The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

New Study Ties Housing Affordability to Sustainability

Sarah Laskow reports on a new study by the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) that seeks to rethink how affordable housing is defined to incorporate transportation costs.

February 7 - Good

Assessing Miami's New Urban Experiment

Three years after its adoption, Sean McCaughan assesses the impact of Miami 21, first New Urbanist zoning code adopted by a major American city.

February 7 - The Architect's Newspaper

Saving the Mall By Returning to Its Ideals

Stephanie Clifford documents the extraordinary lengths malls across the country are going to in hopes of attracting customers in the face of e-commerce and a battered economy.

February 7 - The New York Times

In the Bright Sun of the Desert, a Difficult Compromise is Exposed

Julie Cart writes about the solar power compromises being forged in the deserts of the American Southwest, where the landscape is being sacrificed on the altar of alternative energy.

February 7 - Los Angeles Times


Mastering the Art of Stairway Persuasion

A new study shows that a friendly reminder of the health benefits of taking the stairs can cause a sustainable increase in their use, writes Jeannine Stein.

February 7 - Los Angeles Times

The Obama Administration's Crusade for Homeowners

President Obama's multi-billion dollar proposal to help homeowners involves providing them refinanced, government-backed loans. The plan is not without its doubters, however.

February 7 - PBS NewsHour


See the New WTC Views, 80 Floors Up

This Architizer blog post features breathtaking photos from the WTC Progress Twitter account.

February 7 - Architizer

Toward a More Inclusive Planning Process

Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson raises the issue that there are not enough minorities representing the communities that planners and designers strive to make better.

February 7 - Grist

Waiting for the Subway

When compared to China's accomplishments in completing subway lines, North America's cities look exceedingly timid, where construction timeframes can stretch into decades. Will Doig examined why.

February 7 - Salon.com

Exhibit Seeks to Understand Japan's 'Metabolism' Architecture

The new exhibit at Toyko's Mori Art Museum will be the first architecture showcase since the 2011 earthquake, and displays a movement central to the country's history of building and rebuilding.

February 7 - The New York Times

A Federal Assault on Transit

At the <em>Transport Politic</em>, Yonah Freemark provides a comprehensive overview of the 'all-out ideaoligical battle' being waged by the House GOP against public transit.

February 6 - the transport politic

Urbanists, Council Revolt Over Toronto's Transit Plans

Upon becoming Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford killed existing public transit plans, declaring the "war on the car" over. Now a coalition of urbanists and a majority of city council members are turning against Ford's subway-only plan.

February 6 - The Globe and Mail

Examining the Super Bowl's Balance Sheet

The day after the big game, Diana Lind, with the help of a <em>Planet Money</em> Podcast, delves into the economic ramifications of hosting a super bowl, and wonders whether Indianapolis might not turn out to be the night's biggest loser.

February 6 - Next American City

Has Preservation Gone Too Far?

Ben Adler writes about the growing contingent of policy wonks, architects, and architectural critics who believe that preservationists have acquired too much power.

February 6 - Architectural Record

The Collapse of the Architecture Profession

Recounting the exalted heights that the profession reached in the last decade, and its complete meltdown during the Great Recession, Scott Timberg asks: where does architecture go from here?

February 6 - Salon.com

Is the High Line Gay?

Erik Piepenburg speak with Friends of the High Line co-founder Robert Hammond about the celebrated park's connections to gay culture in New York City.

February 6 - The New York Times

A Shift of Attention to Local Planning Policies by the Tea Party Becomes National News

The 'lamestream media' picks up the story of Tea Party activists railing against efforts to control sprawl and conserve energy.

February 6 - The New York Times

Why Your Cell Phone is the Most Promising Transportation Planning Tool

Emily Badger reports on the growing importance of the cellular phone, and particularly their location tracking capabilities, as the next most essential transportation planning tool.

February 6 - The Atlantic Cities

Razing of Historic House Stirs Outrage in Beijing

In a cruel twist, a historic house associated with Chinese architects who championed the notion that 'a great nation should hold dear its historic patrimony', and deemed by authorities an 'immovable cultural relic,' was recently demolished.

February 6 - The New York Times

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