The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Water Infrastructure Questions Linger in California
Prop. 18, the financial centerpiece of legislation meant to overhaul California's aging water supply infrastructure, was removed from the statewide ballot slated for November.
Major Monorail Project Stalled in Brazil
A $776 million monorail system planned in the Brazilian city of Manaus to ease transportation issue when it hosts the 2014 World Cup has been suspended.
San Francisco's Missing Statue of Liberty
The history of San Francisco's version of the Statue of Liberty, and how it disappeared, is discussed in this episode of <em>99% Invisible</em>, a new radio segment from KALW.
Walled Communities in Beijing Fight Crime, Spark Controversy
Small enclaves of low-wage workers in Beijing have been walled off from their surroundings in an effort to reduce crime. The separating walls have become a local controversy.
BLOG POST
How Cities Will Survive Global Warming
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman">Climate change has become a focal point of urban planning in the U.S. and abroad as cities grapple with so-called sustainability. </span><a href="http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1562561&show=html"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #800080">I’ve been a critic</span></a><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman"> of many attempts to implement sustainability plans, not so much because I disagree with the intent as much as I believe the tools used to achieve sustainability are not particularly effective.
Preservationists Save Uncle Tom's Cabin. Oh, Wait...
State and county officials spent over two million dollars saving a cabin thought to be the former home of Josiah Henson, the model for the Uncle Tom character in the novel. New evidence shows they were wrong.
Cutting College Congestion with Car Sharing
Colleges around the U.S. are implementing car sharing services to help reduce the need for private car among their students and faculty.
HUD's Donovan on Transportation and Housing Costs
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan talks with PBS about the department's new approach of integrating transportation and housing policy.
The Solution to Food Deserts: WalMart?
Activists who want to solve the problem of "food deserts" in underserved areas push for co-ops and and independent grocery stores. But would large chains like WalMart be a better solution?
Reducing Crime With Public Spaces in London
Officials in London are relying on the creation of 86 new public spaces throughout the city to cut down on criminal behavior.
Why "Top 10 Cities" Lists Are Impossible to Resist
Publishers and marketing folks admit that the barrage of lists titled "Top 10 Places To...." is inspired purely by the public's inability to resist clicking them.
Transit, Not Traffic Reduction, Helps NYC Hit Greenhouse Gas Targets
Is New York City's green transportation revolution overhyped? It turns out that emissions from private cars actually increased between 2007 and 2009, and that almost none of the city's greenhouse gas reductions came from the transportation sector.
New York City Given Power to Clean Up Brownfields
New York City has garnered new powers to institute cleanups on moderately contaminated sites, which could help revive hundreds of spots in the city that have sat empty or unused for years.
Bike Path From London to Paris Could Be Smoother
The <em>BBC</em> tries out a new bike route connecting London to Paris and finds room for improvement.
India Tries to Hide its Poor As Games Begin
As the Commonwealth Games get underway in New Delhi, India, locals are upset that officials have made efforts to hide slum areas from the view of visitors.
Millions in Affordable Housing Funds Misspent
Continuing its exposé of California redevelopment agencies, The L.A. Times uncovers that $700 million meant for affordable housing across the state was spent without a single unit being built.
Building on Strengths
In Lowell, Massachusetts, planner Jeff Speck painted a picture for locals of a transformed city that capitalizes on the strengths of the city to move forward with a greater vision.
Smart Growth Brain Trust
A new law in New York State requires state agencies to form smart growth advisory panels to determine whether proposed infrastructure projects meet smart-growth principles.
'Doubling Up' Increases
'Doubling up', when multiple families live under one roof to save money, is nothing new - it increases when economic times are difficult, especially with extended families. However, the Census reports that adults aged 35+ now exceed younger groups.
CA Solar Plants In Race To Qualify For Expiring Federal Subsidy
In one of the most remarkable spurts of renewable energy investment in the U.S., six solar plants have been approved in six weeks in the California desert totaling almost 3 gigawatts. More are on the way, including new Stirling dish technology.
Pagination
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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.