The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Officials in Oakland, CA are pioneering a new method of measuring the health impact of development, going beyond EIRs to get a more fully-fleshed assessment.

November 2 - Sustainable Industries

Ford Motor Co. is reporting almost $1b in profits in the third quarter. CEO Alan Mulally credits the Cash for Clunkers program and cost cutting for their success.

November 2 - The Los Angeles Times

David Villano takes an in-depth survey of the state of public engagement practices in the U.S., and the positive effects of the processes that work.

November 2 - Miller-McCune

When it comes to Houston's light rail, Randal O'Toole says you're doing it wrong. Planners are trumpeting high ridership numbers, but O'Toole says the numbers show an overall decline in Houston's transit ridership.

November 2 - The Antiplanner

"Greenwich South" is a proposed re-branding of an area near the World Trade Center site, driven by The Alliance for Downtown New York and re-envisioned by ten different architectural firms.

November 2 - GOOD Magazine

Paul Shigley reports that Duany spoke to planners at an event in Sacramento, and has a new issue: the broken process for getting things built.

November 2 - California Planning & Development Report

BLOG POST

<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri">An important new book, </span><a href="http://www.convergencepartnership.org/atf/cf/%7B245a9b44-6ded-4abd-a392-ae583809e350%7D/HEALTHTRANS_FULLBOOK_FINAL.PDF"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri">Healthy, Equitable Transportation Policy: Recommendations and Research</span></a>,<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri"> and its summary report, </span><a href="http://www.convergencepartnership.org/atf/cf/%7B245a9b44-6ded-4abd-a392-ae583809e350%7D/TRANSPORTATIONRX.PDF"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri">The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Healthy, Equitable Transportation Reform in America</span></a>,<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri"> were just published by the <a href="http://www.convergencepartnership.org/transportationhealthandequity">Convergence Partnership</a></span><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri">, a coalition that supports more rational and equitable health policy.</span> </p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal">

November 2 - Todd Litman

Journalists may be overplaying the desolation of Detroit by lustily photographing a few key ruins and cropping well-kept factories out of the picture.

November 2 - Vice Magazine

Paris and JCDecaux promise to forge on with the popular bike program, despite having lost thousands of bikes to recklessness and vandalism.

November 2 - The New York Times

A proposed plan from Gensler and 4240 Architecture would turn an abandoned rail line in Chicago into an energy-generating, food-growing powerhouse. Oh, and a park too.

November 2 - Fast Company

BART beat previous records for ridership on Weds. after a piece of the Bay Bridge that was fixed over the Memorial Day weekend failed.

November 2 - Transportation For America blog

FEATURE

Can today's contemporary architects, schooled in modernism and invention, in fact incorporate the sort of green building materials and techniques that make a real difference? And does design really matter? Josh Stephens takes a look.

November 1 - Josh Stephens

Geoff Manaugh at BLDBLG talks about the role of the architecture student. Should they be allowed create experimental designs, even when the field of practice is so narrow it is unlikely they'll ever be able to design like that again?

November 1 - BLDBLOG

The economy is up 3.5% in the 3rd quarter, thanks in large part to government subsidies for car and home buying. Otherwise, the impact of the stimulus has been muted, says The Washington Times.

November 1 - The Washington Times

A Des Moines venture capitalist and his wife have donated a reported $40 million worth of large public sculptures for a sculpture park, part of a significant redevelopment effort by the city.

November 1 - The New York Times

The City of Wildomar, CA is considering cutting developer fees in half in order to spur the local economy.

November 1 - The Press-Enterprise

LA Mayor Villaraigosa an ambitious new plan to speed up new rail projects throughout the city, and to complete it all within 10 years instead of the previously proposed 30.

November 1 - The Los Angeles Times

BLOG POST

<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial" class="Apple-style-span">BOSTON -- If you&#39;ve ever studied the bar menu at <a href="http://www.tradervics.com/index.html" target="_blank">Trader Vic&#39;s</a> then you know about such wonders as Tropical Passion, Moku Nani, and the Potted Parrot. Each is made of a unique but secret blend of dark rum, light rum, spiced rum, tropical juices, and of course &quot;subtle flavorings.&quot;  But by the time you&#39;d realize that the only real difference is the glass they come in, you&#39;re too probably drunk to notice--or care. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial" class="Apple-style-span">Minus the palm fronds, the RailVolution conference is much the same.  </span></p>

October 31 - Josh Stephens

Business Week looks at the recovering housing market, and believes that even though it was driven by massive government support there are signs that it might actually continue.

October 31 - Business Week

Celebrate Halloween with this slideshow of America's creepiest roads, accompanied by the scary tales that make them part of urban (or rural) legends.

October 31 - Digital City