The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Can Dubai Survive?

Beneath the shiny allure of Dubai lies a litany of human rights and environmental abuses so severe that collapse cannot be far away, writes Johann Hari.

April 17 - AlterNet

Stadium to Nowhere

Kansas City has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in a new indoor arena with the hopes of luring a pro basketball or hockey team. But a year and a half after opening, nobody's biting.

April 17 - The Atlantic

Luxury Replaces Local Goods and Services in Malibu

As a new luxury retail center replaces a decades-old hardware store in upscale Malibu, California, many worry about the troubled future facing local businesses and services.

April 17 - Los Angeles Times

Census Officials Concerned as Group Urges Migrant Boycott

As a bargaining chip to encourage federal immigration reform, a religious group is calling on undocumented migrant workers to boycott the upcoming U.S. Census. Officials say such a boycott could hurt many cities.

April 17 - USA Today

Green Roofs May Be Mandated in Toronto

Toronto City Council is planning to vote on a measure that would require green roofs on most buildings over 54,000 square feet, which would make it the first North American city to require green roofs. Developers are opposing the move.

April 17 - The New York Times


Un-Developing Abandoned Housing Developments

A stalled and abandoned development along the Florida coast is being scouted by the Trust for Public Land as a possible site for "un-development" -- a return to its natural state as open space.

April 17 - Los Angeles Times

Portion Control for the Road

In this blog post, Tom Vanderbilt connects the dots between road size ("portions") and driving behavior ("consumption").

April 17 - How We Drive


Ahead of Itself and Undeveloped

A Washington, D.C. entertainment district was meant to follow the construction of a baseball stadium, but, for now, the area is victim to overly ambitious plans to develop as quickly as possible.

April 17 - The Washington Post

BLOG POST

The APA needs a Sustainability Division

<p> Many planners and even American Planning Association (APA) members are unaware that the APA has special member bodies called <a href="http://planning.org/divisions/index.htm">Divisions</a>. These are essentially issue-focused member committees within APA that contribute to policymaking, develop conference sessions, publish newsletters, and generally act as focal points for like-minded APA members. </p>

April 16 - Daniel Lerch

Obama Trumpets High-Speed Rail

Quoting Daniel Burnham, Obama announced that America should "make no little plans" as he affirmed his administration's commitment to building high-speed rail across the nation. Ten corridors were highlighted.

April 16 - Washington Post

Funds Promised to Ease Water Troubles

The state's water supply is in trouble, and its beat-up water system can't hold up much longer. On Wednesday the federal government has promised to step in and help California rebuild its water system.

April 16 - San Francisco Chronicle

An Unsustainable Industry's Call to Planners

Australian transport official Nick Dimonpoulos has called on better land use and long-term planning to avoid flooding and temperature extremes brought on climate change caused by land transportation-related emissions.

April 16 - Transport & Logistics News

Urban Gardening and Quality of Life

According to this article, community gardens can reinvent struggling neighborhoods by causing its residents to "band together."

April 16 - Chicago Tribune

Walkability Around Schools Dwindling

As more parents drive their kids to school, areas around campuses have become increasingly dangerous for pedestrians. Narrow sidewalks and too-few crosswalks are partly to blame.

April 16 - The New York Times

Shanghai "Swaggers" Into the Future

With the unfettered ability to zone, plan and fund construction projects, the government of Shanghai is turning the city into what looks like "one immense architectural competition."

April 16 - The Globe and Mail

Largest Real Estate Bust In History

General Growth Properties, the 2nd largest mall operator in the nation, declared bankruptcy this morning. The company was felled by mounting debt from short-term mortgages it used to expand its holdings.

April 16 - The New York Times

Southern California Landscape Proves the Golden Rule

The old saying is that he who has the gold, rules. The fact that Orange County motorists have a toll road carving through a magnificent canyon while rich folks in Malibu get to live next to scenic hillsides proves the rule, writes Bill Fulton.

April 16 - California Planning & Development Report

Where's the Middle Ground?

Downtown Los Angeles' Figueroa Corridor is getting two new high-rises, the "all" in the area's seemingly "all-or-nothing" approach to development, says Christopher Hawthorne.

April 16 - Los Angeles Times

Politics-Driven Planning Rules Toronto

During a round table discussion between four of Toronto's most prominent architects conclude that the city's planning, deemed dysfunctional by one, falls short.

April 16 - Toronto Star

FEATURE

The Disproportionate Costs of Resort Developments

A new report out of Oregon suggests that the fiscal costs of successful resort developments significantly outweigh their benefits -- and taxpayers are burdened with the tab. Erik Kancler of Central Oregon LandWatch explains.

April 16 - Erik Kancler

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