The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The first freeway in California is being renamed back to its original designation, the 'Arroyo Seco Parkway.' Known more recently as simply 'the 110,' it was considered a "marvel of engineering," when construction began in 1938.

June 27 - Los Angeles Times

A public art project that appeared in Brisbane, Australia proposes a "priority seating area for people who want conversation" in order to encourage friendly chatter on public buses.

June 27 - I (heart) Public Space

With fewer staff members to cover the workload, L.A. is redefining planners' roles, including a change that will make planners more community-focused and less centralized.

June 27 - The Planning Report

William Frey of Brookings Institution analyzes census data from 2008-2009 in a WSJ economics blog that unmistakably shows a reduction of growth within suburban parts of metro areas while the cities in metro areas have increased in population.

June 26 - The Wall Street Journal

In the face of an $800 million budget gap, the MTA just blinked, closing the W and V lines on Friday night. More than 30 bus routes are also scheduled to close in an effort to save $93 million.

June 26 - Associated Press

Philadelphia is considering renaming a stop on the Broad Street Subway 'AT&T Station' for $3 million. With transit agencies hurting, is this a solution or a sell-out?

June 26 - the transport politic

Martin Pedersen of Metropolis Magazine explains how a city ordinance termed the 'plaza bonus,' lead to the creation of more than five hundred "privately financed, privately owned, but public spaces."

June 26 - Metropolis

Will airports become the "anchors of 21st century development," as Prof. John Kasarda believes? Kasarda spoke in Edmonton, Alberta, where planners are considering developing airport-adjacent greenfields into dense development.

June 26 - Edmonton Journal

Vision California, the state's first planning document in over thirty years, was released Wednesday and concludes that planners "should focus on creating compact development in already established cities," over continued suburban sprawl.

June 25 - San Francisco Chronicle

Known as PPPs, these consortiums combine the best of public and private sectors to finance, build and operate large projects quickly and efficiently. The 23-mile rail line from downtown's Union Station is expected to start soon and open in 2016.

June 25 - The Denver Post

The 'Twilight' series of books and movies has created a tourism industry in the small town of Forks, Washington, population 3,120.

June 25 - USA Today

Architect Christos Floros of Athens, Greece says that the city is constantly facing "architectural cleansing" as war, rapid population growth, and greed sweep away historic buildings.

June 25 - The Naked City

A new project aimed at reducing car reliance in world cities has paired ten architects with ten cities to create a redesigned public space that encourages a mix of transit modes.

June 25 - WNYC

Census estimates show that St. Petersburg, Florida, lost population between 2008 and 2009 -- a decline that's expected to continue.

June 25 - St. Petersburg Times

The city of Vancouver has announced a plan to dedicate $100,000 to fund neighborhood-based food security projects.

June 25 - The Vancouver Sun

New York City is moving forward with a plan to create a singular clearinghouse of public agency information -- an effort to help improve the way city departments work together.

June 25 - Urban Omnibus

<em>Chicago Tribune</em> architecture critic Blair Kamin reviews a few mall retrofits and finds that breathing life back into a dead mall can be a challenge.

June 25 - Chicago Tribune

An auto company has a new design competition to imagine a future city that is car-friendly.

June 25 - Scientific American

BLOG POST

<p> Given today it the release date of the new iPhone, I want to talk about something else at Apple the really caught my attention -- their automated customer care.   Last week I had to call Apple to find out how to get the sales tax removed from a purchase given our 501(c)3 status.  It was a complicated set of questions I needed to ask -- and yet the conversation was as smooth as talking to a live person.  It struck me I was getting a sneak preview of something that is going to radically transform how we use technology on a daily basis -- FINALLY. </p>

June 24 - Ken Snyder

NPR's Steve Inskeep interviews Wall Street Journal economics editor David Wessel on aspects of the American dream of home ownership that apparently are not working. Not only does Wessel suggest eliminating the tax deduction, but pushes renting too.

June 24 - NPR Morning Edition