The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Last in the Walkability Ratings
Franklin, Massachusetts tied for last place in WalkScore's ranking of walkability in the state. Taryn Plumb says the city isn't taking the ranking in stride.
Mileage-Based User Fees Could Work, Says Study
The Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota has prepared a comprehensive report on the shortcomings of the fuel tax and how to transition to what they call a mileage-based user fee, a form of a vehicle-miles-traveled fee.
Public Showers Improve Health
The village of Shamen, China lacks running water, and scarcity has created a lack of awareness of water health issues. A complex new bathhouse aims to curb health problems and create a gathering place in the process.
Gambling With Cities
What if gambling was legal all over the United States? Neal Peirce reviews Sam Skolnik’s new book, "High Stakes: The Rising Cost of America’s Gambling Addiction" and looks at what might be the result of bills pending in CA and MA.
Extreme Makeover: Housing Policies Edition
As consumer real estate debt surpasses $9 trillion, TIME magazine examines four radical proposals that top policymakers and economists think will help turn things around.
Irene Preparation Causes Shut Down Of NYC Metro Transit System
In preparation for Hurricane Irene, the MTA is shutting down buses, subways, and commuter rail in the New York City metro area. Transit operated till noon on August 27, then will begin the 8-hour process to store the vehicles and prepare for Irene.
Brownfield Revitalization, or Gentrification?
Residents of the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco fear that redevelopment threatens to gentrify the area in a way that pushes out low- and middle-income black residents.
Electric Facades Brighten Buildings
In Frankfurt's main shopping district, the Zeilgalerie shopping mall brightens up the night with thousands of programmable LEDs built into its new facade.
Is "Nuisance Abatement Team" a Legitimate Use of Police Power?
In Antelope Valley, Calif., questionable code enforcement practices encroach the Fifth Amendment taking clause while the obfuscation of facts by public officials mars the transparent aspect of the planning process.
Green Gadget Homes Aimed at Middle Class
Developers in Frederick, ND are aiming to build "green" homes that middle income buyers can afford. The homes are sporting features such as, solar panels, geothermal heating and high-tech computer systems that are typically found in high end homes.
CA Air Board Sticks With Cap & Trade
The CA Air Board reaffirmed their decision to stick with the cap and trade approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions rather than an alternative mechanism such as a carbon fee - a decision that did not please the environmental justice litigants.
Reconsidering the Urban Alley
Alyse Nelson takes a look at a handful of alleys that were transformed from crusty dumping grounds into beautiful urban spaces.
NYC's Answer to Silicon Valley
Joining Yelp, Net-A-Porter, and Apple, tech companies find a new hub in Union Square (aka "Silicon Square").
BLOG POST
Bringing New Value to Wastewater
<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt">Much of the inefficiency surrounding our use and misuse of water derive from entrenched habits formed during previous eras of presumed inexhaustibility of water supplies. Our wastewater treatment approach has traditionally relied on an infrastructure of centralized municipal water plants where tertiary effluent is recycled.<span> </span>These plants consume considerable energy and cost to restore all of the water they process. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt"> </span> </p>
Friday Funny: Green Cities a Hot Bed for Promiscuity
CBS News compiles in a photo slideshow of dating site OkCupid's list of the top 10 cities with the highest percentage of "casual sex seekers."
Architect's Journey to Create September 11 Memorial
Architect Michael Arad design "Reflecting Absence" was chosen from 5,200 others. After navigating constant criticism and design hurdles, "Reflecting Absence," the memorial to victims of September 11, 2001, is 16 days from it's unveiling.
TODs Spark Parking Reform
Saqib Rahim asks, "If Denver is committed to transit, how much parking should it build?"
Street Art Transforms City
Graffiti artists from around the world were invited to transform the brutalist post-war architecture of Bristol, England's Nelson Street.
The One-Billion Milestone for Cars
The total number of cars around the world exceeded the billion-unit mark in 2010, according to a study by Wards Auto. This figure has essentially doubled since 1986 when the 500-million-unit mark was crossed.
NYC Transit Extends the Life of C Trains
Due to budget constraints, the current C train (code name: R32) will continue to serve New Yorkers until 2017, making it one of the oldest subway line in the world.
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.
