The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Vancouver Businesses Opposing Bike Lane
Officials are planning to install a second major separated bike lane in downtown Vancouver. Local business owners are trying to stop them.
Chinese Developers Plan to Recreate Salvador Dali's Hometown
Developers in China have announced plans to build a recreation of the hometown of Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali.
Cyclists Are Car-Owners, Too
A new study suggests that the people who cycle the most are likely to own at least two cars.
El Paso's Smart Water Management
Despite a growing population and limited amounts of rainfall, the city of El Paso, Texas, has been able to effectively manage its water supplies -- and reduce use.
All-Ages Design in Toronto
Designing cities for all age groups means designing places where everyone from kids to seniors can feel safe walking, according to this column. Groups in Toronto are calling on mayoral candidates to get behind that idea.
FEATURE
Beyond the Priesthood
In 1995, author and planning authority Peter Katz wrote an article scolding planners for being "planners who talk" rather than "planners who draw". The original article generated much controversy, and appears here with a postscript added by Katz that reveals a glimmer of hope for the planning profession in the U.S.
Anti-Bike Rage Boiling Over in Charlotte
After publishing two articles calling for Charlotte-area drivers to be more considerate of bicyclists, the comments on the online version were so numerous and hateful that the paper closed them down.
Connecting Coders and Cities
Urban Omnibus talks with Jennifer Pahlka of Code for America, a group looking to get the youth involved in developing computer programs and applications that help improve urban areas.
Tens of Thousands Face Heat, Violence for Chance at Public Housing Waiting List
For days, Atlanta area residents desperate for public housing assistance gathered outdoors in a parking lot in the hope of being placed on a waiting list [Video].
Berkeley's BART Tunnel Should Be Model For Peninsula Rail Opponents
San Mateo County, hotbed of opposition to high speed rail, including numerous lawsuits, might be better served by following the 1960s Berkeley example in passing a bond to tunnel the train through the impacted cities, suggests local editor.
After Years of Delays, San Francisco's Bike Plan Hits the Street
Delayed from implementation for four years, San Francisco's bicycle plan has been legally ruled into action. The first lanes are being painted.
Downtown Improvement District Lives Up To Name
This column from <em>MinnPost</em> praises the year-old Downtown Improvement District in Minneapolis for helping to revive the city's downtown core and give people a reason to walk.
'Density Lobby' Helps Rail Kill Bus
Investments in rail systems in cities across America are pulling crucial funding away from better-used bus systems, according to this column from Joel Kotkin. He blames the "density lobby".
Food Farms Become Solar Farms
Decommissioned farms and fields in California are being scouted as possible sited for renewable energy production.
When Does a Failing Mall Become "Blighted"?
In Westminster, Colorado, the city's economic development department is attempting to have the Westminster Mall blighted and thus up for seizing through eminent domain.
Sex and the City: A Statement on Urban Design?
Sam Jacob reads the latest Sex and the City movie as a thesis on New York City's urban design. It's not as far-fetched as you may think.
PBSJ In Agreement to Be Aquired By London Company
Major engineering firm PBSJ is in talks with Atkins to be acquired by the London-based firm. PBSJ, which is employee-owned, reportedly sought out the sale to bring in more capital for expansion.
The BP Cleanup and Environmental Justice
In the aftermath of the BP Gulf cleanup, tons of toxic oil waste are being sent to municipal landfills near communities with majority low-income and people of color populations.
Canadian Politicans: Come to Your Census!
In this op-ed for the Globe and Mail, four leading Canadian scholars argue that the Harper government's unilateral decision to scrap the long form census should be put to a vote in the House of Commons.
When Life Gives You Opium, Make Biofuel
A U.S. ambassador is proposing a novel approach to helping Afghanistan -- since opium crops are rampant, why not find a way to turn poppies into biofuel?
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.
