The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The Highs and Lows of The Pittsburgh Marathon

The Pittsburgh Marathon was canceled for five years due to budget constraints, but a recent study shows that the 2009 race generated over $22 million in spending.

September 12 - PopCity Magazine

The Geography of Pot in Los Angeles

The <em>Los Angeles Times</em> has mapped the city's medical marijuana dispensaries, and found many that fall within a proposed buffer that would keep the outlets away from schools, parks and libraries.

September 12 - Los Angeles Times

Kenyan High-Speed Rail On Track

Kenya's national railway operator is planning a high speed rail line to transport freight and passengers and could pose a challenge to the South African consortium that currently runs rail services between Kenya and Uganda.

September 12 - Business Daily

Palm Springs' Forgotten Historic District

Palm Springs has rediscovered a historic district that's been on the books for 23 years, but has been somehow forgotten until this week. Preservationists see this as a huge win, a way to protect the unique neighborhood and showcase its architecture.

September 12 - The Desert Sun

Friday Funny: Suburban Fantasies

With names like Aspen Grove and Sunrise Park, you might mistake these suburb designs for the real thing. But something's not quite right in artist Ross Racine's birds-eye views of imaginary suburbs.

September 11 - The Infrastructurist


AASHTO Picks Top 10 Transportation Projects

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has selected finalists in its 2009 America's Transportation Awards competition. Projects range from lane-widening in Delaware to HOT lanes in Miami.

September 11 - AASHTO

Some Say Olympic Green Efforts Fall Short

Organizers of next year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver are hoping to add a green sheen to the international event, but some critics say they aren't doing enough to offset the huge carbon footprint the Olympics will carry.

September 11 - BBC


Finding Efficiency At Home, In the Trash

Solar-powered trash compactors, while not cheap, pay for themselves relatively quickly. With state and city budgets more liquid thanks to stimulus money, municipalities are snapping them up.

September 11 - Slate.com

What's Happening - And Not Happening - At Ground Zero

Eight years after terrorists felled the World Trade Center towers in New York City, progress on rebuilding the site has been slow and mired in controversy.

September 11 - Architectural Record

Dubai's New Metro Opens

A new rail system has opened in Dubai, becoming the world's longest fully automated, driverless metro system. But some wonder whether the system will see much use in the oil-rich Emirate.

September 11 - Der Spiegel

George Jetson meets Blade Runner: Architects on the Future of Chicago

Blair Kamin reviews the futuristic showcase, "Big. Bold. Visionary. Chicago Architects Consider the Next Century," curated by architect, Edward Keegan, on the anniversary of Burnham and Bennett's Plan of Chicago.

September 11 - Chicago Tribune

Partial Closure Planned on San Francisco's Market Street

San Francisco's notoriously congested Market Street will soon see a lighter load of traffic, as officials roll out a pilot project that will ban private vehicles from the roadway.

September 11 - San Francisco Chronicle

New York City's Data Collection Chopped in Half

New York City has for decades collected data about itself through more than 2,500 statistical indicators. But now, that number has been chopped down to about 1,200. Officials say it creates a streamlined look at the city, but others call it a loss.

September 11 - The New York Times

LA's Wilshire Blvd. Bus-Only Lane Moves Forward

In an important step toward a bus-only lane on LA's busy Wilshire Blvd., the city council approved beginning an Environmental Impact Report for the project, to only minimal skepticism from the councilmember from the wealthier part of the area.

September 11 - LA Streetsblog

Urban Foragers Find Food in the City

Forage SF promotes the idea of eating uncultivated food found growing naturally, and even sells boxes of "wild food." Reporter Tara Lohan joins a forager, or "freegan", as they collect goodies from the streets.

September 10 - AlterNet

Slowdown in Construction Spells Trouble for Dallas' Preservation Office

As construction has slowed in Dallas, its office of Preservation and Planning has seen a large deficit in funding from fees. Half of its positions could be on the chopping block. Preservationists worry, while officials say they have bigger concerns.

September 10 - The Dallas Morning News

Wikiplanning a City

As part of their Envision 2040 process, the City of San José is soliciting user input through a web-based wiki.

September 10 - Government Technology

Injecting Planning Issues into Seattle's Mayoral Race

Seattle is in the midst of a mayoral election, and while typical election issues are getting their own share of lip service from the candidates, land use is being overlooked.

September 10 - Crosscut

New Use for Phone Booths

As cell phones have eliminated the need for phone booths, unused booths could play a key role in Spain's electric car revolution as charging stations.

September 10 - The Guardian

Film Industry Lured to Michigan

In an otherwise stalled local economy, a few new construction projects are underway in Michigan, thanks to new tax incentives that are drawing the film industry to the state.

September 10 - The New York Times

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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.