The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Is The Gate Closing On Gated Communities?
<p>The luster seems to have come off of gated communities: not only is the market for them shrinking, but they are facing rates of crime and foreclosure no different from other forms of development.</p>
Commercial Developers Finding Value In Mixed Use
<p>A tax-increment financed mixed-use mall redevelopment is showing signs of success in suburban Salt Lake City, Utah, raising nearby property values and indicating a trend amongst commercial developers who are finding profit by mixing uses.</p>
BLOG POST
Planning Schools: To Rank, Or Not To Rank?
<p>Professor Lance Freeman's <a href="/node/28749">recent post</a> about Planetizen's rankings of graduate planning programs does an excellent job of summarizing some of the thorniest problems with school rankings. The editors of Planetizen certainly agree with Professor Freeman when he states that rankings cannot accurately predict whether a particular program will provide a particular student with the type of education he or she would deem best. There are far too many individual factors involved, and any student who makes their decision primarily on the basis of such rankings would be doing themselves a great disservice. This point is also the reason why most of the 142 pages of the <a href="/guide">2007 Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs</a> consist of detailed profiles of programs -- not rankings.<br /><br />However, we continue to believe, as Professor Freeman also acknowledges, that rankings do provide a useful measure of comparison for students who are evaluating a graduate program of study in planning -- something that is likely to be the largest single investment in their educational career. Therefore, we are planning to publish a new edition of the Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs in the spring. In addition, we're working to improve our rankings process to help address some the concerns that Professor Freeman and others have raised.
A Killer View
<p>A Las Vegas homeowner has been convicted of killing more than 500 trees to improve his property's view of the famous Las Vegas Strip.</p>
Turning Abandoned Railways To Greenspace In Indiana
<p>The state of Indiana has announced plans to purchase more than 150 miles of abandoned railways, much of which is slated to become greenspace.</p>
Bikes on Trains: The Downside Of A Popular Program
<p>Caltrain's bicycle program has proven so popular that bike riders are regularly 'bumped', i.e they are left at the platform because the bike capacity has been reached, and relief doesn't appear to be forthcoming.</p>
Heat Islands or Hot Air?
<p>Sprawlmeisters take warning, advises Rob Steuteville's red-sky-at-night commentary from <em>New Urban News</em>. Your days of high pressure spin are numbered.</p>
Eminent Domain In The Spotlight
<p>With the recent multi-million dollar settlement over a Connecticut town's abuse of eminent domain, the land acquisition practice is facing increasing scrutiny nationwide.</p>
BLOG POST
Vancouver's EcoDensity Initiative Takes Next Step
<p> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial">In an earlier post, I wrote about how the EcoDensity Initiative here in Vancouver has been transforming the public dialogue about density<span style="color: blue"> ( <a href="/node/25399">http://www.planetizen.com/node/25399</a> ). </span>Since then, over autumn, the conversations have intensified, with Vancouverites from all perspectives weighing in. Just Google "ecodensity" for a flavour of what’s being written, in media, articles, and blogs, etc. The community is very aware and engaged in this important initiative, and that’s a great thing.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: blue"> </span> </p>
TOD Should Not Be Transit Agency's Business
<p>This editorial from the <em>Rocky Mountain News</em> argues that the Denver-area Regional Transportation District needs to stay true to its promise that it will not use eminent domain to acquire land for transit oriented development.</p>
Criticism Causes San Diego Politicians To Rethink Plan
<p>California Attorney General Jerry Brown's criticism of San Diego's regional transportation plan has some politicians in the area considering a major revision of the region's smart growth strategy.</p>
After City Inaction, Philadelphia Casino Construction Approved By Court
Calling out the Philadelphia City Council for "deliberate inaction" on a casino developer's zoning requests, the state Supreme Court has overstepped the city authority to approve the casino's construction.
Project Approved Under Measure 37 To Test Measure 49
<p>A subdivision project enabled by Oregon's Measure 37 and already under development when the state's voter passed the counteractive Measure 49 in November may be allowed to continue, raising questions about how to interpret to competing measures.</p>
Mobility More Of A Concern As Boomers Age
<p>Access to transportation for the elderly is of increasing concern as baby boomers approach retirement. Though the problem is major, many communities already have some programs in place to improve mobility for seniors.</p>
Your Land Is Now My Land: The Doctrine of Adverse Possession
<p>Squatters' rights dispute in Colorado causes public outrage.</p>
Can America's Passenger Rail System Ever Catch Up?
<p>As Europe and Asia invest in high-speed rail, the U.S. continues to play politics with Amtrak -- leaving customers unhappy and taxpayers footing the bill.</p>
Exploring Boston's New Public Space
<p>A Boston Globe correspondent takes a walk along the still unfinished Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway that has replaced the I-93 freeway.</p>
The Most Walkable Cities In America
<p>A new report from the Brookings Institution ranks the 30 largest U.S. metro areas according to the number of walkable places per capita.</p>
How To Reduce Greenhouse Gases At Low Cost
<p>Study finds U.S. "brimming" with opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions while saving money with small innovations and modest cost.</p>
Greening Up The Airport
<p>As one of the most notorious polluters of greenhouse gas emissions, airplanes and airports are increasingly being called on to green their operations. This interview from <em>VerdeXchange News</em> looks at some efforts being made in Los Angeles.</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.
