The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

FEATURE

Changing the World One Block at a Time

The neighborhood is the basic building block of human society, and successful efforts to make the world a better place often start right there, says Jay Walljasper.

April 29 - Jay Walljasper

Immigrants Twice as Likely to Bike

New research shows that recent immigrants are twice as likely to ride bicycles as other Americans. Though the health impact is beneficial, the ridership is less likely to continue in the second generation.

April 29 - Miller-McCune

Controversial Offshore Wind Farm off Massachusetts Approved

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today approved the first offshore wind farm in the United States, a project that faced vocal opposition from local tribes and others.

April 28 - The Boston Globe

New Amtrak Train Runs On Beef

Beef by-products, turned into bio-diesel, make up 20% of the fuel being used today by Amtrak's Heartland Flyer between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.

April 28 - Fast Company

Developers Spearhead Smart Growth Makeover

Rockville Pike, Maryland has grown haphazardly and auto-centrically for the past few decades. A group of developers has brought planners and politicians together to makeover the town with smart growth principles.

April 28 - The New York Times


A Self-Sustaining Urban Fish Farm

The Massachusetts Avenue Project in Buffalo's West Side is an urban fish farm designed to be a completely self-sustaining ecosystem, with food for the fish grown on the premises.

April 28 - Buffalo News

BLOG POST

DIY Urbanism: One Block, One Shipping Pallet at a Time

<!--StartFragment--><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; font-family: Cambria"> <a href="http://www.kunstler.com">Jim Kunstler</a> once said that if the 20th Century was about getting around, the 21st Century is about staying in places worth staying in.

April 28 - Mike Lydon


Toxic Suburbia

A 50-acre section of the Los Angeles suburb of Carson is contaminated with methane gas and benzene. Owners of the 285 homes in the area are left with few options.

April 28 - Los Angeles Times

The Greenest Cities

CNN explores the world's 'greenest' urban centers, and find that complexity is the secret of their success.

April 28 - CNN Online

A Local City Way of Thinking

That's where Sugar Hill, Georgia is headed, says City Manager Bob Hail. He says, "You can live here, work here and you can play here. That's the whole idea."

April 28 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Why Peak Oil Will Bring us Closer

In this excerpt from his new book "Eaarth", Bill McKibben discusses how such efforts as the Transition movement and farmer's markets are tapping into our need for neighbors.

April 28 - AlterNet

Building A Bio-Med Hub in Cleveland

<em>Fast Company</em>'s annual list of innovative cities takes a look at Cleveland, which has struggled with population loss but emphasized its identity as a center for health care industries.

April 28 - Fast Company

LaHood's Bicycle Ambitions for the U.S.

The future of American transportation could be a bit more multi-modal, if Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood gets his way. <em>NPR</em> takes a look at LaHood's plans to get bikes back onto the nation's transportation menu.

April 28 - NPR

Making Suburbia Sustainable

Peter Cock argues that Australia's suburbs can and should be transformed into more self-sufficient communities.

April 27 - Sydney Morning Herald

Rail Cuts Chinese Trip From 11 Hours to 90 Minutes

A new high speed rail link has opened in China, connecting the cities of Fuzhou and Xiamen. The new rail line will cut travel time between the two cities from nearly 11 hours to just 90 minutes.

April 27 - What's On Xiamen

Seeking a Federal Bailout as City Jobs Dry Up

Democrats in congress are trying to divert some federal bailout money to cities and counties, where job losses are crippling municipal services.

April 27 - Los Angeles Times

Concern for Properties Beyond Tysons Corner Metro Villages

Plans to build dense urban villages around the new Metro stations in Tysons Corner have some landowners on the fringes feeling left out.

April 27 - The Washington Post

The Emerging Arts Center of Texas

<em>Fast Company</em>'s annual list of innovative cities highlights Dallas as an emerging hub of culture.

April 27 - Fast Company

A Precarious Playground

A new Parisian park would cause American parents to go apoplectic, with a precarious slopes and a lack of rubber bumpers. It is the latest incarnation of the "adventure playground, says Alexander Trevi of Pruned.

April 27 - Pruned

Bike Fever in the U.S.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is bully for bicycle infrastructure.

April 27 - Fast Lane: Secretary of Transportation blog

Post News

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.