The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Can Transit and Smart Planning Transform Colorado's Poorest Neighborhood?
With a new area plan oriented around the arrival of Denver's West Light Rail line, planners are hoping to spur a transformation of the city's Sun Valley neighborhood. Can the area diversify without displacing existing residents?
How Housing Speculation Became an American Pastime
Speculation about property values is as old as the U.S. itself, but it used to be much more localized, explains Robert Shiller, Yale economist. Is the recent housing roller coaster likely to repeat itself in the future?
Walking: America's Next Medical Breakthrough
A group of America's leading corporations, health care providers, and government officials are preparing to launch a national walking movement this fall. "If walking was a pill or surgical procedure, it would be on 60 Minutes,” says Dr. Bob Sallis.
LA's Oldest Palm Tree Thrives after 150 Years
In Los Angeles, where “historic” is a relative term, a 150-year-old house is remarkable. How about a 150-year-old palm tree?
10 Principles for Smart Growth in Existing Communities
Frustrated by what's passing as "smart growth" and "transit oriented development," Bill Adams postulates ten refinements (or less subtly stated clarifications) of the principles of smart growth and new urbanism.
New York's Seedy History Hides in Plain Sight on the Bowery
Despite a decade of gentrification, New York "oldest streetscape" still retains enough of its historic character to warrant recent listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Sam Roberts explores the "palimpsest of New York City history."
BLOG POST
Understanding Trends from the APA Conference
Every year we analyze all of the tweets from the APA Conference and tell you about the trends in planning. With more than 1,000 people tweeting from the APA Conference, there is a lot of great ideas, links, and blogs that we can all learn from.
Vietnam Tries to Head Off Rising Car Culture by Building Transit
Lien Hoang looks at efforts by Vietnam's government to get ahead of rising living standards, and the auto congestion that often accompanies, by building modern transit systems in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Op-Ed: Invest in Natural-Hazard Mitigation to Save Billions in Disaster Recovery
With the costs of rebuilding after natural disaster in the U.S. escalating (now estimated at $50 billion a year), David R. Conrad and Edward A. Thomas argue that scant resources can be better spent on mitigation rather than rebuilding in place.
10 Rail Stations on the Road to Recovery
As golden age of train travel came to an end, the fate of the world's train stations became unclear. But by utilizing their grand, flexible spaces, creative designers have found a variety of ways to keep the relics relevant.
Zappos Founder Extends Las Vegas Transformation to Transportation
Not content to simply transform downtown Las Vegas's built landscape and work culture, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has set his sights on evolving the area's transportation infrastructure. At the heart of his plan sits 100 Tesla S sedans.
CA High-Speed Rail Builder Selected: Will Low Cost Equal Low Quality?
The builder of the first phase of California's high-speed rail project has been selected after a competitive bid process. The winning team had the lowest bid, but also the lowest technical score.
Opposition to Planned Museum Demolition Grows
Distinguished critic Paul Goldberger decries the Museum of Modern Art's recently announced plan to demolish the neighboring American Folk Art Museum. Meanwhile, social media campaigns are organizing opposition to the plan.
Should Boston Have Been Shut Down?
Michael Tomasky asks the fundamental question of whether MA Gov. Deval Patrick overreacted by requiring Boston area residents to "shelter-in-place" as all forces were mobilized to apprehend the one remaining suspecting in the Boston Marathon bombing.
FEATURE
Still Learning: An Interview with Denise Scott Brown
In excerpts from an interview with Planetizen contributor Sean Varsolona, Denise Scott Brown of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates offers insights and provocations on sustainability, New Urbanism, and the social awareness of today’s young urbanists.
Friday Funny: Train Junkies Start Young
Our ongoing efforts to identify the world's biggest transit freaks got a boost last week from The Onion, who documented the travails of 3-year-old train junkie Logan Gunter.
California Governor's CEQA Reform Efforts: Doomed from the Start?
As calls for reforming California's oft-abused environmental law increase, opponents are digging in their heels in anticipation of Governor Jerry Brown's effort to revise the law to ease approval processes, reports Evan Halper.
Suburbs and Exurbs Were Hit Hardest by Great Recession
A new report from the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program shows that areas located 10-35 miles from America's central cities sustained far higher job losses during the recession, staunching the sprawl of people and employment.
Water Sensitive Urban Design Slakes Thirst for Sustainability
The world's increasing water crises demand a new approach to managing the urban water cycle. Water sensitive urban design seeks to integrate water into urban environments, rather than isolating it, to create more livable cities.
IEA: No Progress in Cleaning World's Energy Sources
According to a newly released report by the Paris-based International Energy Association (IEA), "Tracking Clean Energy Progress 2013", notwithstanding some bright spots, there is little progress in reducing the carbon content of energy sources.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.
