The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
NPR Turns Its Attention to Cities
Announced this week by <em>All Things Considered</em> hosts Melissa Block and Robert Siegel, National Public Radio is launching a new series called the NPR Cities Project and they're asking listeners for their input.
Reno: The Biggest Little 'Livable' City in the World
Concerned about becoming a "western Detroit," the city of Reno, built around the gambling industry, seeks to shake off that trademark with new investments in other industries and amenities.
The Headwinds Hindering America’s Transition to Renewable Energy
Nations like Denmark are leading the world in producing renewable energy. But the transition to renewables doesn’t just amount to the number of solar panels or wind turbines that can be built, it takes a smart grid to maximize their potential.
The Failures and Feats of a Leading Landscape Architect
Recent recipient of the ASLA's Gold Medal, landscape architect Laurie Olin shares some interesting opinions on his distinguished career, landscape urbanism, and the state of public space.
Nashville's Rebirth Starts with the Stomach
Kim Severson follows the hipsters and food trucks to East Nashville to document a "down-on-its-luck side of town being brought to life one great plate of food at a time."
Tulsa "Code Enforcement" Sparks Outrage
The demolition of a Tulsa resident's edible garden, deemed "too tall" by city inspectors, has sparked a civil rights lawsuit, and is generating national attention.
S.F. Rent Control Helping the Rich, Not the Poor
Wealthy families are using San Francisco's rent-controlled apartments as vacation homes, to the detriment of landlords and low-income families, for whom the regulations intended to preserve affordable housing were designed.
Cost, Rather Than Compass, May be Key to Healthy Eating
Efforts to alleviate urban food deserts has focused on the proximity of healthy food choices as a correlating factor for obesity. However, a new study concludes that price, rather than proximity, has a stronger correlation to rates of obesity.
Plan for Hollywood Densification Gets Final Approval
Yesterday, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a controversial new Community Plan for Hollywood, the first update since 1988, that allows increased density around transit stations, to the consternation of some neighborhood groups.
Smart Parking Meters at Work in Santa Monica
Thanks to new technology embedded in the asphalt, the days of left-over meter minutes are gone in this southern CA beach city. Depending on whom you ask, parking is now managed more efficiently or the city is just making more money.
The Woes of Young Working-Class Heroes
Young, educated city natives are being forced to pit their financial needs against their geographic desires in a battle against gentrification.
Which Cities Are Leading the Way in Integrating Food Planning?
Integrated food systems planning is a cornerstone of efforts to create healthy and sustainable communities across America. Kimberley Hodgson summarizes recent research conducted by the APA that evaluates which communities are leading the way.
Excuse Me, the Sidewalk is Trying to Tell You Something
Boyd Cohen reports on iPavement, an invention out of Spain that may be ominous or promising, depending on whether you see a benefit in every surface of a city becoming "intelligent."
What Will it Take to Grow the Silicon Prairie?
Businessmen and entrepreneurs want to build up new tech hubs in the middle of the U.S., but Midwestern humility and a lack of monetary drive hold them back.
Federal Transportation Agreement Seems Elusive
As yet another deadline for reaching agreement on federal transportation legislation approaches, Ben Goldman takes measure of the ominous signals emanating from negotiators.
Excellent Parking is Rewarded
While some may argue that an award-winning parking project is any that doesn't get built, the International Parking Institute has identified projects from across the country that have taken parking lot innovation to the next level.
Sprawl Hits a Wall
In an opinion piece for The New York Times, Allison Arieff considers the next phase of the "American Dream," as the notion of trading in the ideal of the home as fortress for the home as part of a larger whole gains widespread traction.
Planners Backtrack on Reform of Parking Standards
A bill in California that would reduce parking minimums in transit-oriented areas has drawn opposition from an unlikely group: the American Planning Association.
Baby Boomers Ponder Their Next Move
Recent studies on older generations' dwelling and travel patterns show that urban areas may provide more mobility and independence than suburban areas with less access to public transit.
Polls: Are You Listening?
What should planners take away from last week's barrage of polls about Americans' attitudes?
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
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.
