The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Friday Funny: A Video for the Dog Days of Summer
Man's best friend is taking parkour - the improvised sport that uses the urban environment as an obstacle course - to new levels. Nate Berg looks at some of "barkour's" pooch practitioners.
California Carbon Market Gets a Test Run
When California's carbon market launches in November, it will become the second-largest in the world. A test auction conducted this week with 150 of the companies to be involved in the program went off without a hitch.
New Development Seeks to Reclaim Sydney's Position as a Global City
Lew Sichelman reports on the lofty goals being pursued by a new $6.2 billion live/play/work development known as Barangaroo - planned for a 54-acre site in East Darling Harbor - which aims to redefine Sydney.
The Winners and Losers at this Year's Architecture Biennale
Steve Rose surveys the scene at this year's Architecture Biennale in Venice, where he observes that the mood has shifted: "away from starchitecture towards something quieter, more collaborative and utopian."
What Makes a Great Neighborhood?
Howard Blackson explains the five elements ("five Cs") necessary for planning resilient and lively neighborhoods - complete, compact, connected, complex, and convivial.
Dense Re-Vision for D.C.'s Neglected Waterfront Extends onto the Water
A 52-acre development planned for Washington, D.C.'s isolated Southwest Quadrant hopes to create a 21st century waterfront by embracing the elements that have contributed to creating lively urban waterfronts for centuries, reports Kriston Capps.
With Policy Changes, Urban Farmers Seek Bountiful Harvest
Riding a tide of environmental consciousness and self-sufficiency, the urban agriculture movement is gaining momentum in California. Urban farmers have been lobbying for zoning and other city regulations to bring an underground hobby into the light.
L.A. Gets its River Back
This week, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation intended to increase public access to the L.A. River for recreational and educational purposes, reports Yosuke Kitazawa.
Lack of Productivity Afflicts U.S. Commuter Rail
What the U.S. does with twenty-five workers, Spain does with nine; 'work rules' are part of the problem when it comes to the lack of productivity and high costs of America's regional rail systems.
Criticism of Fuel Efficiency Regulations from a Surprising Source
With President Obama adopting historic fuel efficiency regulations for motor vehicles, it may be helpful to hear from opponents of the regulatory approach, not only from the President’s political opponents but also the venerable Brookings Institution
New Plan for Cincinnati Oriented Around A Multi-Centered City
Three years in the making, approval nears for Plan Cincinnati - the city's first comprehensive plan to be completed in the last 32 years. Randy A. Simes shares the details of the plan, which focuses growth around 40 walkable neighborhood centers.
Plans for Copenhagen's First 'Climate Adapted' Neighborhood Unveiled
By better integrating the natural and built environments, while enforcing standards of livability, Copenhagen seeks to transform its Saint Kjeld’s neighborhood into "a showcase area for climate adaptation technology," reports Damian Holmes.
DIY Aerial Imaging Now a Reality
Ever get frustrated looking for the right aerial image of your project site on Google Earth? Emily Badger has found the solution - a DIY balloon mapping kit developed by cartographer Stewart Long.
Is the Success of Vancouver's Urbanism Just a Facade?
Bob Ransford argues that the policies that have shaped Vancouver's streets and skyline over the last decades into a global icon of planning and design are an accomplishment of style over substance that fail to look at how people inhabit buildings.
Money Versus Public Space in Miami's Booming Brickell Neighborhood
The rapid development of Miami's Brickell neighborhood has left many residents without proper access to open space, a circumstance some are trying to remedy, despite astronomical land costs.
World's Longest Bus Debuts in Dresden
Described as a "train on wheels," the 98 feet long three-section bus that seats an astonishing 256 passengers is set to hit the streets of Dresden, Germany in October.
Landscape Architects Design Parks for Pets
Pet ownership in the U.S. continues to hit record levels, and with the increasing interest in city living the number (and variety of designs) of dog runs in city parks has increased. Designers are utilizing a dog's-eye-view to serve their clients.
GOP Platform Takes Aim at Community Planning
The official G.O.P. platform approved at the party's convention on Tuesday included tough language on U.N. Agenda 21, decrying it as "erosive of American sovereignty," reports Leslie Kaufman.
Political Squabbling Trumps Demands for a New London Airport
Where are the projected 400 million air travelers coming to London supposed to land? Prime Minister David Cameron is caught between two politically difficult choices for how to manage the projected growth in passengers.
Design Competition for Bordeaux Puts Nature First
As the city of Bordeaux, France, makes plans to move up the list of major European cities, it's calling on a multidisciplinary design competition for ways to revitalize its city from the top down by integrating "natural areas."
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.
