The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Why New York Needs Smart Growth Laws

New York State Assembly Member Sam Hoyt is sponsoring new legislation to bring state spending in line with smart growth planning principles.

June 10 - Streetsblog

Urban Accessibility in India

Infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists in Indian cities is glaringly absent, says Prof. Sudhir Chella Rajan. India needs to decide between an auto-oriented future like the U.S. or a European, pedestrian model.

June 10 - TheCityFix.com

Creating a 3D Record of Africa's Heritage Sites

<em>Fast Company</em> points to a project at the University of Cape Town which seeks to create 3-D renderings of Africa's endangered monuments and heritage sites.

June 10 - Fast Company

The Potato (Oh Wait, Planning) Famine Rises Again

With a new rural planning policy, thousands of backlogged development applications, and severe job cuts, Northern Ireland's planning industry could be facing a grim future ahead.

June 10 - Inside Housing


The Big Business Behind Local Opposition to Wal-Mart

Typically thought of as a war to protect small businesses in communities from being swallowed up by a giant, the local opposition to Wal-Mart stores is often funded secretly by other major grocery chains.

June 9 - The Wall Street Journal

Santa Clara Residents Back Stadium Spending

Residents in Santa Clara, California have approved a measure that would direct $937 million in funding towards the creation of a stadium intended to lure the San Francisco 49ers football team.

June 9 - Sa Francisco Chronicle


Sit/Lie Proposal Shot Down in San Francisco

A controversial plan being pushed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to ban sitting or laying on public sidewalks during certain hours of the day has been voted down by supervisors.

June 9 - San Francisco Chronicle

Could 'Farming Pods' Be The Water Towers of the Future?

Artist Natalie Jeremijenko's farming pods could be perched atop skylines in the future as a sustainable method of rooftop farming. They will grow fruits and vegetables in hydroponic chambers, allowing sunlight through a clear plastic skin.

June 9 - Fast Company

Daniel Burnham, Movie Star

A new documentary about the architect and planner Daniel Burnham - naturally called 'Make No Little Plans' - arrives in theaters this week.

June 9 - The Archimedia Workshop

Talking Design with Rios, Clementi, Hale

A varied involvement in architecture, landscaping, planning and product design has allowed the practice of Rios, Clementi, Hale to weather the recession. The designers describe to Marissa Gluck how they have navigated a path through divergent fields.

June 9 - The Architects Newspaper

A Brief History of International Expositions

As Shanghai aims to bring people together through spectacle, Edwin Heathcote examines the concept behind the festival and questions its relevancy.

June 9 - Financial Times

Are High Speed Rail and Renewable Energy "Liberal Fantasies"?

Michael Lind of the New America Foundation thinks that plans for high-speed rail and renewable energy are expensive fantasies that liberals need to give up on as soon as possible.

June 9 - Salon.com

The Extent of South Africa's World Cup Infrastructure

<em>The Infrastructurist</em> points to this infographic that outlines the expenditures and infrastructure projects that were built to accommodate the World Cup, beginning this Friday in South Africa.

June 9 - Infrastructurist

Party in the Graveyard

The Olinger Crown Hill Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado is trying to lighten up what is typically a somber setting by scheduling concerts and other cultural events at the graveyard.

June 9 - The Denver Post

Cairo Banning Cars, Greening Streets

The Egyptian capital is planning a makeover, turning the downtown into a pedestrian-only zone in the spirit of Europe's historic cities in order to attract tourism.

June 8 - Egypt Today

Ten Actions For Cities In Response To Gulf Spill

Grist's Jonathan Hiskes spoke with smart growth leaders to devise strategies that municipalities, as opposed to U.S. government, can take to lessen oil dependency - that are financially sustainable, not overly dependent on technology, and ready to go

June 8 - Grist

High Speed Train Opens in South Africa

Timed to open near the start of the country's World Cup, the new Gautrain high speed rail system has launched in Johannesburg.

June 8 - BBC

How MPOs and Feds Can Get Transportation Projects Moving

Federal transportation funding is in serious trouble in the U.S., but that doesn't mean the work has to stop, according to Mark Muro and Robert Puentes.

June 8 - Citiwire

London Sets Green Bar High for Olympics

The 2012 Summer Olympics have been promised by organizers to be the greenest Olympics in the event's history. But can they live up to that standard?

June 8 - Fast Company

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.