The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

In Toronto, Height is Secondary

...to the intensification of uses and street-level interaction, at least. Christopher Hume provides readers with the leading viewpoints on the matter at "Too Tall?", an ongoing exhibit on Toronto's "fear of heights."

December 23 - Toronto Star

Pritzker Fully Restoring Frank Lloyd Wright House

The Frank Lloyd Wright-design Emil Bach House in Chicago will be brought back to original, historical accuracy. Reportedly going well beyond budget, the century-old house will be rented to overnight guests when completed.

December 23 - Chicago Tribune

The Growing Popularity of Temporary Architecture

In the age of food trucks, pop-up stores, and the Burning Man city, is it time to rethink the notion of "temporary" architecture?

December 22 - The New York Times

Vancouver's University in a Shopping Mall

A photo essay by Witold Rybczynski explores how a campus operates in a shopping mall in a suburban community outside Vancouver, British Columbia.

December 22 - Slate Magazine

The Best Journalism About Cities in 2011

From Braddock, Pennsylvania to Beijing, Nate Berg offers his favorite articles about cities published in 2011.

December 22 - The Atlantic Cities


First Look at Cornell's Winning $2 Billion Tech Campus

New details and a visualization from Cornell University's winning proposal to create a "game-changing" applied sciences and technology campus on New York's Roosevelt Island.

December 22 - BetaBeat

EPA's $9.6 Billion Holiday Gift To Environmentalists

The EPA issues its first national standards for mercury pollution from power plants, requiring a dramatic reduction of pollutants 90% by 2016.

December 22 - The New York Times


The Ever-Expanding American Garage

Think/Architect looks at models for garages from the past that were built for one-car households, and compares then to contemporary designs that keep expanding from 2 cars to 3 and beyond.

December 22 - think architect

Billboards Decrease the Value of Nearby Property

A new report focusing on the City of Philadelphia found that there is a statistically significant correlation between real estate value (as measured by sales price) and proximity to billboards.

December 22 - Scenic America

CA HSR: A Speed Too Fast?

LA to SF in 2 hrs, 40 mins? That promise in the proposition that voters approved in 2008 could be the train's undoing, as to keep that schedule it will require more expensive design, including viaducts and tunnels, than would otherwise necessitate.

December 22 - Los Angeles Times

Congress Cuts CDBG Funds; Cities Feel the Hurt

Allentown, PA is just one of many cities across the nation who have had to face tough decisions as their Community Development Block Grant funds shrink.

December 22 - The New York Times

Report Touts Economic Benefits via Maine Transportation Projects

The report put out by TRIP, a Washington, DC non-profit sponsored by insurance companies and transportation labor unions, highlights about 50 trips that are likely to generate economic growth when completed.

December 22 - The Portland Press Herald

BLOG POST

Case Studies: How Planning Students Can Find Interesting Projects Online

<span style="font-size: small; font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> </span> <p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Planning students are often interested in finding examples of planning practice, particularly good examples. Several free online sources list projects that have won awards or been the subject of magazine articles. While winning an award doesn’t mean a project is perfect, such projects are typically m some of the more interesting examples of planning.</span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> </span> <br />

December 21 - Ann Forsyth

The Biggest News in Urbanism for 2011

Greg Hanscom, cities editor at Grist, picks his top stories for 2011, including Occupy Wall Street, bright flight and the "urban renaissance that isn't (yet)."

December 21 - Grist

Cleveland Turns Its Focus Uptown

Cleveland, suffering from a disappearing population, is pinning its hopes on a new Uptown arts and entertainment district, including the new Museum of Contemporary Art which opens in 2012.

December 21 - The New York Times

Koolhaas in Favor of Generic Buildings

Rem Koolhaas, in an interview in Der Speigel, talks about the "zero character" office building he works in in Rotterdam and how wonderful

December 21 - The Atlantic Cities

The Master of "POPS" Speaks Out on Zuccotti Park

Thomas Balsley has designed more Privately-Owned Public Spaces (POPS) in New York than anyone. In this op-ed he expresses his support for continuing to encourage the creation of these spaces, regardless of the ownership issues.

December 21 - The New York Observer

Maine Nixes LEED Certification for State Buildings

Governor Paul Lepage of Maine has banned the use of LEED certification in state buildings. Lloyd Alter at Treehugger says it's all about the timber industry.

December 21 - Treehugger

Homebuyers Have "Conflicting Expectations"

In an article primarily featuring a couple who designed and built a 560 sq ft home, a developer says that homebuyers say they want smaller homes but still want big bedrooms.

December 21 - The Houston Chronicle

Why Developers are Getting Into Energy Efficiency and Power Generation

As utilities and energy companies move towards distributed power, building owners, businesses, and developers are seeing the possibilities.

December 21 - The Planning Report

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