The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Cities: Use What You've Got
According to Philip Myrick, communities that will fare the best economically are the ones that think locally and employ placemaking strategies.
RAND Corp. Offers SoCal Short Term Congestion Fixes
Author Paul Sorensen details the findings of a recent RAND study recommending short term (i.e., within five years) fixes for rampant congestion in Southern California.
NOLA Medical Campus to Replace Historic Buildings
A proposed New Orleans hospital will have to be built on top of an historic neighborhood that some residents feel that they have just regained. Those in favor of the project insist that the selection of that site was necessary.
In Light of Violence, Student Subway Passes Reconsidered
Subway violence and crime in Philadelphia have been unofficially traced to truant students, who are enabled by unlimited rides on the SEPTA throughout the week. Whether or not the student TransPass system should be eliminated is being debated.
Transportation Secretary Will Have to Hit Ground Running
Outdated funding mechanisms and systemwide maintenance issues ensure that the next transportation secretary will have a full plate during the Obama administration.
BLOG POST
Smart Economic Stimulation
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman">Economic stimulation is an important issue these days. Let’s be smart when choosing economic stimulation strategies. </span> </p>
BLOG POST
Skills in Planning: The Planning Portfolio
<p class="MsoNormal"> With the return to prominence of physical planning and increasing use of GIS, planning students are becoming interested in developing portfolios of their work. This blog entry provides tips for this process exploring why portfolios are useful, who they are aimed at, and how to design the portfolio. It provides many of the resources needed to design your own! </p>
From Garbage Hole to Park
Turning a New York landfill into a park may just reorganize the way people think about public parks in America.
Inland Empire Prepares for 350,000 Foreclosures
Local and regional governments in Riverside County, California, have assembled a "Red Team" task force to mitigate the impacts of the foreclosure crisis in the fastest growing region in the state.
Can L.A. Go Solar?
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has an ambitious plan to get L.A. to go solar. Still, without a proper financial analysis, skeptics find it too lofty to be true.
The Problem of Less Driving
This year, oil prices in America rose to heights drivers had never seen. So they cut back on driving. But that reduction is now causing oil prices to fall back down, and many say drivers will soon revert to old habits.
ACLU Takes RLUIPA Case in Pennsylvania
Evangelical pastor Rev. Jack L. Wisor was giving shelter to four homeless people in his church in downtown Brookville, PA. When he was ordered to move them on a zoning violation, Wisor - and the ACLU - sued the city.
London Mayor Cuts Cycling Funds
London mayor Boris Johnson is facing backlash for withdrawing money from bike route funds to rephase traffic lights, among other things. The move is less than effective for making London a "true cycling city," say critics.
Why Infrastructure Spending isn't Always the Answer
China's stimulus plan is aimed at funding more of what the country already has enough of: infrastructure. What's needed is social spending and for citizens to have more of a stake in the economy, argues Zhiwu Chen.
How to Empower the World's Poor
The key to solving global poverty is possessing secure land and property tenure, according to this opinion piece. Having such security enables poor communities, even those here at home, to make demands from their governments.
From a Zombie Economy to a New Economy
The stream of Washington bailouts is a doomed attempt to revive a 'zombie economy', argues James Howard Kunstler. He believes we need to start organizing new, local economies built around growing food, making things and transporting them by rail.
Expatriates Find Competition in Mumbai
Floods of British expatriates moving to Mumbai are finding the city practically as competitive and sometimes even more expensive than home.
Xmas Gift for the Transit Nut
Lionel is offering its first ever model subway set, recreating the New York subway system complete with station announcements and subway sounds.
Beauty Queen's Day-Job is Town Planner
A town planner from Brisbane, Australia, has been crowned the beauty-queen face of an annual open-air motor racing event.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.
