The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
CA HSR Passes Crucial Court Test In Central Valley
Writing from Madera in the Central Valley, the Mercury News transportation reporter explores the local opposition to the largest public works project in the nation. Farmers wanted an injunction placed on the CA High Speed Rail Authority to halt work.
Sparking Creativity in Walkable Places
Happiness and health are generated or depleted by the way our neighbourhoods, towns, cities, and rural landscapes are developed. Creative placemaking adds to walkable urbanism by sealing the deal on physical, mental, and social well-being.
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From Sparks of Brilliance to Waves of Reform
Bottom-up urbanism, now becoming increasingly popular in the academy under the rubrics of “do-it-yourself (DIY) urbanism”; “guerilla urbanism”; “tactical urbanism” etc., are the surest sparks of brilliance and hope for our urban future.
Friday Funny: Pedestrian Penalty Cards
Last month we came across an ingenious idea for making your sidewalk frustrations known to offending amblers, while sidestepping the dangers of verbal confrontation.
Are Planners the Victims of a Dastardly Mind-Control Plot?
If you've ever led a public planning process you may be complicit in perpetuating a diabolical conspiracy to coerce Americans into accepting "a United Nations-run communist dictatorship in which suburbanites will be forcibly relocated to cities."
Is a Car More Environmentally Friendly Than Mass Transit?
Angie Schmitt takes issue with the controversial premise of a recent story from the popular Freakonomics guys. True to their reputation for counter-intuition, their most recent report makes the claim that "driving is greener than transit."
Can Food Keep a Michigan City's Mojo Rising?
Keith Schneider looks at Downtown Market, the "newest piece of civic equipment" being built as part of Grand Rapids's transformation from "Furniture City" to vibrant, and growing, hub.
Copenhagen Tops List of Europe's Smartest Cities
Based on a new metric he's developed for defining the components of a smart city, Boyd Cohen ranks the top cities in Europe that are "working the hardest to be the most advanced urban landscape."
Landscape Architects Optimistic About Business Growth
In the findings of an industry-wide survey conducted recently by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), a picture of an improving business environment for landscape architects is emerging.
Chinese Government Responds to Growing NIMBYism
For the last 30 years, China has led the world in economic growth at a hefty environmental price. Widespread protests have prompted the cabinet of China to mandate a "social risk assessment" for industrial projects, reports Keith Bradsher.
Where are America's Most Diverse Neighborhoods?
Jed Kolko examines America's most diverse neighborhoods and finds that not only are they mostly located in the suburbs, but that they also have higher population growth and faster-rising home prices compared to less-diverse neighborhoods.
Historic U.S. Postal Buildings Threatened with Sale and Demolition
The U.S. Postal Service is selling 78 post office buildings, including the National Register listed Berkeley California Post Office building. 4,400 nationwide may be sold with many demolished. What can you do to save your favorite post office?
New Data Shows Crushing Effect of the Recession on America's Disadvantaged
The Great Recession and its aftermath have taken a toll on most Americans, but as a new report from Pew’s Economic Mobility Project shows, it's been far worse for those that can least afford it.
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Planetizen's Responsive Redesign
We have completely redesigned and rebuilt the Planetizen website. Enjoy the new features, a fresh new look, and a streamlined mobile-friendly design that's optimized for your laptop, tablet, and smartphone.
Airbnb Draws Tourists Off the Beaten Path
Airbnb connects travelers from around the world to unique rentable spaces. With the recent launch of a "Neighborhoods" feature, Airbnb has the potential to redirect tourist spending to often overlooked areas.
A Housing Plan to Keep Young Professionals in Massachusetts
Young professionals are choosing to live in "smaller, more transit-oriented developments." To keep them in-state, Gov. Deval Patrick plans to incentivize the building of 10,000 multifamily housing units each year through 2020 in Mass.
So You Want To Be a Certified Planner?
While planning seems more intuitive than technical to many the layperson, Los Angeles planner Clement Lau describes what it takes to stay at the top of the profession.
Low Cost Strategies for Reducing Urban Poverty
Eric Jaffe reports, “[a] recent field test in Mexico offers the first experimental evidence that basic infrastructure upgrades — in this case paving streets — have a measurable effect on reducing urban poverty.”
Happy Place of the Olden Days
Scott Bernstein joins in the Happiness Index conversation, starting with references to the Anatomy of Melancholy.
New Name Tops List of World's Most Expensive Shopping Streets
Hong Kong has supplanted New York atop Cushman & Wakefield's list of the ten most expensive shopping streets in the world. London's Bond Street fell out of the top ten due to Britain's weak economy.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
