The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
L.A. Reforms Postwar Zoning Codes
The City of Los Angeles Planning Commission has reintroduced sweeping reform of the zoning codes in an effort to streamline planning processes. "This marks the first overhaul of codes since their last revision in 1946," said City Planner Alan Bell.
The Case Against The Centralized City
Kerwin Datu suggests that transit in cities of the future should no longer be organized around a distinct center. "Rather than think of a city as a centre surrounded by suburbs, think of it as a patchwork of specialised districts woven together."
Power Balace to Shift From Nations to Cities
The rise of megacities and innovation hubs is leading to a balance shift that will make cities, not nations, the most powerful drivers in the world economy, according to Parag Khanna.
79% of Oil Still in Gulf, According to Researchers
Researchers estimate that roughly three-quarters of the oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico is still dangerously concentrated in the water, a claim that disputes official word from the government that much of the oil has been safely dispersed.
Solar Farm Has Ideal Location But Environmental Impacts
A renewable energy company wants to build a major solar power farm on former ranchland in rural California. But environmental concerns over habitat and scenic beauty could stall the process.
Sprawl and the Free Market
This piece from <em>The Freeman</em> looks at the debate over sprawl and whether free market economics encourage it or offer a solution.
Crowdsourcing the Master Plan
The city of Lincoln, Nebraska, is asking locals to submit and vote on ideas to integrate into its new master plan, hoping to get citizens more involved in the process and test out unconventional ideas.
Paying the Bill for High Speed Rail in California
The prospect of a high speed rail line connecting California's major cities has been appealing to many in the state. But with less than a quarter of the money needed for the project, the risks are hard to ignore.
Street Interventions In Brazil
Activists in Brazil took advantage of their country's fascination with the World Cup to take to the empty streets and paint messages encouraging safer use of the roads.
Why Transit Agencies Should Open Their Data
Streetfilms offers this video about how opening up transit agency data can greatly improve urban public transit systems for riders at little or no cost to the agencies.
Scotland to Build Floating Wind Farm Offshore
Officials in Scotland have announced plans to build a farm of floating wind turbines offshore.
Kelo Redux: Struggling Malls
The eminent domain case of Kelo vs. New London is seeing new relevance in cities across the country, as empty malls are being classified by locals as blight.
Is A Denser Urban World Inevitable?
Writing in <em>Foreign Policy</em>, Joel Kotkin argues that increasing urbanization and density are not inevitable realities.
Spain the Model Train Citizen
As the U.S. eases itself into a national system of high speed trains, other nations seem to be decades ahead, especially Spain.
The Gradual Greening of Canadian Cities
Canadian cities like Montreal and Vancouver are riding the green train, aiming to transform themselves into some of the greenest cities in the world.
Improvement, But Room for More in New Orleans
Five years after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the Brookings Institution offers an analysis of the city's recovery. This op-ed looks at the report, which finds the city improving, but with many areas needing increased focus.
BLOG POST
Campaign Fundraising Holds City Hostage
I wasn't even in Los Angeles yesterday, and for once I'm glad. Everything from my Facebook feed to the morning headlines told me that traffic on the Westside yesterday afternoon was so awful that only a parade of obscenities accompanied by words like "cluster" and "show" would have sufficed to describe it. Hardened locals were driven nearly to tears behind the wheels of their unmoving cars. <br /><br />The president was in town. <br />
BLOG POST
Park51, Planning and the Freedom of Religion
<span><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->As planners, we are accustomed to (and expect) some types of urban development proposals to attract controversy. Whether the opposition is to new roads, higher-density housing or undesirable land uses such as industries or prisons, such controversies are becoming far more common as environmental, economic and social issues become more pronounced and widely understood. In most cases, we generally assume that we can make use of a suite of engagement strategies to engage stakeholders and try to resolve typical development conflicts. </span>
Ebenezer Howard Lives
Victorian-style model towns from the age of Ebenezer Howard are seeing a revival in emerging urban areas, according to this piece from <em>The Guardian</em>.
Questions and Concerns About China's Mega-Dam
China's mega-dam, the Three Gorges, is facing some growing pains as recent storms have put the structure to the test.
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.
