The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Congressional support for transportation and infrastructure projects has traditionally been bipartisan. In an interview, Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon discusses how political tantrums in Congress may handicap the US in the long run.

October 10 - The Planning Report

A prefab steel home built in 1933 on the campus of Connecticut College as a futuristic "home of tomorrow". Today, although covered in rust, it is still standing and being prepped for historic preservation.

October 10 - CBS Connecticut

A recent study shows that bicyclists absorb more carbon soot in their lungs than pedestrians or drivers. But new reports argue that the benefits of the exercise far outweigh the downsides.

October 10 - Twin Cities Daily Planet

An upcoming ballot measure will create $204 million for new transit. The most controversial part of the measure would be an allotment for planning and and possibly building a new streetcar line.

October 10 - The Seattle Times

Choosing the Goldilocks price for a congestion-priced toll lane is no easy task - as the Georgia Dept. of Transportation has discovered after the first week of operation of the I-85 Express Lanes through parts of Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.

October 10 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The single-story fire station meant the classic fire pole disappeared. But now that land prices are on the rise, the second story and the fire pole have returned.

October 10 - Star Tribune

ArtPrize, a yearly art festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is attracting unprecedented crowds to this unexpected destination.

October 10 - Metropolis Magazine

A new report from Strong Towns Initiative argues that sprawl-friendly policies and overbuilt infrastructure are keeping the economy from properly recovering.

October 9 - New Urban Network

Motorists will not legally be required to provide a three-foot distance when they pass cyclists as a consequence of Brown's veto of SB 910. Comparisons were made to Texas Gov. Rick Perry who had vetoed a a similar bill in 2009.

October 9 - Cyclelicious

New requirements have made safety officials more aware of the safety issues surrounding the U.S.'s 84,000 dams. Problem is, there are fewer funds available to fix the mounting problems they find.

October 9 - Renewable Energy World

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to expedite natural oil gas drilling, or fracking, is too risky to rush. Even with environmental regulations in place, writes Eric Goldstein, there are too many "unresolved substantive issues" to resolve.

October 9 - Gotham Gazette

Planners, architects, and developers made America ugly in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, opines Ross Douthat. In this piece, he questions whether or not the aesthetic revival led by Steve Jobs could be applied to our buildings and spaces.

October 9 - The New York Times

A new system using "microwave motion" sensors can detect when a bicyclist enters an intersection and control traffic to accommodate them.

October 8 - Governing Magazine

Recognizing the inevitability of sea level rise and vulnerability of much of the Bay Area, the region has adopted the first climate adaptation rules in the nation. Building along the shores of S.F. Bay remains possible.

October 8 - The Bay Citizen

Architecture for Humanity has asked 9 design firms to dream up an upgrade for Coleman Oval Skate Park, which is located directly underneath the Manhattan Bridge.

October 8 - The Architect's Newspaper

The plan covers 24 miles of bikeways, and is estimated to got nearly $6 million over the course of 20 years. Adolfo Flores reports.

October 8 - Los Angeles Times

Just four percent of Irvine's Great Park has been built in six years, compared to an early estimation that it would be completed in 10. Now, it may take 20. And it's no one's fault, writes Jeff Overley.

October 8 - Orange County Register

Doyle Redland reports on the accidental new construction, which has galvanized both sides of the preservation vs. access argument.

October 7 - The Onion

An interview with architect and developer Marcel Wisznia on why architects should develop their own projects.

October 7 - AIA

With the help of Councilmember Paul Krekorian of the Los Angeles City Hall, Studio City residents developed an anti-mansionization ordinance called the "Residential Floor Area" to limit the size of residential construction on existing lots.

October 7 - The Patch