The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Friday Funny: 'Mind Your Mouth'
<p>The voiceover artist famous for reminding passengers to 'mind the gap' on the London Underground was fired after posting a series of subway announcement spoofs on her website.</p>
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Smart Transport Emission Reductions
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Last week I attended the <a href="http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/news.html">NREL Energy Analysis Forum</a>, where leading North American energy analysts discussed current thinking concerning greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies, much of which involves emission cap and trade programs (as summarized in the report by Resources for the Future, "<a href="http://www.rff.org/rff/News/Releases/2007Releases/July2007ClimateChangeBillsinCongress.cfm">Key Congressional Climate Change Legislation Compared</a>"). Similarly, a recent report, "<a href="http://www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/ccsi/greenhousegas.asp">Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much At What Cost</a>" evaluates emission reduction strategies according to their cost effectiveness.
Developing Affordable Housing In The Suburbs
<p>With more low-income households settling outside of urban centers, planners are faced with the challenge of getting affordable housing built in traditionally upscale suburban communities where zoning has all but forbid low-cost homes.</p>
Mayor To Employees: Get On The Bus
<p>Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels wants city employees to ride the bus to work, and he's proposing giving them free transit passes to make it easier for workers to make the switch.</p>
Gay Bars Disappear, Public Space Suffers
<p>The disappearance of gay bars in the Boston area signals a change in the city's character and the vibrancy of it's public space. In this piece, Robert David Sullivan argues the change is bad for everyone in the city, gay and straight.</p>
Rising Death Toll Inspires Pedestrian Safety Initiative
<p>After a string of pedestrian fatalities, Montgomery County, Maryland, is pushing a broad plan to improve pedestrian safety.</p>
Trading In The Car For A Metro Pass
<p>Tasked with making Los Angeles more pedestrian-friendly, a planner decides to give up his car.</p>
The Latest Home-Based Business: Wineries
<p>Planners in Tacoma, Washington have approved a new ordinance that allows small-scale microwineries to be legally operated out of the home.</p>
China Moves To Protect Farmland With Higher Taxes
<p>To stem the loss of farmland to development, the Chinese government is raising taxes on non-farmed arable land by 500%.</p>
Reorienting Suburbs Toward An Interdependent Future
<p>Created as a celebration of American individualism and consumerism, suburbs will need to reinvent themselves to successfully lead an interdependent world, according to this article from <em>Newsday</em>.</p>
Shifting Priorities In The Great Lakes
<p>Economic priorities in the Great Lakes are shifting away from heavy industrial uses to tourism and real estate development.</p>
GPS Finds Fastest Routes, But Roads Can't Handle Traffic
<p>GPS devices in Britain looking for the best routes possible are directing truck drivers through tiny towns without the proper road space and infrastructure to handle their loads. Some towns are thinking about requesting removal from the map.</p>
Japanese Urban Centers Fading In Rural Prefectures
<p>Smaller cities in rural areas of Japan are being gutted out, as big box centers continue to sprout up outside cities.</p>
Planners Object, But Courts Approve Housing Development
<p>When developers made plans for a housing development on land an Israeli kibbutz had to sell off, planners said the required rezoning was out of the question. But five years later and still without planners' approval, the courts have allowed project.</p>
Holding The Line On Miami-Dade's Urban Development Boundary
<p>Citing strained resources, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez has vetoed a number of development projects located outside of the County's ever-tenuous urban development boundary.</p>
...Because It's Called 'Lawndale', Not 'Concretedale'
<p>The Southern California city of Lawndale has passed tight restrictions that prohibit residents from paving their front yards with concrete -- an effort to reduce the amount of vehicles parked in front yards and fight what some call a "sea of gray."</p>
The Catalyst For Urban Renewal
<p>Urban cores have undergone a long period of depopulation and depression. But with cities across the country attempting to bring these areas back, a few simple strategies are laying the groundwork.</p>
The Two Faces of California's Upcoming Election Year
<p>In California, the 2008 election year may result in victories for two contrasting interest: those who want to limit eminent domain powers and those seeking increased regulation of land use, writes William Fulton.</p>
Tapping The Power Of The Desert Sun
<p>The European Union and the desert countries of Northern Africa may form a collaborative effort to harvest solar energy in the desert areas. The solar power effort could power about one-sixth of Europe if it goes through.</p>
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.
