The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Cleveland and its suburbs are trying to remove some of the regional competition between cities by sharing revenues and resources.</p>

August 5 - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

<p>In sun-drenched Arizona, researchers are working on developing new types of pavement that can counter the warming effect of urban heat islands.</p>

August 5 - The Arizona Republic

BLOG POST

<p>Whether kissed by trade winds in Hawaii, home to dozens of unique cultures in the Caribbean, or scoured by Nor’easter’s off the coast of Maine, islands are magnetic to burnt-out urbanites but tend to be tough places for natives. <br /><br />I was a guest not long ago of <a href="http://www.menis.es/flash_engl.swf" target="_blank">Fernando Menis</a>, an architect who has built an international reputation from Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. It’s not easy to be true to a unique place – as he aspires to be – when what works locally doesn’t always “translate” in the globalized and image-driven world of architecture. <br />

August 5 - James S. Russell

<p>Small towns hungry for economic stimulus have found a willing suitor in the Internet giant, though some accuse Google of using the promise of jobs to win unfair concessions.</p>

August 5 - The Dalles Chronicle

<p>The Dharavi neighborhood of Mumbai -- home to 600,000 residents -- is set to be razed and rebuilt under a massive redevelopment scheme.</p>

August 5 - The Independent

<p>A recent poll shows the majority of Americans think the use of surveillance cameras in public spaces are a good idea.</p>

August 5 - Angus Reid Global Monitor

<p>The proposed 61-mile system connection -- which will provide an alternative to commuters on the congested Interstate 4 corridor -- has been given the green light by local officials.</p>

August 4 - The Orlando Sentinel

<p>Boosters like to sell downtown revitalization as crucial to a region's economic interest -- but for most cities, that's rarely the case.</p>

August 4 - East Valley Tribune

<p>While American drivers are burning record amounts of gas to feed their motoring habits, a weird thing is happening in the freeway state – Californians continue to consume less gasoline. Sustained high gas prices may play a role by changing behavior.</p>

August 4 - The Oakland Tribune

<p>The collapsed Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis was deemed 'structurally deficient' as early as 1990, as are 77,000 other bridges in the U.S.</p>

August 4 - The New York Times

<p>Jan Gehl, the renowned Danish urban designer, is in New York City this week where, sources say, he has been hired as a consultant for Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Long-Term Planning and Sustainability initiative.</p>

August 4 - Streetsblog

<p>In New Zealand, its not so much people, but methane-producing livestock that's the problem. A revived government proposal would tax farmers for their animal's gas emissions.</p>

August 3 - Stuff.co.nz

<p>Architecture for Humanity is a group of volunteer architects helping in the reconstruction of the Gulf Coast communities hit by Hurricane Katrina.</p>

August 3 - The New York Times

<p>Even as more and more businesses adopt environmentally-friendly policies, Joel Makower explains why he believes the green business trend has not yet reached critical mass.</p>

August 3 - Joel Makower

<p>Boston architect Peter Kuttner's philosophy is increasingly rare in architecture circles these days. He thinks architecture should serve people.</p>

August 3 - The Boston Globe

BLOG POST

After spending more than two decades in local government before my eight years as Governor of Maryland, I came to realize how the state was contributing to the spread of sprawl by funding infrastructure improvements, school construction, and transportation investments, among many other things. When we began to utilize the entire state budget as a tool for smarter growth, we found ourselves in uncharted territory. Leading the way is certainly an adventure, but it also comes with the unenviable task of not having someone who has gone before to help navigate the journey.<br />

August 3 - Anonymous

BLOG POST

<p>In an <a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/transportation/4219981.html" target="_blank">editorial</a> posted yesterday in <em>Popular Mechanics</em>, national security expert Stephen Flynn argues that Americans are relying on decades-old infrastructure intended for a much smaller passenger and vehicle load. </p>

August 3 - Diana DeRubertis

<p>The collapse of the 35W bridge in Minneapolis is likely to be representative of the kinds of new disasters we experience in the US as the county's infrastructure ages, and little new investment is made by government.</p>

August 3 - The New York Times

<p>City officials moved to protect 33 acres of the Old Sixth Ward -- a historic mark for the city in its own right.</p>

August 3 - The Houston Chronicle

BLOG POST

<p>The collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis puts the spotlight on the unsexy topic of infrastructure maintenance. But a smart growth policy, &quot;Fix it First,&quot; has been focused in the area for some time. The policy, in place in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and for the last four years in Massachusetts, states that no new highways or bridges can be built until all existing infrastructure is in a state of good repair. Generally this meant stuff that was in and around existing cities; thus it&#39;s a smart growth policy, as the makeovers make cities and older suburbs more liveable and functional, while sprawl-enabling highway construction is limited. </p>

August 3 - Anthony Flint