The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Town Bans Bikes Over Safety Concerns
Black Hawk, Colorado, population 100, has seen increased traffic since building a casino in 1991. Officials say their narrow, Gold Rush-era streets are not up to accommodating both bikes and vehicles, so bikes are verboten.
Note to Environmentalists: Stop Being NIMBYs
Some of the resistance that killed a major smart growth project in Alameda, California came from environmentalists. Josh Harkinson argues that its time for enviros to stop fighting smart growth and embrace density.
The Importance Of Locally Owned Banks
What is the toll that communities, especially poorer ones pay when locally owned banks with local ties are taken over by larger ones? This article describes how the loss of just such a bank has affected Maywood, a working class suburb of Chicago.
New York's Expensive Parks
Patrick Arden reports that "No other parks system in America relies as much on other people's money" as New York. Arden examines the public-private partnership, and problems inherent in relying on donations to maintain parks.
Tapping the Crowd to Solve America's Transportation Problem
<em>Slate</em> is soliciting ideas from its readers to improve the nation's transportation system.
Community Gardens in the Corporate World
A new community garden on the Intel corporate campus in Hillsboro, Oregon is just one of many such plots that have been added to corporate sites across the country.
Amount of Families in Shelters Increases
The number of families in homeless shelters increased by 7% in 2009, according to a new report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Funding Permanent Housing for the Homeless in Tempe
Officials in Tempe, Arizona and Maricopa County are using federal stimulus money to help end chronic homelessness by providing permanent housing options.
Bank Rule Change Could Help Struggling Neighborhoods
A new rule proposed by federal regulators would allow bank investments made for neighborhood stabilization efforts and donations of foreclosed properties to be count towards compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act.
Double-Parking, Churches, and Cyclist Safety
Double-parking can be hazardous to cyclists. But police in San Francisco aren't enforcing the law when double-parking happens during church services. Some argue that the rule of law must be followed.
Getting the Mix Right in Mixed-Use
A local Austin developer talks about the challenges of getting the right mix of services that residents can support.
Addressing Our "Addiction To Oil": Have We Heard This Before?
Jon Stewart examines Obama's and his seven predecessors attempts to end this addiction, stated in various ways, showing how popular the term is, yet how ineffectual every president has been.
Locals vs Tourists Mapped Through Photography
Eric Fischer uses Flickr geodata to visualize where photos are taken in cities, and by whom. The result is a colorful divide between tourists and locals in a variety of cities around the world.
The Gulf Oil Spill Illustrates a Corrupt Regulatory System
On the Commons criticizes the policy of 'enclosure' that has allowed "the systemic failures of the regulatory system and its political sponsors, Congress and the President," to go unnoticed.
Green Energy Economy Debate: Hot Air Or Feasible Goal?
In this Newshour video (with transcript), spokesmen from a liberal and conservation think tank debate each other on the feasibility of transitioning to clean, green energy from the current fossil fuel powered economy in light of the Gulf disaster.
Dollar Stores and Groceries Bouncing Back
A new study shows a significant increase in planned new retail stores over the past three months, and discounters and grocery stores are leading the way.
The Hidden Roadblock for Sustainability
According to Portland, Oregon Mayor Sam Adams, that roadblock is the lack of financing for clean technology upgrades for buildings. Fast Company talks to Adams about his goal to make Portland the most sustainable city in the world.
Randal O'Toole vs. the Livable Communities Act
O'Toole asks why, if there is such a demand for high-density, mixed-use housing, that the government needs to subsidize it?
Cairo Opens Design Competition for Its New Pedestrian Center
Cairo is revising its downtown area into a "pedestrian friendly plaza." Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif will expand the successful 'daytime pedestrian zones,' and has launched an international design competition to produce a master plan.
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.
