The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Top Censored Stories: It's A Wal-World After All
The world-wide impact of Wal-Mart is one of the stories in the last year that were overlooked, under-reported or self-censored by the media.
Profile Of Philadelphia's Navy Base Transformation
Philadelphia is planning to turn it's former Navy base into a bustling urban center.
Top Censored Stories: The Inevitable Oil Crisis
Government and media refusal to acknowledge that oil is running out is one of last year's stories that have been overlooked, under-reported or self-censored by the mdeia.
Modern Architecture Goes Prefab
Many major architects now have their own version of prefab housing.
Top Censored Stories: UN's Extreme Weather Warning
A highly respected United Nations organization's warning about extreme weather is one of last year's most overlooked, under-reported or self-censored stories.
New Towns Prove Sprawl Is Alive And Well
Two new rapidly growing Utah towns grow beyond expectations, and beyond service areas.
BLOG POST
Visualization Tools Help Counter Neighborhood Concerns Over Housing Development
<html><br /> <br /> <head><br /> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"><br /> </meta></head><br /> <br /> <body bgcolor="#ffffff"> Here is a neat example of how visualization tools are helping improve the planning process for communities. It's an example we came across while researching tools for a chapter we are writing for the APA. <br><br /> <br /> <p>The City of Vail, Colorado offers an example of 3D visualization tools being used to improve the design review process. The city requires developers to submit a 3D model – preferably a virtual model – for design review. The virtual model is then placed in a 3D model, created by Winston Associates (www.winstonassociates.com), of the mountains, roads and ground plain to make it possible to explore the impacts of new buildings in the context of their surroundings. This technique was beneficial in getting an initially wary community behind a recent affordable housing project. Winston Associates worked with the developers to generate a 3-D model in 3ds max (formerly known as 3D Studio Max) and then placed the housing model into the site model. Using the model they demonstrated how the housing development would look from different vantage points such as the highway. In addition, the model proved to concerned neighbors that the development could not been seen from their homes. The project is currently under construction. <br><br /> </p>
Judges Say Manufacturing Tax Credit Is Unconstitutional
A manufacturing tax credit that Ohio used in 1998 to help convince Daimler Chrysler to build its new Jeep assembly plant in Toledo is unconstitutional
The Return Of The 'Housing Kit' -- With A Twist
Star architects are changing the perception of prefabricated housing into a hot new market. You can get a designer-made house, including land for under $300,000.
Nashville In Tune With New Urbanism
Developers are changing the face of Nashville.
Battleground State Demographics Diverge
The two states that may decide the 2004 presidential race are hardly demographic twins, writes William H. Frey.
Top Censored Stories: Looting The Commons
The story of the reversal of three decades of environmental progress is featured on a list of stories that were overlooked, under-reported or self-censored by the media.
The Future Of Chicago: Block 37
The Chicago Tribune's architecture critic, Blair Kamin, reviews the urban design for Chicago's Block 37, designed by Chicago architect Ralph Johnson.
Top Censored Stories: The Manipulation Of Science
The story of the purging, censoring, and manipulation of scientific research is featured on a list of 2003-2004 stories that were overlooked, under-reported or self-censored by the media.
USA Today's Spin On Mobility Study
USA Today reports on the Texas Transportation Institute annual mobility study. The spin: 3.5 billion hours wasted in traffic.
The World's Largest Wi-Fi Hot Spot Is Not In A City
The world's largest network is 10 times larger that Philadelphia's proposed city-wide network and covers 1,500 square miles of wheat fields.
Collecting Architects In The Hamptons
Developer Coco Brown assembles a galaxy of star architects to create a modernist enclave of homes on Long Island.
2004 Mobility Study: Most Congested Cities
The 2004 Urban Mobility Report, published by the Texas Transportation Institute, shows traffic congestion growing across the nation in cities of all sizes and ranks cities by congestion.
Should L.A.'s Murals Be Preserved?
Should Los Angeles try to preserve its rich heritage of 1,500 murals, which are rapidly fading and patched from graffiti?
National Study Finds Traffic Getting Worse
A study of 85 urban areas finds traffic congestion is getting worse across the nation.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.
