The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Europe's Tallest Tower Tops Out in Moscow
Mere months after it was completed, London's Shard has passed the title of Europe's tallest building to Moscow's Mercury City tower, a "beacon of pink mirrored glass," writes Oliver Wainwright.
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No, Cars Are NOT Greener than Buses (Even Almost-Empty Ones)
Even in cities without world-class transit systems, transit can reduce car ownership to some extent.
Could Nation's Largest Urban Farm District Stabilize Chicago's South Side?
Officials in Chicago envision an ambitious plan for a 100-acre urban agriculture district as the foundation for reviving an area of the city now "riddled with vacant lots, poverty, and blight," reports Lori Rotenberk.
Looking Back to Find the Road Ahead
In the wake of massive power outages in the Northeast, lighting designer Linnaea Tillett describes pre-industrial techniques for lighting and wayfinding that just might be worth revisiting.
Next Step in Indy's Transformation: Mass Transit
After his entreaties went unheard the first time around, Mayor Greg Ballard is once again leading efforts to get support for a $1.3 billion mass transit overhaul for the Indianapolis region.
New Apartments in Portland: No Parking = No Car? Not So
Turns out if you don't provide the parking, tenants still bring their cars - they just park on the street, according to a limited Portland survey. Neighbors asked city planners for a moratorium on 'parking-less' apartments and adding parking minimums
Brooklyn's New Arena and Basketball Team Take the Borough's Allure to the Bank
Successive generations have built Brooklyn into the global icon of cool that it is today. Although the owners of the Brooklyn Nets aren't the first to take advantage of the borough's storied history and character, they seem to have perfected the art.
Handicapping the Hunt for the Next Transportation Secretary
Ryan Holeywell looks at the contenders to replace Ray LaHood as Obama's Secretary of Transportation. Although his departure has not been officially announced, LaHood has previously signaled that he would leave after the president's first term.
Prentice Hospital Gets a Lifeline
Preservationists have won a victory in their efforts to save Bertand Goldberg's Prentice Women's Hospital from demolition.
Higher Home Values Preserved in Mixed-Income, Medium-Density Suburbs
A new study of the Philadelphia area commissioned by the Congress for New Urbanism “finds new urban characteristics play a role” in how households and neighborhoods weathered the recent economic downtown.
CA HSR Passes Crucial Court Test In Central Valley
Writing from Madera in the Central Valley, the Mercury News transportation reporter explores the local opposition to the largest public works project in the nation. Farmers wanted an injunction placed on the CA High Speed Rail Authority to halt work.
Sparking Creativity in Walkable Places
Happiness and health are generated or depleted by the way our neighbourhoods, towns, cities, and rural landscapes are developed. Creative placemaking adds to walkable urbanism by sealing the deal on physical, mental, and social well-being.
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From Sparks of Brilliance to Waves of Reform
Bottom-up urbanism, now becoming increasingly popular in the academy under the rubrics of “do-it-yourself (DIY) urbanism”; “guerilla urbanism”; “tactical urbanism” etc., are the surest sparks of brilliance and hope for our urban future.
Friday Funny: Pedestrian Penalty Cards
Last month we came across an ingenious idea for making your sidewalk frustrations known to offending amblers, while sidestepping the dangers of verbal confrontation.
Are Planners the Victims of a Dastardly Mind-Control Plot?
If you've ever led a public planning process you may be complicit in perpetuating a diabolical conspiracy to coerce Americans into accepting "a United Nations-run communist dictatorship in which suburbanites will be forcibly relocated to cities."
Is a Car More Environmentally Friendly Than Mass Transit?
Angie Schmitt takes issue with the controversial premise of a recent story from the popular Freakonomics guys. True to their reputation for counter-intuition, their most recent report makes the claim that "driving is greener than transit."
Can Food Keep a Michigan City's Mojo Rising?
Keith Schneider looks at Downtown Market, the "newest piece of civic equipment" being built as part of Grand Rapids's transformation from "Furniture City" to vibrant, and growing, hub.
Copenhagen Tops List of Europe's Smartest Cities
Based on a new metric he's developed for defining the components of a smart city, Boyd Cohen ranks the top cities in Europe that are "working the hardest to be the most advanced urban landscape."
Landscape Architects Optimistic About Business Growth
In the findings of an industry-wide survey conducted recently by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), a picture of an improving business environment for landscape architects is emerging.
Chinese Government Responds to Growing NIMBYism
For the last 30 years, China has led the world in economic growth at a hefty environmental price. Widespread protests have prompted the cabinet of China to mandate a "social risk assessment" for industrial projects, reports Keith Bradsher.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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