The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>While the federal government resists taking action on climate change, municipalities are implementing their own plans and guidelines to reduce energy consumption and the production of greenhouse gases.</p>

June 12 - The Washington Post

BLOG POST

<p>For the last couple of years I have been tracking decision support tools that bring audio into the planning process. At our <a href="http://www.communitymatters.org" title="CommunityMatters">PLACE<strong>MATTERS</strong>06</a> conference, Harris Miller Miller &amp; Hanson Inc. (<a href="http://www.hmmh.com" title="hmmh">HMMH</a>) demonstrated their suite of acoustical environmental tools for planning, including a simple online <a href="http://www.hmmh.com/soundscape_02sbuilder.html" title="soundbuilder">soundbuilder</a> enabling visitors to create  different mixes with several sound overlays. <br />

June 11 - Ken Snyder

BLOG POST

<p>It is now about 22 months since hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. I was recently in New Orleans for the first time and had plenty to see. The city is still very much in a state of devastation. But there has also been a lot of progress.<br /><br />In this post, I&#39;d like to share some pictures I took when I was there and some facts and figures I&#39;ve come across that help illustrate the current situation in the city.</p>

June 11 - Nate Berg

<p>The Kyoto Protocol is a "mess" but a free market approach could help fix its weaknesses.</p>

June 11 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>Using a technique typically used by advocates, California's Attorney General is trying to use lawsuits to persuade local governments to curb sprawl and prevent global warming.</p>

June 11 - USA Today

<p>Critics warn $11 billion hydroelectric dam project could cause environmental damage while supporters point to economic and infrastructure benefits.</p>

June 11 - The New York Times

<p>With significant oil reserves in its rainforests and rampant poverty, Ecuador has a dilemma. The country's president is asking the international community to compensate the country for its plans to protect the rainforest by not drilling for the oil.</p>

June 11 - The Christian Science Monitor

<p>In preparation for the 2008 Olympics, Beijing and other Chinese cities have taken measures to clean up their "urban villages", demolishing homes and displacing thousands of poor migrants, which has resulted in the creation of many slums.</p>

June 11 - The Economist

<p>A California State Supreme Court ruling has given cities and counties broad authority of what type of retail developments can move into their municipalities, and where they can be located. Under the ruling, cities will be able to ban big box stores.</p>

June 11 - The San Francisco Chronicle

<p>With more and more grandparent raising their grandchildren nationally, developers are responding to the demand for housing that can accommodate both age groups and provide the specialized services each needs.</p>

June 11 - The Chicago Tribune

<p>Though it is a National Historic Landmark, the Garden District of New Orleans never had official local historic recognition, leaving the city powerless to prevent demolition or renovation of historic buildings. Recently, the city gained that power.</p>

June 11 - The Times Picayune

FEATURE

Stormwater mitigation rules are supposed to help protect the environment, but the current regulations also end up encouraging sprawl over urban redevelopment.

June 11 - Lisa Nisenson

<p>Over 20,000 people descended on San Antonio to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the American Institute of Architects -- whose conference focused on how sustainable design is changing the way buildings are located, designed and constructed.</p>

June 11 - Multi Family Housing News

<p>The city is working hard to increase density, but with Angelenos firmly attached to their cars and the region's transit moving at a snail's pace, can smart growth really work in L.A.?</p>

June 11 - LA Weekly

<p>Plans call for redeveloping the north parking lot of the Seattle Seahawks stadium into a new mixed-use development that will add 400 housing units to the historic district and better link the neighborhood with adjoining areas.</p>

June 10 - The Seattle Times

<p>Instead of getting cities to issue more speeding tickets, what if cars automatically sensed the posted speed limit and prevented motorists from driving too fast?</p>

June 10 - BusinessWeek

<p>Plans to redevelop several ailing housing projects near the U.S. Capitol into mixed-income communities are moving forward after most tenants agree to relocate voluntarily.</p>

June 10 - The Washington Post

<p>While encouraging the city's residents to embrace higher densities and public transit, many of Los Angeles's smart growth advocates live in single family homes and commute long distances in cars.</p>

June 10 - LA Weekly

<p>A state's carbon emissions is largely correlated with the source of its electricity -- the more coal power, the larger the carbon footprint, and the lower the electric rates.</p>

June 10 - AP via Seattle Post-Intelligencer

<p>A look at how Sao Paulo's extensive bus system keeps the crowded Brazilian city's 18 million residents moving.</p>

June 9 - IEEE Spectrum