The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A Rural Future Beyond Agriculture

Development in rural America has long been a confounding problem. Increasing outmigration highlights the importance of finding new methods for economic development beyond agriculture.

May 31 - The Daily Yonder

BLOG POST

Finding Information about Planning: What Do Faculty Do?

<span style="color: black"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">Planning students are often told to find good information. How to do that is becoming both simpler, due to various search engines and databases, and more complex, given the amount of information available.

May 31 - Ann Forsyth

Shrinking and Aging Population Poses Problems for Germany

Emigration is up and the birth rate is dropping in Germany, where people are starting to worry about what a shrinking and aging population will mean for the country's future.

May 31 - Der Spiegel

BLOG POST

Sustainable Transport and Livable Community Planning

<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small">My career is based, to a large degree, on my master’s thesis, which was a comprehensive evaluation of the full costs of various forms of transport. This provides a framework for determining optimal pricing, calculating the benefits of mode shifting and <a href="http://www.vtpi.org/tdm">demand management</a> strategies, and for comprehensive analysis of policy and planning decisions.

May 31 - Todd Litman

The Uncomfortable Relationship Between Race and Public Transit in L.A.

As part of his series about walking across Los Angeles, writer Ryan Bradley delves into the complicated and controversial relationship between race and transit in the city.

May 31 - Good


The Growing Problem of Suburban Poverty

Suburban areas are becoming hotbeds for rising poverty. Though migration has a role, much of the transition from middle class to welfare has been caused by the housing crisis and recession.

May 31 - Governing

BLOG POST

Johannesburg's Auto-Orientation and the Persecution of the Pedestrian Majority

<p> You really need to almost get hit by a car to feel like a true Johannesburg pedestrian. That&#39;s the way it goes here. A huge, sprawling greater metropolitan area of about 10 million people covering more than 600 square miles, the city is built for the car. And if you&#39;re not in one, good luck.

May 31 - Nate Berg


Revamped Coney Island Opens

A new amusement and entertainment section has opened at New York City's Coney Island. Long suffering from disrepair and neglect, the new development marks a turnaround. But some locals still object.

May 31 - Yahoo News

No U.S. Cities in Top 25 Best Cities of the World

London-based consulting company Mercer released their yearly rankings of the 25 most liveable cities, and no American cities make the grade. Vienna is number one, and Vancouver takes fourth.

May 30 - The Christian Science Monitor

FRA Grants Electrification Waiver For Commuter Rail Line - A First

The Federal Railroad Administration does not allow for the mixing of train types for safety reasons, which proved a key obstacle for Caltrain's plan for electrification. As a pilot project,they are allowing the line to utilize electric multiple units

May 30 - Mercury News via Palo Alto Daily News

Connecting Land Use and Energy

When thinking about the right way to invest in renewable energy, it's important to realize the different land use impacts of solar, wind, biofuels, along with coal and nuclear, says Clinton Andrews of Rutgers University.

May 30 - CNET

High Schoolers Propose Design Fixes for Neighborhood

The Miami Design District is an emerging urban neighborhood, but in need of some help. Students at the nearby Design and Architecture Senior High School are up to the task.

May 30 - The Miami Herald

Economic Fallout of Gulf Disaster Could Top $200 Billion

While the scale and extent of the oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico are still unknown, the potential damage could mean a severe blow to the Gulf's $234 billion economy.

May 30 - CNN Money

Foreclosure Crisis - Not What It Seems?

Millions of American homeowners are underwater facing the loss of their home, causing devastating effects on the national and local economy. But when a homeowner decides to walk away from his or her home, is that a sign of crisis or a shrewd move?

May 29 - McClatchy Newspapers via Fresno Bee

Running Transit Like A Business

Southern California's Metrolink has a new CEO, and he's implementing smart cost-cutting right off the bat, like policies that get drivers to stop idling their buses.

May 29 - LAist

Tiger II Grants Announced

The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced the availability of $600 million in new funding for surface transportation projects.

May 29 - US Department of Transportation

Citizens Fight Cookie-Cutter Design in Birmingham

Residents of Birmingham, Alabama are rallying against a drive-through Chick-fil-A going up in their neighborhood, showing a growing awareness of the effect of development on the character of their community.

May 29 - The Birmingham News

Leafs All Gone

Nissan Leafs, that is, and only for the year, though not one of these 19,000 preorders for the all-electric, plug-in car has yet to be shipped. The Leafs shouldn't venture too far from home - the range is 100 miles on a full charge.

May 29 - The New York Times - Business Day

Friday Funny: Homemade Subway

Russian Leonid Murlyanchik has been building his own subway system underneath his neighborhood since 1984. He intends to run cars through it that will carry 3-4 persons each.

May 28 - English Russia

Drilling "Not Worth The Risk"

Writing in the Guardian, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders argues against offshore drilling and in favor of dramatic increases in energy efficiencies and investments in renewables.

May 28 - Guardian (UK)

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.