The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Subway Superman Hailed Throughout NYC

<p>Wesley Autrey, a 50-yr-old construction worker, did the unthinkable on a subway platform in Manhattan on Jan 3: He jumped on the tracks to save a man who had suffered a seizure and fallen, as the southbound No.1 train entered the 137th St. station.</p>

January 4 - The New York Times

The Bleary-Eyed Cross-Border Commute

<p>In the wee hours of the morning, hundreds if not thousands of workers from Tijuana, Mexico trade the comfort of their beds for restless sleep in cars parked near U.S. border inspection stations.</p>

January 4 - The Los Angeles Times

Making Plans For Oil-Scarce Future

<p>In the most recent issue of Orion, James Howard Kunstler restates his prescription for an oil-scarce future: reinvesting in rail and water transportation; re-localized economies; and urban densification.</p>

January 4 - Orion Magazine

Marketing Downtown Living In Pittsburgh

<p>The city has several new high-rise condo projects on the way, but with prices out of reach of many workers, some wonder if there's enough of a market to bring more people downtown.</p>

January 4 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Residents -- Not Planners -- Create The City Center In L.A.

<p>There may not be a Times Square, but Los Angeles residents have created their own city centers wherever they can.</p>

January 4 - The Los Angeles Times

San Francisco's Successful Freeway Replacement Story

<p>John King, urban design critic for the SF Chronicle, concludes that the replacement of a 1959 freeway in the heart of San Francisco with an elaborate boulevard is an urban success story, and so does the APA.</p>

January 4 - The San Francisco Chronicle


Atlanta To Study Creating 'Infill' Rail Stations

<p>With some of the nation's longest between-stop distances, MARTA will assess the feasibility of leveraging the densification of intown Atlanta to construct new stations on existing rail lines.</p>

January 3 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Historical Society's Renovation Plans Rile Neighborhood

<p>A major plan to renovate the New-York Historical Society has antagonized neighbors and preservationists in this upper west-side neighborhood, as the Society's plan also includes a 23-story apartment tower in a low rise neighborhood.</p>

January 3 - The New York Times

Finding A Compromise On Property Rights Regulation

<p>Though Washington State's property-rights initiative failed to pass in November, opponents and supports are trying to work together to address some of the concerns of land owners who feel the current regulations are too strict.</p>

January 3 - The Seattle Times

The Proliferation Of Drug Store Chains

<p>One commentator from Upstate New York ponders the increasing phenomenon of competing drug store chains popping up on the corners of suburban intersections.</p>

January 3 - The Buffalo News

The Secretive Habits Of One City's Zoning Board

<p>Voting sessions for the New Haven Board of Zoning Appeals are held at irregular times with little public notice, breeding accusations of an intentionally closed process.</p>

January 3 - New Haven Independent

Austin Hopes For Consensus Plan Around Downtown Redevelopment

<p>With a flurry of residential and mixed-use development planned for the city's downtown, local officials hope to create a comprehensive vision that all stakeholders in the area can support.</p>

January 3 - Austin American-Statesman

Half A Billion Dollars For A Trailer Park

<p>Residents of Briny Breeze, a 43-acre incorporated town of trailer homes the hugs the Atlantic Ocean between Miami and Palm Beach, are considering accepting an offer of $510 million from a developer.</p>

January 3 - Associated Press via Gainsville Sun

Commuter Rail Isn't A Smart Choice For Transportation Dollars

<p>Commuter rail is an outdated model of transportation, and does little to reduce car use or promote transit-oriented development.</p>

January 3 - The Boston Globe

Houston Needs Flexibility, Not Rules

<p>Houston leaders need to be cautious that their 'plans' for the city don't stifle its greatest asset -- its economic opportunity and quality of life -- by introducing prescriptive land use zoning.</p>

January 3 - The Houston Chronicle

Florida Watershed Plan Steadies Growth Boundary

<p>A broad and controversial watershed protection plan for Florida's Miami-Dade County was released recently. It calls for a time extension on the county's urban development boundary to 2025 to help protect the area's water quality.</p>

January 3 - The Miami Herald

Community Divided Over Historic Designation

<p>Residents in one New York City neighborhood are split over whether the creation of an official historic district would help or hurt their community.</p>

January 2 - The New York Times

Designer And City Have High Hopes For Toronto Waterfront Park

<p>Many in Toronto are hoping that this year's groundbreaking on the new Lake Ontario Park will help to create a new identity for the city. The park's designer is confident that it will.</p>

January 2 - The Globe and Mail

The Debate Over Berlin's Tempelhof Airport

<p>Though hemmed in by urban development and eclipsed by the city's other two airports, plans to close down Tempelhof continue to meet resistance.</p>

January 2 - The Washington Post

Post News
Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.