The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The planning process for new wind turbines in Eastern Idaho is becoming an "increasingly contentious process," as residents complain that they don't want the structures interfering with their views.

September 13 - Post Register

Ron Ringen has logged more than 1,400 animals for a roadkill project. "I'm almost a fanatic with it," he said. "You get hooked."

September 13 - The New York Times

FEATURE

When Queen Elizabeth II -- now 84 -- passes on, Prince Charles will finally become king. With a history of active engagement in the built environment, will King Charles become a silent monarch, as some have claimed? David Sucher hopes not.

September 13 - David Sucher

The City of London - the financial district comprised of one square mile of London's Roman boundary has erected a new shopping center that planners hope will stimulate the area's development as a competitor to the busier West End.

September 13 - The Guardian

In the wake of several calamitous rail accidents, the Obama administration announced it would create a new federal agency to enforce safety standards on U.S. transit agencies. A new committee is now deciding just how that power will be wielded.

September 13 - The Washington Post

Personal rapid transit (PRT) has faced some challenges, says Curtis Johnson, not the least of which is the U.S.'s lack of "moonshot-mojo".

September 13 - Citiwire.net

So what exactly is "sustainability"? Well, then, how about "civic engagement"? "smart growth”? Bill Barnes of the National League of Cities says that planning is overrun by verbiage with vague definitions, to the detriment of the process.

September 13 - Nation's Cities Weekly

This past Friday, demolition began on a segment of Baltimore's infamous "Highway to Nowhere" to expand parking for the local commuter rail service (MARC). A side benefit: reuniting communities separated since the 1970s.

September 13 - Office of Govenor Martin O'Malley Press Release

Unlike at other beach resorts, the New Smyrna Beach traffic accidents happen on the beach itself. Sea turtles receive protection from the traffic allowed on the beach, but not children. On Sept. 5, a 4-year was run over fatally, the 2nd this year.

September 12 - The New York Times - U.S.

"With cities worldwide busy repurposing their industrial districts and docklands as upmarket housing and waterfront retail centres, the suburbs need to find a new competitive edge," writes Sarah Murray.

September 12 - Financial Times

In the wake of the BP oil spill, geographer Richard Campanella of Tulane University takes a look at the geography of New Orleans and the Gulf region, and suggests that the disaster will fuel a renewed discussion of the area's uniqueness.

September 12 - Places

Unclean and unsafe water is an increasingly vexing problem for the world's cities, which are struggling to meet the needs of rapidly growing populations. But there has been some positive work in developing countries.

September 12 - Citiwire

The Environmental Protection Agency has named five state capitals as its first group of cities in a new effort called Greening America's Capitals.

September 12 - Reuters

Robert Wright describes the policy shift already underway in planning for cities of the future. He reports that "as energy becomes more expensive, cities will have to be much more compact, easier to navigate by bike and on foot."

September 11 - Financial Times

Many people have argued that global cities can take lessons from informal communities like Dharavi and the favelas of Brazil. Designers Pavlina Ilieva and Kuo Pao Lian have created a new framework for city development based on these informal cities.

September 11 - The Futurist

With the next World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics on their way, Rio de Janeiro is in the midst of a vast citywide regeneration campaign.

September 11 - Smithsonian Magazine

BLOG POST

<div>On a day we remember how hate can be manifest into reckless slaughter, perhaps we can find a moment to also remind ourselves that the provision of mobility as a basic tenet of urban planning is one small but nonetheless fundamental way we can strengthen the brotherly ties between neighbors, nations, cultures, humanity. ~ian</div><div><br /></div><p>&nbsp;</p>

September 11 - Ian Sacs

A new report from <em>The Reason Foundation</em> finds that the nation's roads and highways are in the best shape of the last 19 years. The authors contend that this fact is largely a result of fewer people driving due to the recession.

September 11 - The Reason Foundation

Fueled by a generous tax incentive, Michigan has seen its film industry grow in recent years. Much of that growth is centered in Metropolitan Detroit, and is expected to continue its upward trend.

September 11 - Next American City

Derek Thompson reports on the twenty strongest metro areas and the major factors behind their success in recovering from the recession. He concludes that the country "did not experience an even, cross-country recession."

September 10 - The Atlantic