The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Africa's Urban Harvest
Faced with climate change and poverty, Africans are focusing on a new farming frontier: the cities.
Is the Central Valley The Vietnam For CA High Speed Rail?
It's been called a white elephant and a boondoggle, but Stanford rail historian Richard White went further in his interview in the NYT by comparing it with escalating involvement in an unwinnable war.
FEATURE
No-Exam Bylaws Amendment for Planning Faculty Will Cheapen AICP Certification
Stuart Meck and Rebecca Retzlaff call the attention of AICP certified planners to an upcoming change to the certification process which they believe will "degrade and cheapen" the AICP designation.
The Intersection of Health and Urban Planning
In Vancouver, B.C., Trevor Hancock is helping the city make the connection between the built environment and the health of the citizens.
Planners Must Speak for the Disadvantaged
"No one other than we as planners has the responsibility for decisions today that will profoundly affect others," says Attorney/Planner Dwight H. Merriam.
Tracking America's "Urban Reboot"
Salon.com has launched a new series called "Dream City" which will focus on the "spectacular innovation and dizzying demographic shift[s]" underway in America's cities.
Asia's "Instant" Cities: Perfect Cities or Perfect Storm?
The "utopian" cities being built from scratch in Asia to accommodate its fantastic rate of urbanization are striving to be smarter and greener, but may also be financially risky.
Do We Still Need Zoning?
Edward T. McMahon of ULI looks back at the 85 years since the Euclid vs. Ambler decision created zoning as we know it. Ed says zoning is still an essential tool.
BART To San Jose To Take $772 Million Step
One of the costliest transit projects in the Bay Area is a $772 million contract, closer to construction come Dec. 8. The long-awaited BART extension from Fremont to the region's largest city may be contingent on FTA funding expected in February.
Nine Noteworthy Interiors in Pittsburgh
Reporter John Conti tapped architects and professional to compile this list of Pittsburgh's best, publicly accessible interiors.
An Ancient Neighborhood Booms in Vietnam
Hanoi's Ancient Quarter, founded in 1010 A.D. and built around a plan from the 15th century, is seeing an entrepreneurial boom. Planners are struggling to maintain the unique character of the community in the process.
Creating a Nine-Mile Linear Park
Diana Balmori of Balmori Associates recently completed her work on a nine-mile long linear park along an old railroad line in Connecticut. The Awl presents an excerpt of her 2010 book <em>A Landscape Manifesto.</em>
Why Have the Exurbs Declined?
Christopher B. Leinberger expounds on the mortgage crisis plaguing America, particularly the exurbs. Rather than being a product of the excesses of bank lending and regulation, Leinberger attributes it to demographic changes benefiting cities.
"Environmental Architecture" at its Finest
Sarah Williams Goldhagen profiles The Sea Ranch; despite its failure as an alternative to suburban sprawl, it is considered a model for its environmentally sensitive, "sublimely beautiful" development.
Train Cars Recycle Kinetic Energy
A subway in Warsaw, Poland now features a system that captures the energy created by braking train cars for reuse elsewhere in the system.
Assessing Asia's Brand New Cities
In this piece, Greg Lindsay take a cautiously optimistic stance on whether or not from-scratch Asian cities are the way to address urban overpopulation.
Urban Farms Tax Breaks Bill Killed
Baltimore's City Council has voted to not approve a bill that would provide non-profit urban farmers tax breaks, leaving some officials steamed.
East Bay County Proposes Half-Cent Transportation Sales Tax
The newly formed Alameda County Transportation Commission is proposing a permanent, half-cent sales tax be placed on before the voters of the second most populous Bay Area county for the Nov. 2012 ballot for a variety of transportation purposes.
Vacant Historic Hotel to be Reused as Transitional Housing
Plans for the transformation of the art deco Viceroy Hotel date back to the Daley administration. The project will be financed by both state funds and the current mayor's revamped tax-increment financing program.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
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.
