The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Like its beloved baseball team, downtown Detroit is on an upswing, writes Bill Morris. The area's rise as a desirable neighborhood can be attributed in no small part to new sports facilities located in close proximity.

October 20 - The New York Times

Is waste disposal a local or regional issue? A new CA law written by a S.F. lawmaker nullifies a voter-approved Solano County measure that limits the amount of outside garbage their landfill can accept. It is being challenged by environmental groups.

October 20 - The Wall Street Journal - San Francisco Bay Area

In a provocative essay, Mitchell Sutika Sipus examines the dangers of subscribing to conventions such as style or planning trends, and argues why planners must forgo ideologies to create better solutions for community problems.

October 20 - Humanitarian Space

Dillon Fenner looks at early Superman comics and finds him to be not only less-than heroic, but a planner's nightmare: wiping out slums because he assumes the government will rebuild them, and declaring war on the car [language warning].

October 19 - CRACKED

Charles Marohn discusses the CNU NextGen initiative "Investment Ready Places" by Street Sense. The new booklet provides strategies for identifying and investing in America’s “new frontier for development.”

October 19 - Better! Cities & Towns

In the next 20 years, the D.C. area is expected to have nearly 3 million job openings. With the resulting demand for new, diverse and more affordable housing outpacing supply, some fear that the city’s housing deficit will derail its robust economy.

October 19 - Greater Greater Washington

City officials and leaders are considering an adaptive reuse ordinance for industrial buildings, modeled on the one that helped spark downtown L.A.’s residential boom, to help push forward the sputtering vision of a "CleanTech Corridor."

October 19 - Los Angeles Downtown News

A recent Pew survey of Chinese residents points to increasing anxiety among participants with the country’s problems. Despite continued economic growth, at an average of 9% per year over the past four years, the Chinese are growing dissatisfied.

October 19 - The Atlantic Cities

From the "world’s first floating village" to the "world’s most audacious balconies," New York Magazine surveys "9 Experiments in Large" for their special feature on "Global Urban Design 2012."

October 19 - New York Magazine

The Clean Water Act turns 40 this week. For Mark Gold, this calls for a celebratory overview of the many environmental successes it has produced, as well as careful consideration of the steps needed for it to be effective in years to come.

October 19 - Los Angeles Times

Electric-car-battery manufacturer A123 Systems received $249 million in federal grants. It filed for bankruptcy on Oct. 16, prompting Bloomberg reporter Angela Greiling Keane to look at the progress of President Obama's goal of 1 million EVs by 2015

October 19 - San Francisco Chronicle

With the waning of the starchitect era, Philip Nobel sees an opportunity to skewer some of the profession's "last stars standing" and applies his critical broom to help finish the house cleaning job.

October 19 - Metropolis

One of the last major developments of Las Vegas's recent building boom, MGM's $8.5 billion CityCenter opened during the depths of the recession. Three years later, after slashing prices for hotel rooms and condos, the clouds are beginning to lift.

October 19 - The New York Times

A change made last month in the regulations concerning which buildings the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) judges to be eligible for financing could enable the construction of more mixed-use walkable developments, reports Angie Schmitt.

October 18 - Streetsblog D.C.

Just outside of D.C., the Capitol Heights Metro station sits among empty parcels with brown grass and tall weeds, as the economic development that was to accompany the station never materialized. Will a proposed Wall-Mart come to the area's rescue?

October 18 - The Washington Post

Preservationists have been outspoken in arguing for the protection of Prentice Women’s Hospital. Rather than bemoan Northwestern University's intransigence in finding a way to reuse the hospital, two powerful figures have put forth a way to save it.

October 18 - The New York Times

Kelly Morphy provides tips and strategies on improving civic engagement - the key to healthy communities and desired outcomes.

October 18 - Better Cities & Towns

Last week, Oxford Properties Group released plans by Foster + Partners for redeveloping Toronto's Convention Centre and the surrounding area. With 7.35 million square feet proposed, the project is one of North America's largest redevelopment efforts.

October 18 - Urban Toronto

Jeff Jamawat looks at the promise of a nuanced approach to tax reform being tested in 17 local jurisdictions in Pennsylvania to head off the spiral of rising prices and displacement instigated by the construction of transit infrastructure.

October 18 - Smart Growth Network: National Conversation Blog

A movement to shed light on the worldwide loss of dark skies aims to minimize light pollution in order to increase public opportunities for stargazing, while also serving as a money-saving measure for cities, reports Kate Galbraith.

October 18 - The New York Times