The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Competition For UK Roads Reaches Flashpoint

<p>A BBC TV special examines the heated interaction between pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists jockeying for scarce road space in Britain.</p>

January 17 - Streetsblog

Abu Dhabi's Investments In Cultural Development

<p>This article form <em>City Journal</em> looks at the rapidly rising city of Abu Dhabi and its focus on human development.</p>

January 17 - City Journal

Nation's Aging Infrastructure 'No Longer Acceptable'

<p>In its new report released to Congress, the National Surface Transportation and Revenue Study Commission advocates hundreds of billions in annual infrastructure expenditures, and a significant hike in the gas tax.</p>

January 17 - AOL News

Can The Bike Compete With The World's Cheapest Car?

<p>Cyclists are teaming up in Delhi, forming a club to promote the bike as a better transportation alternative than the cars that are increasingly flooding the city's streets.</p>

January 17 - BBC

Italian Trash Problem Is Nothing New

<p>This op-ed looks at Naples, Italy, where protests over a garbage dump have halted collections and left rubbish piling in the city's streets. Though unpleasant,writes the author, the situation should not be surprising.</p>

January 16 - The New York Times


Lessons From Below Sea Level

<p>Global warming is exacerbating the threat of flooding in low-lying areas such as Holland and California's Sacramento Delta. Politicians in California are looking to Holland for examples of how to prevent flooding from happening.</p>

January 16 - NPR

Beijing's 'Conservation' Plans Bend Definition

<p>Beijing is in the midst of a wide-scale revitalization effort to prepare itself for the 2008 Olympic games. Included in this effort is a citywide conservation plan targeting 25 areas in the city. But the term "conservation" is loosely defined.</p>

January 16 - The Australian


Train Funding Lowers Ridership in L.A.

<p>Funding for L.A.'s rail projects is lowering transit ridership, according to this op-ed based on an analysis of transportation spending, subsidies and boarding statistics.</p>

January 16 - The Los Angeles Times

At The Helm of a Major Revitalization Project

<p>Liverpool is currently undergoing a broad revitalization effort, including more than 40 buildings and a brand new city center. This article from <em>Building</em> talks with the man in charge of it all.</p>

January 16 - Building

Seattle Considers 48-Hour Notice for City Campers

<p>In an effort to standardize its procedures, the city of Seattle is considering a plan to give homeless people 48 hours of notice before they are forced to clear out encampments on city property.</p>

January 16 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Architects Redefining The Civic Building

<p>Architype Review profiles 8 Civic Buildings in the words and images of their design teams.</p>

January 16 - ArchiType Review

The Emergence of the Northern California Megaregion

<p>The powerful northern California "megaregion" was revealed when it was awarded $840 million by the state Transportation Commission to the amazement and chagrin of southern California, which had been expecting to receive the majority of state funds.</p>

January 16 - The Contra Costa Times

Backyard Cultural Tourism

<p>The article explores a tourist village in Bangalore where affluent Indians can experience a rural lifestyle. It is the showcasing of all things old, traditional and rural -- which are less and less a part of the lives of many Indians.</p>

January 16 - BBC

The Threat of Ocean Acidification

<p>There is growing evidence that the gravest peril for ocean species may be posed by “the other CO2 problem” — acidification of the world’s oceans as a consequence of the influx of carbon dioxide generated by human activities.</p>

January 16 - Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built & Natural Environments

BLOG POST

Smart Growth at the Grassroots, Part 1

<p> <strong>Matching Obstacles and Techniques</strong> <em>(Part one of two)</em><br /> <br /> Creating Smart Growth in our metropolitan areas is generally more complex than conventional auto-oriented development, more expensive, and requires more public involvement and coordination. The strong policies and regional cooperation planners desire to coordinate development have proven politically challenging. Unless planners are able to create systems that overcome these obstacles our efforts to encourage Smart Growth will be stymied. Luckily solutions are available, but they must be as nimble and resourceful as the forces they hope to counter. </p>

January 15 - Robert Goodspeed

Offshore Wind Power Plant Overcomes Major Obstacle

<p>An offshore wind power farm proposed for construction in the Nantucket Sound has been found to have only minimal environmental effects, clearing the way for the project's federal approval as soon as the end of the year.</p>

January 15 - The Boston Globe

Northern Virginia Funds Streetcar System

<p>The first 4.7 miles of a streetcar network have been funded along a major corridor in Northern Virginia.</p>

January 15 - The Washington Post

How Do You Quantify a Cultural Investment?

<p>Salt Lake City's hip art center has experienced gentrification with the ironic turn of yuppie retail making the neighborhood less safe. Now property owners and artists will need to find a new agreement.</p>

January 15 - Utah Stories

First Baltimore, Now Cleveland: Banks Facing More Subprime Lawsuits

<p>With thousands of its homes abandoned and public works projects permanently postponed for lack of revenue, Cleveland is filing suit against 21 of the nation's largest banks for their role in the subprime mortgage fiasco.</p>

January 15 - The New York Times

Many Upset About Plans to Keep Industrial Lands Industrial

<p>Plans to keep nearly 80% of downtown L.A.'s industrial lands exclusively industrial has developers and business leaders up in arms.</p>

January 15 - L.A. Downtown News

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