The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Salt Lake Suburb Pins Hopes On Downtown Revival

South Salt Lake is seeking to revive itself economically by creating a downtown entertainment district connected by a streetcar.

April 14 - The Salt-Lake Tribune

'49 Cities' That Made a Difference

"49 Cities" is a touring exhibition that looks at the relationship between urban design and the success or failure of cities, from Levittown to ancient Rome to Le Corbusier's Radiant City.

April 14 - SF Gate (part of San Francisco Chronicle)

Smart Growth Worries School Board

The school board of Chicopee, Massachusetts is concerned that a proposed smart growth district would overwhelm the school system.

April 14 - The Republican

First Come, First Served for Water in Alberta

Under Alberta's present water allocation system, new and rapidly growing communities are unable to purchase new water licenses, as priority goes to historical users, not those with the greatest need. A persistent drought may force a change.

April 14 - The Globe and Mail

Future Cities of Australia

Australian architects imagine futuristic density, from jellyfish-shaped cities on the ocean to cactus-like desert structures.

April 13 - The Age (Australia)


Denver Area Considers Sales Tax Boost for Light Rail

Denver's transit agency is considering a plan to ask voters to make a further increase to the county's sales tax in order to fund the region's FasTracks light rail system.

April 13 - The Denver Post

Boston Proper Cheaper Than Burbs

A new report from ULI maps out the 'housing plus transportation' costs in all Boston neighborhoods. Turns out living in the heart of the city is cheaper than the outer neighborhoods.

April 13 - Streetsblog


A Parking Spot Nearby, But With a Price

A new service allows drivers in New York City to pay a fee to find an available parking spot in their vicinity.

April 13 - The New York Times

Green Building Flourishes in New Orleans

With more than 500 energy-efficient homes with environmentally friendly features are being built in New Orleans. This rise in green building is being called one of the positive legacies of Hurricane Katrina.

April 13 - USA Today

Despite Growing Population, Number of Households Falls

The United States population is on the rise, but the number of households within the U.S. is falling. Many link the drop to the downturn in the economy.

April 13 - RIS Media

Ahead of World Cup, Cape Town Shack Dwellers Relocated

Slum dwellers in the suburbs of Cape Town have been forcefully relocated to a shack housing complex out of town -- and out of sight of the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to descend on the city for this year's soccer World Cup.

April 13 - France 24

Growing Transit in Growing Cities

As urban growth continues, the role of public transit systems will escalate. Though some cities already have the infrastructure in place to adapt to this expected growth, many cities are starting to worry about what they'll do when the people come.

April 13 - Wired

The Rise of Soft Infrastructure

Infrastructure is undeniably important to our cities and places, but a new kind of infrastructure -- soft infrastructure -- is becoming increasingly important.

April 13 - The Architect's Newspaper

Binghamton's "War Counter" to Highlight City's Budget Woes

Jo Comerford of the National Priorities Project reports on how one New York state mayor is addressing the interconnections between municipal budget shortfalls and federal spending on warfare.

April 13 - TomDispatch

New York City Takes Over Governor's Island

The City has reached a deal to take over 172-acres of undeveloped land from the State, and redevelopment possibilities are flooding in - public park, high school, commercial buildings, NYU satellite campus, and more.

April 12 - New York Times

Solution for Shrinking Cities: Art and Parks

After unification, many East German towns began losing jobs and population. In 2003, the government formed a group to study how these cities could best recover. The results are in.

April 12 - Speigel International

Sustainable: Buzz Killing the Buzz Word

In his commentary, Rob Steuteville questions whether we should work toward sustaining what we have, or building a more resilient future.

April 12 - New Urban News

Cities, States Slashing Public Library Funding

States and cities across the U.S. are cutting public library funding at a time when people are relying on them more than ever, writes Art Brodsky.

April 12 - Huffington Post

New Series Highlights the "Shame" of New Orleans

Treme, the new TV series from David "The Wire" Simon, explores the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans.

April 12 - The Globe and Mail

Roadblocks A'Plenty in Nebraska

Bureaucratic snafus between the Nebraska Department of Roads and the Federal Highway Administration have caused numerous highway, bridge and road projects to be delayed. FHA head Victor Mendez met with local officials to sort out the mess.

April 12 - The Omaha World-Herald

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