The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

For years, drifters and homeless people have been living on some of the small islands of earth that remain in the paved-over Los Angeles River. While they are not a high priority for police, the river revitalization movement wants them gone.

July 26 - The Los Angeles Times

The number of new homes with porches increased has nationwide over the past 10 years.

July 26 - The Daily News

To coincide with the World Urban Forum, the Ottawa Citizen devotes most of their Sunday, June 18th newspaper to covering a host of urban issues, including slums, urban gardening, and the case for and against cities [links to 9 articles].

July 25 - The Ottawa Citizen

Approved twin towers at the base of the San Francisco entrance to the Bay Bridge are designed to withstand earthquakes and hurricane gales.

July 25 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Money Magazine's annual ranking of the best places to live highlights Americans' desire for big-city amenities, small-town charm, affordable housing, and green space.

July 25 - Money Magazine

The opening of the Promenade at the Foundry, a 220-unit redeveloped rental complex in Providence's mill district, underscores Providence's continuing revitalization.

July 25 - The New York Times

Echoing Jane Jacobs' 2001 call for a "new fiscal deal" for Canada's cities, a new report recommends that more strategically-targeted investments can produce more economic benefits than the current per-capita formula.

July 25 - Conference Board of Canada

The slow reaction to job growth in many Maryland counties jobs may lead to a critical housing shortage.

July 25 - The Baltimore Sun

With a strong style and a common-sense approach, Gloria Jeff is taking on one of the world's most unenviable jobs: general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

July 25 - The Metro Investment Report

Altoona, Pennsylvania, is proposing to replace its current private trash collection system with a municipal single-hauler contract to help combat blight, but opponents say that the city is removing consumer choice.

July 25 - Altoona Mirror

The Miami Herald chronicles how the nation's most ambitious public housing effort in decades has become plagued by corruption and greed.

July 25 - The Miami Herald

As global competition increases, mega airports are becoming more prevalent, and more important. From Dubai to Hong Kong to Bangkok to India, these emerging 'airport cities', or 'aerotropolis' are being designed as the center of new urban regions.

July 25 - Fast Company

Los Angeles faces projections of a population increase of up to 5 million people by 2030. The city's residents and planners are trying to come to terms with growth as a necessity, but the city's developer-friendly attitude has angered many residents.

July 25 - Los Angeles City Beat

With the proliferation of home-design software, such as Google's Sketch Up, homeowners are designing their own plans, often times saving thousands of dollars in architect fees. But general contractors are leery of this new found enthusiasm.

July 25 - The Wall Street Journal

While working on plans for a new town in Inverness, Scotland, famed architect and town planner Andres Duany has assured critics and supporters alike that whatever is planned for Moray Estates will not resemble Seaside.

July 25 - The Scotsman

"Spare the Air" is a program operated by the Bay Area's air district to encourage use of public transit on 'bad air' days. They funded 3 "free transit" days to accompany the warnings. Ridership increased greatly but funding is exhausted too soon.

July 24 - The San Francisco Chronicle

As major cities around the country prosper, rich and poor neighborhoods are growing, while the middle class is increasingly left out.

July 24 - The New York Times

Bruce Katz, Vice President and Director of The Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, outlines how cities can harness demographic, cultural and economic changes to successfully transform themselves into viable places to live and work.

July 24 - The Brookings Institiution

Nevada is experiencing an influx of new retirees and trying to cope with the surge of sexagenarians.

July 24 - The Economist

A popular and successful experiment to boost ridership on 26 Bay Area transit systems on designated "Spare the Air" days ends due to lack of funding, while some believe the plan may have been good for the local economy.

July 24 - The San Francisco Chronicle