The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
L.A. To Test Variable Parking Prices
Los Angeles is planning to undertake a year-long experiment in demand-based pricing on parking in its downtown. The dynamic parking system will be put in place next summer.
Cyclists and Elderly Also At Risk on New York City's Streets
New York City's broad study of years of traffic and crash data have given new insight to the city's transportation safety problems. Cyclists and the elderly are especially vulnerable, according to the report.
Downtown Rebirth Through Two-Way Streets
The city of Richmond, Virginia, is hoping to undo years of downtown driving confusion and congestion by converting its web of one-way streets into two-way streets.
Inside a Growing Chinese Megacity
Through the example of the booming megacity of Chongqing, this article explores how urban growth is occurring in China, and what it means to plan a rapidly growing city.
A New Ethic for Urban Reinvention
In a unique collaboration, an American lawyer and a Venezuelan architect merge thinking on holistic design, planning and regulation
Cities Must Realign Priorities Toward Job Creation
Aaron Renn argues that when it comes to thinking on large cities, "too many people remain stuck in the 90s." Now that the recession has civic finances in a vice grip, we ought to focus not on condos or bike shares, but straightforward job creation.
Historic Kansas City Plaza Threatened by Development
A recipient of AICP National Planning Landmark Award, Country Club Plaza is part of Kansas City's historic shopping district. A developer is proposing to replace two historic buildings on the Plaza with contemporary designs.
Transit Planner Speaks Out Against Slashing Bus Service
A Portland transit planner from the days when buses were the primary means of getting around says the system is headed in the wrong direction and service is declining.
Don't Worship Jane Jacobs: Think Like Her
Bill Barnes of the National League of Cities argues that we don't need acolytes of Jane Jacobs; we need people who will think as hard and as well as she did about "the kind of problem a city is."
Gallup Charts "Well-Being" And Commute Times
And the result is fairly obvious - longer the commute, lower the reading. Well-being is a measurement of both physical and mental health, including ailments such as back pain and anxiety. No mention of modal type (e.g, driving, biking, transit).
Is American Ingenuity Dead When it Comes to Transportation?
Chikodi Chima looks at the innovative ideas coming out of China like the famous road-straddling bus announced earlier this month, and asks, has America lost it's edge?
BLOG POST
Changing Travel Demands: Implications for Planning
<p> <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt">The graph below shows the most recent USDOT vehicle-travel d</span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt">ata covering the last 25 years. Although vehicle-miles of travel (VMT) grew steadily during most of the Twentieth Century, in recent years the growth rate stopped and even declined a little. It is now about 10% below where it would have been had past trends continued.</span> </p> <p> <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt"><img src="http://www.vtpi.org/images/VMTtrends.jpg" alt="US VMT Trends" title="US VMT Trends" width="656" height="359" /></span> </p>
BLOG POST
Do You Have Innovative Smart Growth Projects That Need Funding?
<!--StartFragment--><p class="MsoNormal"><!--StartFragment--></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana" class="Apple-style-span">As the post-recession economy continues to plod along, those in the non-profit sector continue to face stiff funding competition. Organizations furthering the smart growth/new urbanism cause may find this to be particularly frustrating, as re-working how and where America builds has never been so important. <span> </span></span></p>
Plan Like Utah
This post from <em>Citiwire</em> looks at Salt Lake City and the state of Utah as home to some of the most active and progressive planning practitioners.
How The Golden Gate Bridge Got Into Transit
Unlike the nearby Bay Bridge that was built to accommodate the Key System streetcars, the Golden Gate displaced existing ferry service. Carl Nolte, the Chronicle's historian, provides the background for the 40th anniversary of its ferry service.
Suburban Tax on Traffic
To help pay for transportation needs, a Kansas City suburb approved a "driveway" tax based on the amount of traffic a property is expected to generate.
A Data-Based Interpretation of Burning Man
The annual week-long art festival Burning Man is kind of hard to define. This infographic provides some data and context about the event and the temporary city it forms in the Nevada desert every year.
High Speed Rail Gradually Develops, But Critics Remain Vocal
As high speed rail projects begin to take shape across America, commuters are anticipating eased travel but skeptics remain critical.
Reducing Cyclist-Pedestrian Accidents in Japan
New rules in Japan say that cyclists are liable for accidents between themselves and pedestrians, especially on the country's sidewalks.
Creating Smart Cities and Replicating Silicon Valley
Google CEO Eric Schmidt discusses what makes a city smart and successful in this interview with <em>Foreign Policy</em>.
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
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
