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ULI's Odd Notion Of 'Global Excellence'
I write this blog from the concrete cradle of Nokia Plaza, an urban space so wondrous that the global arm of the Urban Land Institute has bestowed upon it one of five “<a href="http://www.uli.org/sitecore/content/ULI2Home/News/PressReleases/2010%20archives/Content/GlobalAwards2010.aspx" target="_blank">2010 Global Awards for Excellence</a>." In winning such a distinguished award, you’d think that developer AEG would have invited the Laker Girls and be pouring Champagne for an ebullient crowd here in one of the world’s great public spaces. Except they’re not. In fact, I’m pretty much alone. <p class="MsoNormal">I don’t suppose the pigeons are carrying Cristal underwing? </p>
Rummaging Through New York's Garbage
New York has a filthy history, says Robin Nagle, the New York City Department of Sanitation's anthropologist-in-residence. The muck of early Manhattan was much worse than you even suspected.
B.C. and Washington Seek High Speed Rail to California
Officials in the Pacific Northwest are calling for a high speed rail line that connects British Columbia with California.
Philadelphia Riverfront Plan Brings Transformation Closer to Reality
For more than 40 years, the city of Philadelphia has had its sights set on transforming the Delaware Riverfront, but few plans have taken hold and little transformation has actually occurred. A new master plan could finally make it happen.
Asian Cities Face High Risks
Kathmandu, Manila, Dhaka, Mumbai and Jakarta are among the cities most prone to natural disasters, says The Guardian.
Federal Transportation Funds For Highway Removal?
The second round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) funds were announced Oct. 20. Awards amounting to $600 million will go to 75 projects, including three highway teardowns.
Science in the City
The latest issue of <em>Nature</em> looks at the implications of an increasingly urban world on the field of science, and the field's impact on cities.
Abu Dhabi Eyes Tram Network by 2014
Feasibility studies underway in Abu Dhabi predict that a new light rail tram network could be operational by 2014.
Griffin on Revising and Repurposing Detroit
<em>Architect Magazine</em> talks with Toni Griffin, the urban planner who's leading the effort to rewrite Detroit's comprehensive plan to help the city through troubled times.
LEED Critic Files $100M Lawsuit Against USGBC
In a complaint on behalf of 'consumers, taxpayers, building design and construction professionals,' Henry Gifford alleges the USGBC has falsely claimed its ratings system leads to energy savings.
Time's Up for Parking Meters
75 years after the first meter was installed in Oklahoma City, cities are beginning to rethink traditional parking regulation strategies. Tom Vanderbilt considers the options.
The Other Creative Class
Charles Landry, like Richard Florida, is focused on the importance of talent in the economic health of cities. But Landry defines the "creative class" much more broadly.
Height Restrictions Mean High Prices in DC
Responding to a report by the Washington Post that office rents have now topped those in Manhattan, Matt Yglesias says the district's austere zoning is to blame.
What Infrastructure Crisis?
Transportation policy expert, Ken Orski, takes a different perspective in his column, "Living in Denial". Rather placing the blame on the American public and lawmakers denying the infrastructure crisis, he applies it to the transportation community.
Motorists May Be Asked To Pay Ozone Penalty
San Joaquin Valley's bad air will cause their air district a $29 million fine for exceeding federal ozone limits - and they plan to ask motorists to pay the bill, if the board supports the new registration fee.
China's "Dubai" a Ghost Town
An ambitious new development outside the Chinese city of Ordos lies empty.
Why Kids Can't and Won't Walk to School in Laguna Beach
Getting kids to walk to school has been a nationwide campaign for years. But some places say it's just not safe. Some urban forms -- like that of Laguna Beach, California -- prove it.
The Downfall of 'the Paris of the Middle East'
Historic architecture is rapidly being replaced by cookie-cutter high-rises in Cairo, much to the displeasure of local architects and historians.
Private Development Bringing Quality Public Space
The relocation of a museum in San Francisco offers a model for how private developments can create quality public space, writes John King.
Neighborhoods As Employment Centers
The spatial needs of commerce and employment are shifting, and cities need to focus on bringing employment centers back to neighborhoods, argues Jay Hoekstra.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
