The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Tweeting the Urban Landscape
Heritage Toronto was lacking a budget to make new historic plaques, so heritage buff David Wencer arranged a "Twitterthon" to call attention to the 250 plaques that already exist.
Hispanic Population Booms in Unlikely Pennsylvania Location
Lehigh Valley, PA, which includes Allentown and Bethlehem, seems an unlikely place to find an exploding Hispanic population. Caitlin Dewey explains why Latinos have taken to this part of the Rust Belt.
BLOG POST
Making the Most of an Internship
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small"> </span> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">Recently I’ve had a number of undergraduate students ask how to make the most of internships—over the semester and in the breaks. The following represents some advice for current students.</span></span> </p>
Apple's New HQ Actually Works, Says Critic
John King makes it clear - the 4-story ring iCon (or doughnut, by some) would not work in urban San Francisco, but could be quite fitting for sprawling, suburban Silicon Valley.
Downtown Stadium Will Be "Sea of Billboards"
Gov. Jerry Brown will soon be asked to sign a bill that would loosen environmental regulations on a downtown L.A. stadium, which would also be smothered in LED billboards.
Sprawl vs. Farms
Jonathan Lerner reports from Fresno, where sprawling development has clashed with agriculture, the region's bread and butter. A new regional plan hopes to preserve farmland and ease tensions.
BLOG POST
Risk Versus Dread: Implications for Planners; or Let's Not Let The Terrorists Win
<p class="Body"> <span>“<em>The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance</em>” </span><span style="font-style: normal">– President</span><span style="font-style: normal"> Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932 </span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span>This being the decade anniversary of the World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist attacks, it seems a good time to consider how our society responds to such threats, and what planners can do to maximize safety.</span> </p>
Creating Energy from Subway Motion
Like systems used in electric vehicles like the Prius, an energy company think it could attach flywheels to subway trains and use the kinetic energy of their movement to generate energy that would feed back into the system.
Mysteriously, Parking Tickets in East Village Drop 48%
Officials are at a loss to explain why parking tickets issued in New York's East Village have decreased by almost half between 2009 and 2010.
Bank-Owned Foreclosures Cause Problems for Cities
As bank-owned homes become a source of blight and crime, cities struggle to effectively hold banks accountable for their maintenance. Large banks tend to be the worst offenders, often failing to remove trash and weeds or paying fines.
Water Treatment Facility Turned Awesome
A new park in Toronto includes a water treatment tower that, with artist Jill Anholt's help, creates a beautiful water feature that some say will be a catalyst for future development in the area.
IBM Releases "Commuter Pain Index"
A survey of over 8,000 commuters in 20 cities across 6 continents yields an alarming result. By and large, commuters in emerging economies face traffic conditions that are far worse than those who live in the U.S. and Europe.
Let There Be Lights in Oslo
Taking full advantage of residential density in Norway's capital, director André Chocron turns Cold Mailman's hit single "Time is the Essence" into a fantastic audiovisual experience.
L.A. Ousts a Car Lane for Bikes
The unfathomable happened this week in Southern California when L.A. converted 2.2 miles of road into a bike lane that stretches along 7th Street from Koreatown to Downtown.
Friday Funny: Open-Source Bathrooms?
A yet-to-be-released iPhone app will give users access to a Google Maps overlay showing the location of the nearest private bathrooms that your friends (and friends of friends) have agreed to let you use.
"Parklets" Pop Up in Vancouver
Transplanting the wildly popular pilot projects in NYC and SF across the northern border, the City launches VIVA Vancouver program that converts parts of eight streets into public spaces.
Disaster Planning, Politics, and Payment
Half of the US population lives in coastal areas, but 100% of the population foots a portion of the insurance bill. And as storm event strength is trending upward with global warming, the inlanders are getting less excited about that payment stream.
Redesigning the National Mall
Got what it takes to revamp the Union Square, Washington Monument Grounds, and Constitution Gardens? The design competition is now open to anyone who has the vision of making this revered space in D.C. the "best park in the world."
Only Collective Actions Make a Difference
You gave up your large home for a small apartment by the train station, your car for a bike, disposable bags for your canvas one, and of course you recycle everything. Are you making a difference? Not according to this NYT column.
Promoting Equity in Subsidized Housing
As the real estate market begins to rebound, many affordable housing advocates and developers in NYC are calling for a modification of the 80/20 program.
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.
