Sun

PBS documents Detroit's attempts to overcome its history as "the Motor City" to create new ways of getting people around. Transit advocates play a big part in this preview, which includes renderings of projected transit options.

February 10 - PBS

Shanghai is preparing to host the 2010 World Expo -- an event that's costing more than $45 billion. While officials hope the event will be a boon for tourism, locals question whether the investment will pay off.

February 10 - NPR

A group of San Francisco farmers are turning a former freeway into a productive urban farm.

February 9 - Streetsblog San Francisco

John King is surprised to find that a bold plan for a public space has somehow squeaked through the Berkeley, CA planning process in an area between BART and campus.

February 9 - The San Francisco Chronicle

What housing slump? Canada's real estate recovery has been so fast, some analysts worry it signals a return to speculation.

February 9 - Wall Street Journal

Americans are starting to value experiences over things, according to a new poll. Nearly half of Americans report spending less time purchasing non-essential goods, while many are spending more time on friends, family, and hobbies.

February 9 - New York Times

A new 350kph train connecting Zhengzhou and Xi'an debuted Saturday, cutting a 6 hour train ride down to less than 2 hours.

February 9 - China Daily

A press conference was held in Paris to draw attention to the problem of "increasingly large and unsympathetic buildings" cropping up around the City of Lights.

February 9 - INTBAU News

Florida voters are facing an amendment this November that could dramatically reshape the way local planning occurs.

February 9 - St. Petersburg Times

A new study ranks the U.S. states by residents' happiness. From Louisiana (#1) to New York (#51), the happiest people tend to live in sunny, outdoorsy states with strong quality of life measures.

February 9 - USA Today

Washington County, Utah invites the public once a year to see what transportation projects are in the works and talk to planners and engineers. The meet-and-greet has proved highly popular and a way for information to flow both ways.

February 9 - The Spectrum and Daily News

The online walkability tool is sexy but not perfect. Real estate site are beginning to use it; could planners use it too? Bill Fulton gives his two cents.

February 9 - California Planning & Development Report