The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Why Burnham's Big Plan Worked
Aaron M. Renn reflects on the success of Daniel Burnham's plan of Chicago, and why. Perhaps it was the lack of government involvement in the planning process?
The Lasting Influence of the 1939 World's Fair
The 1939 New York World's Fair painted a picture for Americans of what they future would look like that continues to influence how the country develops. Wired has a photo-essay.
Clean Cars: Salvation or Problem?
Alternative energy cars: will they be our salvation, or will they perpetuate auto-dependency? Jan Lundberg critiques the Sierra Club's longstanding priority on increasing fuel efficiency.
Road Lobbyists Take Hit From Livability Movement
The concept of "livability" seems to be catching on -- both at a local level and up in the federal government. This is especially true in the Department of Transportation. That could mean bad news for the road building lobby.
A Crowdsourced Tree Census for Cities
<em>GOOD</em> points us to a new project that harnesses the power of citizens to create a census of trees in San Francisco.
Adding Mixed Use to Cairo's Sprawling Suburbs
Developers in Egypt are looking to bring mixed-use developments to Cairo's sprawling suburbs.
Searching for the Antidote to Sprawl
A new web video series called American Makeover aims to find "the antidote to suburban sprawl." The first episode, now online, looks at Atlanta.
Coastal Cities and Climate Change
Anthony Flint looks at how cities around the world are preparing for the predicted rise in sea level due to global warming, and how the Dutch experience with building dikes could be essential.
Could Detroit Feed Itself?
It may be one of the worst food deserts in the country, but Detroit has enough open land in the city's 103,000 vacant lots to become self-sufficient in terms of food production, argues Mark Dowie.
Portland's Empty Urban Renewal Area
Tax breaks and incentives helped spur a rash of development in Portland's South Waterfront district. But the development has struggled to lure residents.
Kids in Train-ing
Trains across the former Soviet Union have peculiar staff: kids. <em>Wired</em>'s <em>Autopia</em> blog explains.
Friday Funny: The Development Process is the Pits
Cartoonist Ben Katchor has an obsession with the built environment. In this cartoon, an architect finds inspiration in an olive, but struggles with developers who have their own ideas.
Why New Highways Get Built While Existing Roadways Crumble
A new report from U.S. PIRG reveals how special interests tilts the playing field toward the construction of new and ever-wider highways at the expense of repair and maintenance.
Architecture Is, By Definition, Corrupt
Victoria Beach, an independent architect, says that going by a recent definition by lawyer Lawrence Lessig, the entire profession of architecture is ethically corrupt.
Science City Approved in Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland, could become home to a new "science city" development that creates a hub of scientific research institutions and thousands of jobs.
Can Mass Demolitions Save Detroit?
In this video report from CNN, Detroit politicians and residents voice both opposition and support for the plan to demolish up to 3,000 abandoned homes and densify remaining housing.
California Bill Would Allow Personal Vehicle Sharing
Does your car sit unused for long periods of time? A proposed law in California would allow you and your car to be part of a unique car-sharing system.
Reintroducing Cars To Pedestrian Malls
Downtown Sacramento's 'K' St. has been one of the city's most notable economic failures. Banning cars while providing the light rail an undisturbed path never fulfilled the hopes that urban planners had for the pedestrian mall. Now cars will return.
Tech-Focused Planning for the Future of Cities
Broad thinking about the future may mean focusing on smaller, technology-based planning solutions, according to this essay from Regional Plan Association Executive Director Thomas K. Wright.
The Urban-Suburban Housing Conundrum
Marcelle Cerny describes her family's so-far-fruitless quest for an affordable, suburban-sized home in an urban area close to public transit and amenities.
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.
