The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Auto Dealers Seek 'Gas Price Floor'
Would raising the gas tax to $1 and establishing a 'gasoline price floor' provide market stability for auto dealers? Some dealers, including the nation's largest, say 'yes'. Economists agree. Politically impossible? Read on.
Wayfinding in New York Gets a New Look
With the Federal Highway Administration mandating mixed-case signage nationwide, New Yorkers are getting used to the city's new generation of street signs, writes David W. Dunlap.
As Tech Companies Flock to the City, Facebook Doubles Down on the Suburbs
Once seen as the vanguard of hip and cutting-edge, Facebook is either bucking the trend once again or being left behind with their plans to bring the city to its suburban Menlo park campus to lure employees.
Does a Newly-Approved Project Violate Philly's New Waterfront Master Plan?
A proposed waterfront apartment building received final approval from Philadelphia's Historical Commission last week, disappointing waterfront advocates and preservationists who claim its design violates the city's new waterfront master plan.
Is the Cleaning of Superfund Sites Causing More Harm than Good?
Three decades after it was established, the EPA's Superfund program is taking on some of the most complex and costly projects ever attempted. With many focused underwater, some worry the stirring up of polluted sediment will exacerbate the problem.
Despite Efforts, America Remains Dangerously Overweight
Newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention depicts America with an enduring obesity problem. In twelve states more than 30% of the population is obese. No state has less than a 20% obesity rate.
Chinese Cities are Huge, But What's it Like to Live There?
We get it, China's cities are big and getting bigger. But what's it like to live there? Isaac Stone Fish takes a closer look at the quality of life in Chinese cities, and finds them almost uniformly monolithic and unlivable.
What is Your State Known For?
Renee DiResta uses Google's autocomplete feature to understand how Americans "really think about 'those people' in other states." Play with her wonderfully enlightening interactive map to view the top terms associated with each state.
Is Obama Out to Abolish the Suburbs?
Stanley Kurtz traces the mechanisms by which he believes President Obama intends to "abolish" the suburbs in a possible second term, and the roots of his desire, stretching back to his training as a community organizer.
$6 Billion D.C. Transit Project Threatened by Reckless Board
The board of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, in charge of the region's most expensive transportation project in decades, has come under fire in recent days from federal officials for being dysfunctional, out of control and secretive.
Is Crowdfunding Inherently Unfair?
Ethan Zuckerman pens a thought provoking piece on the potential downsides of crowdfunding public improvement projects. Is there a way to avoid the unequal and government-shrinking effects of funding public projects through private contribution?
Look to China to Glimpse the Future of Cities
The era of American cities such as Chicago and New York leading the way in urban innovation went out with the close of the 20th century, says Dustin Roasa. Its China's turn to show the world what the city of the future will look like.
Northern California Farmers Decry $14 Billion Water Plan
Norimitsu Onishi reports on the major rift caused by a proposed plan for twin 35-mile tunnels to take water from the Sacramento River to large corporate farms and densely populated regions in Central and Southern California.
How Mixed-Use Centers Can Supplant Single-Use Office Parks
In the latest article from <em>Better Cities & Towns'</em> series on healthy, walkable town centers, Geoff Dyer offers insight into the ways that locating office space in mixed-use centers can improve economic vitality.
Could Eminent Domain Offer a Life Raft for 'Underwater' Mortgage Owners?
Amanda Erickson explains how communities could wield the power of eminent domain to rescue residents with "underwater" mortgages, by condemning homes and allowing owners to refinance their mortgages and pay a new, lower rate.
Olympic Preparations Pose Threat to Rio's Cultural History
As the world turned its attention Sunday from London to Rio, host of the next Summer Olympics, Theresa Williamson and Mauricio Hora penned an op-ed for <em>The New York Times</em> arguing how the city's preparations are threatening its history.
London's Crossrail Offers Ticket to Economic Growth
The Crossrail train service being built in London will not only drastically decrease commuter travel times, it is also expected to catalyze the transformation of areas along its route, reports Graham Norwood.
Restored River Keeps NY's Fourth-Largest City Afloat
Elsa Brenner looks at the boon for developers, and residents, that a city-and-state-funded effort to daylight the Saw Mill River has provided for the New York City suburb of Yonkers.
Chinese Cities Following Unsustainable Trail Blazed by Western Planners
As part of a Foreign Policy magazine special report on cities, Peter Calthorpe examines the form of China's urban growth, which is beginning to resemble the car-oriented development of the United States in the 1950s and 60s.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
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
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.
