The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Op-Ed: Billionaire Philanthropy Defeats Democratic Process
Following the splashy announcement of media mogul Barry Diller's plans to finance a $170 million park at Manhattan's Pier 54, a New York Times column renews the call for more equity in open space around New York City.
San Francisco Planners Study Extension of Central Subway to Fisherman's Wharf
San Francisco is hard at work on a Central Subway project expected to open in 2019 with a terminus in Chinatown, but planners have already been hard at work studying an extension of the subway to Fisherman's Wharf.
Detroit's Latest Power Outage: The Dark Before the Dawn?
Earlier this week a massive power outage struck Detroit. But that type of embarrassment might soon be a thing of the past because Detroit will soon undertake a $200 million upgrade of its electricity grid.
Eight 'PlacePlans' for Michigan Cities
The PlacePlans project—led by the Michigan Municipal League and the Michigan State University School of Planning, Design and Construction—recently released plans for placemaking efforts in eight Michigan communities.
El Paso Approves Second 'SmartCode' Development
The El Paso City Council approved a $100 million SmartCode development.
The United Nations Studies Urban Emissions Monitoring
Urban emissions researchers have been invited to speak at the UN Climate Conference in Lima. Their findings: through focused and networked monitoring, cities can make real inroads on cutting carbon.
Los Angeles Arts District Residents Resisting Plans for More Density
The Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles has seen plenty of chic newcomers in recent years—high-end cafes, restaurants, and expensive lofts. But a recently revealed plan that would allow new, dense construction has sparked controversy.
Mexico's High Speed Rail Plans Hits $3.75 Billion Contract Snag
Mexico's planned high-speed rail project looked like tit was full speed ahead until the country rescinded the original construction contract, awarded to the China Railway Construction Corp. A new round of bids is expected soon.
How Images Shape our Understanding of Places
An article by Ben Campkin, Marina Mogilevich, and Rebecca Ross examines how images shape ideas about cities—from "John Snow’s Cholera map to Le Corbusier's plan for a contemporary city and Moose's 'clean graffiti.'"
Details on Chicago's First Shared Street
Planners are crafting the details of Chicago's first shared street, where pedestrians will rule.
Exposé: the $4 Billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub
Now that 1 World Trade Center has opened for business, more attention will go to another building with conspicuous civic purposes—the Oculus pavilion at the World Trade Center Transportation Hub.
2015: Year of the First-Time Homebuyer
New data released by online real estate marketplace Zillow suggests that 2015 will be a breakthrough year for first-time homebuyers.
Bay Bridge Proposal: Turn Old Eastern Span Piers into a Park
Officials are considering a plan to preserve some of the eastern span of the bay Bridge as part of an effort to cut costs on the project—which is now well over its $6.4 billion budget.
How Bicyclists Paved the Way for the Rise of the Automobile
Sarah Goodyear shares insight into a book by Carlton Reid titled "Roads Were Not Built for Cars," which details the secret history of the bicyclists that helped launch the fledgling automobile industry in the late 19th century.
Motorists have OPEC to Thank for Lowest Oil Prices in Five Years
American motorists are enjoying the lowest gasoline prices in five years because OPEC chose not to reduce oil output in the hopes that decreased oil prices will be lower than the cost needed to frack oil from shale.
Interview: Edward Glaeser Makes the Case for Cities
In a lengthy discussion shared by Marquette University, author and Harvard Economics Professor Ed Glaeser lays out the thinking behind his book "Triumph of the City," as exemplified by cities around the country and the world.
When People Say 'Functionally Obsolete' but Really Mean 'Redline'
A MinnPost column finds nefarious purposes at work in the use of a couple of the common buzzwords employed in debates about Minneapolis housing.
#BlackFridayParking Exposes that Empty Feeling
In the most recent iteration of the annual event, social media users around the country submitted images of empty parking lots in front of retail centers on the busiest shopping day of the year.
Amtrak's Achilles Heel, Infrastructurally Speaking
Aging, obsolete, and deteriorating bridges affect both road and rail. The 104-year-old Portal Bridge, a swing bridge over the Hackensack River in New Jersey that frequently fails to close properly, tops Amtrak's list for replacement.
Do Urban Neighborhoods Need Homeowners?
Alan Mallach describes the decline of and need for homeownership in urban neighborhoods.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
