The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Urban Theorist William J. Mitchell, R.I.P.
William J. Mitchell, dean of the school of architecture and planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, died last week. He was a pioneer in the use of computers for design and planning.
Vancouver Debuts Two-Way Bicycle Lane
The new bike lane is fully separated from car traffic and runs downtown on Dunsmuir Street, and is being tested for the next six months for viability.
Auckland's Privatized Transit a Warning for Toronto
As part of their "free advice" to Toronto's next mayor, that city's business lobby group the Board of Trade is recommending that the city privatize its public transit services. Bad idea, says Jim Stanford.
Does 'Grand Theft Auto' Make People Bad Drivers?
A new study says that videogames like Grand Theft Auto that encourage reckless driving may make it more likely that one would drive recklessly in the real world.
Los Angeles Finds a Communal Way to Enjoy The World Cup
Jeremy Rosenberg of Next American City examines how the people of Los Angeles get together to watch the world cup, in the absence of any primary public meeting space.
Goldman's New Headquarters in New York Conveys Sobriety
Goldman Sachs' new headquarters in New York is "modern but nowhere near the architectural cutting edge; neither cheap nor extravagant; and efficient without seeming merely functional." Paul Goldberger dissects the new Henry Cobb design.
Strife in the City of the Future
Joel Kotkin describes the plight of a Los Angeles economy that has lost "one-fifth of all its employment since 2004." Once a hopeful generator of new jobs and technology, the area has suffered the most of all the Sunbelt metros.
Living in a Jumbo Jet
A new home in Malibu, CA is being constructed using the parts from a Boeing 747. The client asked the architect to use recycled materials as much as possible, and the plane parts were relatively affordable.
City Logos for the Entire World
<em>GOOD</em> points to a new project that's trying to create and collect city logos for every city on the planet.
USGS Releases Detailed Map of Land-Cover in U.S.
The U.S. Geological Survey has released a highly detailed map of vegetative land-cover in America, which is expected to assist officials in efforts to preserve wildlife habitats.
New Bike Lanes Hope To Eliminate 'Dooring' Factor
Actually, dooring (motorist or passenger exiting car opens door on passing cyclist) might still occur, but the driver would have to watch for passing cars, not cyclists, as the bike lane would be placed between the parked cars, buffer and the curb.
Stop Making Cities Look the Same, Say Chinese Scholars
At a forum in Suzhou on Sunday, scholars urged city planners to do something about the monotony of contemporary buildings shooting up in cities across China.
A New Direction for New Urbanists
At the 18th Annual Congress for New Urbanists, Andres Duany announced 'Agrarian Urbanism' as his new planning emphasis. He believes that the success of New Urbanism has stultified its progress and reduced its potential.
L.A.'s Bold Transit Moves
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's plan to cram 30 years of transit projects into one decade is gathering steam in Washington -- and other cities are watching closely.
Bruce Sterling on Cities
<em>Boing Boing</em> interviews author and futurist Bruce Sterling about global cities and how vastly expanding urban scale is not necessarily a problem.
Reusing Stalled Construction Sites in Seattle
Officials in Seattle are trying to pass legislation that would allow stalled construction sites to be reused as parking lots and temporary vending areas.
Understanding Through Noshing
Conflict Kitchen is a new restaurant in Pittsburgh that serves food from countries that are in conflict with the United States.
TOD Commands A Premium In Denver
Apartment seekers are willing to pay more for places next to transit, says a market analysis by Grubb & Ellis. Proximity to transit was the #1 factor in their decision.
Making Buildings More Like Ecosystems
Green building? Feh. Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow looks at the movement towards biomimetic architecture, buildings that create living, sustainable ecosystems of their own.
Augmenting Sense of Place
In the first of a two-part series on augmented reality, Mitchell Schwarzer discusses how this new form of information affects our sense of place.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
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.
