The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

With poverty indicators rising in suburban areas, Mississauga is looking to emulate Toronto's controversial "priority neighbourhoods" strategy to improve access to services.

April 20 - Globe and Mail

At the Shanghai Motor Show, Volkswagen debuted its concept E-Scooter, which has a range of 25 miles per charge. Of more interest to urbanists is their intention to use the vehicle in a "bike-sharing" system.

April 20 - Autocar

When one thinks of prefab, its usually a lowslung modernist building sitting by itself on a lot. A group of designers and engineers are debuting a plan for multi-story prefabricated buildings.

April 20 - Fast Company

Developer Gerald Friedman is incredulous that county commissioners won't let him rezone his property in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

April 20 - The Virginian-Pilot

The Australian documentary series Dateline examines the enormous and unprecedented property bubble building in China [video].

April 20 - Boing Boing

John Calimente reviews a new book that aims to explain the complicated back-and-forth that happens when government teams up with private interests on development projects.

April 20 - re:place Magazine

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has opened a new testing facility in San Ramon, California to experiment with smart grid technology. They're currently testing new systems for reducing outages.

April 20 - Next100

BLOG POST

<p> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'">Here in Canada, we&#39;re in the midst of a Federal election. It’s an election where if you’re interested in urban issues, you’re likely quite frustrated.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'"> <br /> </span> 

April 19 - Brent Toderian

The plans for the newly-opened Brooklyn Bridge Park included a 150-room hotel and two 30-story to 40-story condos buildings, which planners say were necessary to make the project pencil out. As construction nears, some locals are upset at the plans.

April 19 - The Architect's Newspaper

Another look at Edward Glaeser's provocative new book Triumph of the City, this time by reporter Mary Newsom and with a focus on Glaeser's opinions on the city and the environment.

April 19 - One Earth

Edmonton, Alberta has a reputation as "the Canadian fiefdom of sprawl" with a "commitment to architectural crap." Mayor Stephen Mandel is working hard to change that reputation.

April 19 - The Globe and Mail

Malcolm Gladwell and others attest to the effectiveness of working in restaurants, coffee shops and bars, and why it works.

April 19 - The Atlantic

A Houston grandmother could be the first person in the country to get "super WiFi", high-speed wireless internet transmitted over newly accessible segments of the broadcast spectrum.

April 19 - The Houston Chronicle

Styled after Harper's Index, this "Localism Index" suggests that local economies and independent businesses might just be making a comeback.

April 19 - The Nation

Leaders in Charleston County have reversed course on a $500 million highway expansion plan, following public outcry.

April 19 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill

The "population center" is a statistical construct that designates the midpoint where the Northern and Southern California populations are equally balanced on either side. For the first time in a century, that midpoint has moved northward.

April 19 - The Contra Costa Times

Rick Scott's general counsel, Charles Trippe, admitted that he "misrepresented a central fact" to support the governor's rejection of federal funds for HSR. This fact could lead to a reopening of the case, according to The Infrastructurist.

April 19 - The Infrastructurist

Congressional budget cuts spare some favorite programs of transportation reformers and smart growth advocates.

April 19 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill

New pedestrian signs installed throughout London aim to encourage more people to walk by providing them with information on walking times and local attractions.

April 18 - This Big City

Aaron Renn of <em>Urbanophile</em> explains the allure of "greenfield economics" and that the process of urban and suburban decay is cyclical in nature.

April 18 - Urbanophile