The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Parks Are A Wise Investment In Tough Times
At a time when families across the country are facing fewer choices for fun, ambitious park projects like those in St. Louis, Detroit and Houston are "bringing urban centers back to life," according to JoAnn Greco.
Landmark Mall to Become Mixed-Use Village
Randhurst Mall was the first enclosed mall in the Chicago Area. Today, developers are replacing the mall with an open-air, mixed-use project with a traditional Main Street-style design.
Ten Master-Planned Communities That Bucked the Trend
Builder Magazine looks at ten master-planned developments that sold well in a market that has dwindled through the recession.
Could General Stores Reduce Car Trips in The Suburbs?
Belinda Lanks details architect Frank Ruchala's scheme to bring general stores back into America's residential areas. He believes "a general store could work just as well in a (suburban) subdivision as it did in small villages a hundred years ago."
Mapping Toronto's Class Divide
Richard Florida plots the geography of class on a map of Toronto to show the deep economic divisions at work in an almost "completely post industrial," city.
Kowloon Cultural District Takes Shape in Hong Kong
Office of Metropolitan Architecture, Foster + Partners, and Rocco Design Architects have each submitted plans for Kowloon's new cultural district to be built on reclaimed land.
The Question of Interstate 69
<em>Next American City</em> reviews a new book by Matt Dellinger about Interstate 69, the as-yet-unbuilt highway that could create a direct link between the Mexican and Canadian borders.
The Tangibility and Viability of L.A.'s 30/10 Plan
The Brookings Institution's Robert Puentes reports back on a recent discussion about Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's 30/10 plan -- the idea to cram 30 years worth of transit investments into 10.
Cities Scramble to Prepare for Electric Vehicles
Electric cars sap a lot of electricity out of the grid, and many vehicles charging at once can cause unprepared cities to blackout.
How Philistinism and Contempt For Urban Planning Scarred England's Crowded Cities
England is now the second most densely populated place in Europe, after Malta. New data shows the UK as a whole has roughly the same density as Germany. This indicates a concentration of population in particular places and underpopulation elsewhere.
Military's Newest Enemy: Wind Turbines
The U.S. Defense Department has become one of the largest hurdles for wind power projects, arguing that large wind turbines can cause interference with the military's communications technology.
Seeking That Neighborly Feeling
The new HafenCity district under construction in Hamburg, Germany, is one of the largest urban developments underway today. Some worry that its newness and bigness aren't prime conditions for harboring neighborliness.
Can This Desert Oasis Project Actually Be Green?
This piece from <em>Fast Company Design</em> looks at plans for an eco-conscious-yet-inappropriately lush desert development being planned in Oman, and wonders whether a project so out of place will actually work.
Potential Neighbor Threatens Empire State Building's Dominance
A proposed tower that would be just blocks from the Empire State Building in New York City has some historians and property owners on the defensive.
Replacing Bike Sharing Infrastructure with Smart Phones
Bike sharing systems have been huge successes in cities like Paris and Barcelona. But due to their extensive infrastructure requirements, they're expensive to build. One man suggests a system run primarily by smart phones.
Pictures of the World's Fastest-Growing City
<em>Wired</em> presents a slideshow of photography exploring the booming Chinese city of Chongqing -- the fastest growing urban center in the world.
With $46 Million Price Tag, MTA Turnstiles Remain Unlocked
As Los Angeles MTA's plan to fully implement its TAP card program stalls, so does the plan to lock the turnstiles that the agency had installed to deter riders from not paying.
Engineers Lacking As India's Infrastructure Crumbles
Aging infrastructure is limiting India's developmental ability. With few trained civic engineers in the country, crucial upgrades aren't happening.
The Best "Adventure Towns" in the U.S.
Outside Magazine compiles their top 25 U.S. towns for outdoor adventure. Considered alongside the availability of great kayaking and biking were stats like percentage of college graduates and cost of living.
Bridge's Congestion Pricing May Extend to Entire City
Peak period pricing on the Bay Bridge, enacted by the regional Bay Area Toll Authority on July 1, is the first application of congestion pricing for driving in the Bay Area. Officials in San Francisco feel the outcome is favorable for their project.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
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.
