The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Urbanists got excited when new population data from the U.S. Census Bureau suggested bigger growth in cities compared to their suburbs. Eric Jaffe interviews Columbia professor David King on why this isn't necessarily true.

July 19 - The Atlantic Cities

From Portland to Minneapolis, cities across the America have been trying to catch up to Copenhagen's world-renowned bicycling infrastructure. With the recent opening of a bike superhighway, the Danish capital is leaving other cities in the dust.

July 19 - The New York Times

Over the past year and a half more than 40 street poles have suffered damages, Paul Chapman reports, as Aukland prostitutes employ the poles for exotic dances.

July 19 - The Telegraph

Even smaller than Mayor Bloomberg's 'micro-apartment' proposal for Manhattan, Berkeley developer Patrick Kennedy has his 'SmartSpace' model, based on his experience living in an Airstream trailer, headed to the Board of Supervisors on July 24.

July 19 - San Francisco Chronicle

Last week, landscape architect James Corner presented a transformative vision for remaking Seattle's waterfront after the removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Lynn Thompson describes Corner's plan, and its accompanying funding challenges.

July 18 - The Seattle Times

Jessica Garrison and Angel Jennings report on a new lawsuit filed this week by the City of Los Angeles that is part of "an aggressive attempt to deal with the urban decay caused by the housing crash."

July 18 - Los Angeles Times

When the railroad was the primary means of interstate travel, America's cities relied on their train stations to provide grand first impressions to travelers. As transit ridership soars, a bevy of new stations are being designed as civic centerpieces

July 18 - Salon

Battling against rumors of impending retirement, or even death, at least one owner isn't going down without a fight to make its malls Internet-proof. Stephanie Clifford examines how Glimcher Realty Trust's novel approach is paying dividends.

July 18 - The New York Times

Chris McKenzie, Executive Director of the California League of Cities, discusses the specter of bankruptcy and the structural difficulties cities face in addressing their fiscal deficits. The San Bernardino bankruptcy does not mean the worst is over.

July 18 - The Planning Report

Kaid Benfield directs our attention to "a terrific, poster-sized graphic highlighting the benefits of public transportation" that was created by an unlikely source - a credit card comparison website.

July 18 - Switchboard

Dowell Myers pens an opinion piece for <em>The Sacramento Bee</em> arguing that it's time to reform California's infamous property tax cap - Proposition 13 - in order to solve the challenges facing the state today, and in the future.

July 18 - The Sacramento Bee

Representing the Global Cities Initiative, Richard M. Daley and Bruce Katz report on the current status of Miami's economy and offer tips they deem necessary to boost the regional economy into true "global" status.

July 18 - The Miami Herald

Yesterday, the controversial plan to expand New York University's footprint in Greenwich Village over the next 20 years was approved by a City Council committee after last minute negotiations and reductions, reports Joseph Berger.

July 18 - The New York Times

The romance of cars has been long documented, but public transit is finally getting in on the act. 'Human Transit' provides a lucid primer for stakeholders and armchair planners alike, while 'Straphanger' takes readers on a world tour.

July 18 - California Planning & Development Report

Following on the hottest ever first half of a year in America's recorded history, James Barron examines the history behind the creation of air conditioning, on this day in 1902.

July 17 - The New York Times

As the start of London's summer games grows near, the competition to host the 2020 Olympics is heating up. Paul Sonne looks at whether the "shoestring" bid of Madrid, formed amidst Spain's austerity drive, can beat out the other finalists.

July 17 - The Wall Street Journal

With skyrocketing maintenance and repair costs gobbling up the Hudson River Park Trust's reserve fund, the HRPT has been pushing to change the park's enabling legislation to allow a wider variety of development types.

July 17 - The Architect's Newspaper

Speaking at a recent Urban Land Institute series organized to discuss Vancouver in 2050, three of the city's former planning directors expressed grave concerns over the city's ability to adequately handle its future growth, reports Jeff Lee.

July 17 - Vancouver Sun

John Hoeffel reports on the unwavering efforts of bee enthusiasts to legalize beekeeping in residential areas of Los Angeles.

July 17 - The Los Angeles Times

In a 2-part series, NPR reports on the rapid downfall of coal as an energy source and its replacement by natural gas - each now produces about one-third of America's electricity. Fracking is key to increased NG supplies - but it carries its own risks

July 17 - National Public Radio