The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Sales Tax For Metro?

Can a dedicated source of funding be found for the DC Metro?

December 2 - Associated Press

Is Sprawl Unhealthy?

A new academic article in JPER critically examines the relationship between sprawl and health.

December 2 - Peter Gordon's Blog

252 Lane Miles Planned For Long Beach Freeway

Most important goods movement freeway in America will mimic American children-the freeway is expanding.

December 1 - Eastern Group Publications, Inc.

A Mall Is Not A Town Square, Court Rules

Texas courts uphold a controversial ruling on privately-owned shopping centers to regulate solicitation on center properties.

December 1 - PlainVanillaShell.com

Equity In Access To The Waters?

As condo owners buy up Florida's marinas, recreational boaters are left in the cold.

December 1 - The Orlando Sentinel


Wanted: Utilitarian City Planning

Will a San Francisco bus plan beneficial for the city as a whole be stopped by the protests of a few?

December 1 - San Francisco Weekly

Why Sidewalks Alone Don't Make A Walkable Community

There's a science to making a pedestrian-friendly streetscape.

December 1 - MetroWest Daily News


A Neighborhood Made Of Music

Raising rents could destroy the musical culture of the mariachis in East Los Angeles.

December 1 - The Los Angeles Times

Extreme Commuting

3.4 million Americans who endure a daily "extreme commute" are the fastest growing segment of commuters.

December 1 - USA Today

Oregon Cities Prepare For Planning Backlash

Oregon cities gear up to fight Measure 37, a voter-passed property rights law. Is this a response to overly restrictive planning, or property rights run amok?

December 1 - The Oregonian

Is China Ready To Embrace Sustainability?

Representatives from China's Ministry of Construction have announced an ambitious sustainable growth plan for the country.

December 1 - MetropolisMag.com

The Market Works: Congestion Charging Reduces Air Pollution

The academic journal, Atmospheric Environment, includes an article on the air pollution effect of congestion charging in central London.

December 1 - Atmospheric Environment

BLOG POST

Economics = less emissions (Peter Gordon* will be so proud)

The best English-language science magazine, <em>New Scientist,</em> reports this week that London's congestion pricing -- 5 pounds to drive into downtown -- lowered emissions last year. The story's not online yet (next week it'll be in the archive at <a href="http://www.newscientist.com">New Scientist.com</a>) but I've thoughtfully copied out the salient bits:<br /> <blockquote>...nitrogen oxides and particulates fell by 16 per cent. A fall in the number of cars and an increase in speed of 4 kilometres an hour were responsible for three-quarters of this fall, with greener technology in cars making up the rest. Carbon dioxide emissions fell by 19 per cent. Even an increase in the number of buses, whose diesel engines are among the worst polluters, could not offset the drop, partly because modern buses are fitted with particulate traps.</blockquote>

November 30 - Anonymous

Misguided Development Priorities

A Washington development mogul assess the District's real estate priorties and its future.

November 30 - The Washington Post

The Islamic Design Tradition In The U.S.

Most U.S. cities have many buildings with strong echoes of Islamic architecture and design traditions.

November 30 - The San Francisco Chronicle

'A City Out Of Control'

Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand is sprawling at a rapid rate.

November 30 - The New Zealand Herald

Internet Access On Public Transit

A graduate student points out that transit agencies are overlooking a major source of income: wireless Internet access on trains.

November 30 - The Gotham Gazette

BLM's Affordable Housing Program Unpopular

Municipalities show little interest in Bureau of Land Management's program to make land available at discounted rates for affordable housing.

November 30 - Las Vegas Sun

The Coming Base-Closure Wars

Cities and states gear up to defend local military bases amid the Defense Department's plans to eliminate nearly a quarter of the military's infrastructure.

November 30 - The Los Angeles Times

Gentrification In West Berkeley

Gentrification changes a once-vibrant black neighborhood in Berkeley.

November 30 - The Daily Californian

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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.