The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>There is very, very little new housing construction in most of California, where the number of housing starts is down 75% from the boom year of 2005. One result is layoffs for planners, building inspectors and plan checkers.</p>

May 9 - California Planning & Development Report

<p>A new report examines the impacts of the mortgage meltdown on rental housing.</p>

May 9 - Joint Center for Housing Studies

<p>Water shortages have hammered the Atlanta region. But despite the drought, one real estate developer is planning to build a huge water park.</p>

May 8 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

<p>What do you do when 96 football fields worth of space opens up in a major metro area?</p>

May 8 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>With 70 percent of its waste already diverted from landfills, San Francisco continues to push forward with new laws and programs to increase recycling.</p>

May 8 - The New York Times

<p>In two separate examples, a <em>Los Angeles Times</em> columnist shows how stakeholders with money tend to win the support of local politicians more often than the less fortunate.</p>

May 8 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>The City of Portland joins Davis, California, as the only other city to earn the League of American Bicyclists' Platinum rating.</p>

May 8 - The Oregonian

<p>The Federal Reserve has announced plans to help community non-profits to acquire foreclosed homes for use as affordable housing.</p>

May 8 - The Washington Post

<p>With its portrait of glamorous living in Manhattan, some New Yorkers can't help but blame the television series for fueling the city's gentrification. Even the show's star, Sarah Jessica Parker, laments Manhattan's loss of 'grit'.</p>

May 8 - New York Daily News

<p>Environmentalists say laws have yet to catch up with greener fuel alternatives for cars.</p>

May 8 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>In Nebraska, a state experiencing just a moderate level of Hispanic immigration inflow, Attorney General Jon Bruning has drawn the line on who he’ll protect from abusive housing policies and who he won’t. For him, immigrants simply aren’t worth it.</p>

May 8 - The Next American City

<p>Go for a ride with Los Angeles' leading pedestrian activist and learn about some of the challenges in bringing change to the Car Culture Capital of America.</p>

May 8 - LA Streetsblog

<p>Plans for a Broadway-style theater and "cultural district" in downtown Salt Lake City moves forward.</p>

May 7 - Deseret News

<p>A number of innovative new bicycle designs were on display at this year's International Bicycle Design Competition, including a bike that folds into its own backpack carrying case -- making it easy to take on public transit.</p>

May 7 - Gizmag

<p>Despite concerns about lowering property values across the city, the L.A. City Council moved to limit the size of newly constructed homes in older neighborhoods to about 4,000 square feet.</p>

May 7 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>If driving less makes prices fall -- will Americans respond by driving more?</p>

May 7 - The Columbus Dispatch

BLOG POST

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> <p style="margin: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman">It turns out that the “law of demand” (the tendency of higher prices to reduce consumption) and the principles of urban economics (that improved accessibility increases land values) still apply. If we are smart, we can use these to help solve problems and benefit consumers.</span> </p>

May 7 - Todd Litman

<p>The extent of China's embrace of American-style suburbanization is best illustrated by one of its newest gated communities, which is actually called Orange County.</p>

May 7 - Good

<p>Planning has become too much like a court case, with two sides and one winner. According to columnist Christopher Hume, this adversarial nature must be changed.</p>

May 7 - The Toronto Star

BLOG POST

<p> With climate change on the mind of the world&#39;s policy makers, the auto-oriented design of our cities has been singled out as a major culprit -- and understandably so. Cars burn a lot of fossil fuel, so getting people to walk, bike and use public transportation more would help cut down on pollution and green house gases. <br /> <br /> But how to get people out of their cars? The key, many agree, is to redesign cities. Right now cities are designed for people moving around in their cars, so it&#39;s unreasonable to expect people to use any other means of transportation. But give them a city that&#39;s planned for walking, biking and public transit -- and it could be a whole new ballgame.<br />

May 7 - Christian Madera