The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>A recent HUD journal article assesses the origins of the smart growth movement, and its current and anticipated impact on urban development in the United States.</p>

May 7 - Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research

FEATURE

Rather than seeking to eliminate the presence of the informal sector, urban planning should seek to accommodate this important component of urban economies.

May 7 - Deden Rukmana

<p>The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) latest report focuses on relatively low cost strategies to reduce the emissions of global warming gases -- at least when compared to cost of inaction.</p>

May 7 - The New York Times

BLOG POST

<p class="MsoNormal">Just east of downtown Brooklyn on a 22 acre site Forest City Ratner is proposing a mega-project that would transform the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Vanderbilt rail yards and a few adjacent blocks into 6,430 units of housing, 336,000 feet of office space, 247,000 feet of retail space, a hotel and an arena that would be the new home of the NBA New Jersey Nets.<span> </span>Like almost any mega-project proposed in a dense city like New York, Atlantic Yards is raising the ire of many.<span> </span>In this case, however, the names and roles of the usual suspects have changed.<span> </span>At least some view the developer as a savior and champion of the inner city poor, while many of the project’s opponents are viewed as reactionary elites only concerned about the potential loss of their parking spaces.<span> </span>This reversal of protagonists is due in large part to the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) negotiated between the developer and several community groups.<span> </span></p>

May 7 - Lance Freeman

<p>As if Mumbai didn't have enough traffic problems, a Boeing 737 jet was left abandoned on a busy street, only to mysteriously disappear several days later.</p>

May 7 - BBC News

<p>The land use policy in the US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement calling for smart growth caused a Bay Area mayor to refrain from signing the agreement, believing that limiting density would be better for the environment.</p>

May 6 - San Mateo County Times

<p>Rather than advocate for population growth, the gritty industrial city of Youngstown, Ohio, has launched a bold plan to -- among other strategies -- let declining neighborhoods empty out and be converted to greenspace.</p>

May 6 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>Every year, Bert Sperling and his small team of researchers get to decide which are the best places to live, work, play, and even love.</p>

May 6 - The New York Times

<p>A desert metropolis of suburbs nearing the two million residents mark, Perth is quickly draining its underground aquifers to keep its gardens green.</p>

May 6 - BBC News

<p>As the economy improves, more trucks are using the nation’s highways for long distance travel – and they need parking spots if the trip takes more than 11 hours. They often idle all night wherever they can find a spot – including the road shoulder.</p>

May 6 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>Led by bike-friendly Amsterdam and Copenhagen, European cities are ramping up efforts to shift more commuting and short car trips to pedal-power.</p>

May 5 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>This video from <em>Architectural Record</em> looks at a new trend among developers and architects to resurrect old churches and religious buildings into condominiums.</p>

May 5 - Architectural Record

<p>This piece from the <em>International Herald Tribune</em> discusses how the desire to preserve historic train stations is holding them back from being more valuable to commuters by catering to their needs and desires.</p>

May 5 - International Herald Tribune

<p>A 2014 goal of 30% farm ownership by blacks in South Africa is far from being met, as whites still control more than 80% of the nation's farmland. Many say the government's land reform laws are incapable of efficiently redistributing the land.</p>

May 5 - The Economist

<p>Researchers have surveyed the continental U.S. to create a map of all roadless areas. The survey revealed that a road is always within 22 miles of any point in the country, and that some areas have too many roads for the size of their populations.</p>

May 5 - Discovery News

<p>A 70,000-acre timber tract that spans the Low Country counties of Charleston and Dorchester in South Carolina will be developed by its corporate owner, MeadWestvaco, into an environmentally-sensitive community that emphasizes conservation.</p>

May 4 - The State

<p>Several new reports offer an analysis of shared equity strategies as an approach to reduce the cost of homeownership.</p>

May 4 - Center for Housing Policy

<p>Delaware is considering three proposals for new environmentally-friendly power plants, and many residents are supporting a plan to build a large offshore wind farm. A recent survey showed that more than 80% of residents favored the wind farm option.</p>

May 4 - NPR

<p>With little interest from the governor, Illinois transit officials are predicting that budget cuts will dramatically reduce transit service, especially in the suburban Chicago area. They have been unsuccessful in rallying lawmakers to boost funding.</p>

May 4 - The Chicago Tribune

<p>The culmination of a major statewide planning effort -- the new long-term plan calls for communities to build compact neighborhoods and coordinate regional development.</p>

May 4 - The Times-Picayune