The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Cities in Decline: Finding Something To Celebrate
News always comes in twos; there's the good news, and then there's the bad news. In the city of Windsor, Canada, the bad news has consistently been their ailing economy. Residents look for something to celebrate.
The Death of the Urban Freeway? Not Yet
The long-sought after demolition of Bronx's Sheridan Expressway hits obstacles as the City of New York now looks to save and retrofit it.
The Hands-On Urbanism Movement
Mike Lydon discusses "tactical urbanism," a DIY approach to planning that is sweeping the nation, and explains how communities are making lasting impacts at the grassroots level.
Gov. Brown Relents To Environmentalists: CEQA to Apply to HSR
Under intense political pressure to retain the full application of the CA Environmental Quality Act to CA High Speed Rail project, Gov. Brown withdrew his proposal to allow the project certain exceptions to lawsuits.
Transit Apps For People With Disabilities
Google Transit has changed the way people plan their public transportation trips. Now there's an app, OnTheBus, for people with visual, hearing, physical and cognitive impairments. Zak Stone describes the tool.
Friday Funny: A Lost Battle in the War Against Obesity
Just as Mayor Bloomberg had opened a striking new front in America's war on obesity with his ban on oversized soft drinks, a revolutionary "crisp-crusted, ooey-gooey" weapon of mass seduction has been unveiled, writes Rene Lynch.
Map Making Before Computers: How'd They Do It?
Ever wonder how maps were made in the decades before vector-based graphics software like Adobe Illustrator were invented? The Atlantic has posted a film from the 1940's that documents the process of "Modern Map Making."
So Cal Looks at Ways to Beat the Coming Heat
While the east coast suffers through a brutal early summer heat wave, researchers in Los Angeles have announced the findings of the most advanced regional climate modeling ever conducted, which shows that So Cal will feel the heat soon enough.
New York Launches Program to Speed Up Approvals
Announced this week by Deputy Mayor Robert Steel, a new program being launched by the Department of City Planning on July 2 will seek to dramatically improve the time it takes a project to traverse the city's land use approval process.
Architecture's Worst of the Worst
With the help of 15 architects, the editors and staff of <em>California Home+Design</em> have selected 25 buildings worthy of immediate demolition. See if you agree with their picks.
The Perpetual End of Philadelphia's SEPTA
Forever plagued with issues, from lack of funding to a lack of political support, Philadelphia's SEPTA mass-transit network is (again) on the verge of collapse.
Thinking More Broadly About How to Measure Sustainability
Championed for over a decade, the LEED certification program has given notoriety to many newly constructed 'green' buildings, but new measures are helping us measure sustainability at the community scale, writes Kaid Benfield.
D.C. Loosens Up its Tie
Amanda Kolson Hurley surveys the innovative architecture and urban planning transforming America's notoriously stodgy capital into a model of progressive urbanism.
What is the Secret to the "High Line effect"?
As cities across America seek to replicate New York's celebrated new park, Charles A. Birnbaum distills the secrets behind the High Line's success.
America's Fastest Growing Racial Group
Asian and Hispanic immigration rates have reversed from 2007: Asians now constitute 36% of all new arrivals (legal and illegal) while Hispanic rates, for a number of reasons, have dropped to 31%, according to a new Pew Research Center report.
More Carrot, Less Stick Needed for Affordable Housing
Mixed-income housing - infusing affordable housing with market-rate units - is relying more on incentives and subsidies, than mandates, to stimulate development.
Where the Recession Continues: Local Government
While glimmers of a recovery can be seen in the eyes of private business, local governments continue to see red, shedding hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Planning in LA is On a Roll
Hot on the heels of the hard fought passage of a new community plan for Hollywood comes news that the City Council has approved five years of funding for L.A.'s planning department to revise the city's zoning code, for the first time since 1946.
Newsflash: Something Has Been Accomplished at Rio+20
Andrew C. Revkin delivers the good news out of Rio, where global leaders are gathered to argue incessantly over how not to address climate change. At a side event, $175 billion in loans have been pledged for sustainable transportation.
BLOG POST
From On High, Chelsea Looks Much Different. But, is it for the Better?
<p> The High Line curving through the west Chelsea section of Manhattan bordering the Hudson River has to be one of the most successful planning and design stories in New York City in recent years, touted as a crowning achievement of the reign of Mayor Bloomberg, to be emulated in cities across the country. </p> <p> Testimonials and awards not withstanding, I am wary of the cloying elitism of a crowing Bloomberg. Having followed the project’s promotions for the last decade and the community’s evolution for the last half century, I am skeptical of its heralded success. And with the recent sounding of related development controversies, a second opinion is in order. </p>
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
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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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
