The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

London is attempting to make streets safer for cyclists and motorists by turning off traffic lights in one part of the city for a short amount of time.

September 7 - The New York Times

At a time when developers are having trouble getting loans to build, San Francisco is taking steps to improve empty lots with art, retail, and other temporary investments in neighborhood vitality until construction can resume.

September 7 - San Francisco Chronicle

In Afghanistan, cities are changing. More and more people are leaving behind their agricultural past for city life, and the tide of new urbanites is stressing the fabric of the city.

September 7 - Forbes

BLOG POST

<p> What&#39;s better than <a href="/node/38227">Twitter in the city</a>? An iPhone. With a connection to the Internet, built-in camera, location-awareness, 3-access accelerometer and colorful display, the Apple iPhone has become much more than a mobile phone: it&#39;s a sophisticated mobile computing platform. Combine this technology with a library of thousands of programs and growing ecosystem of developers, the iPhone is powerful and versatile tool to transform how people interact with their surroundings. </p> <p> A growing number of iPhone apps are taking advantage of the phone&#39;s functionality to allow people to navigate, measure, observe, and interact with cities in new ways. This post describes some I have come across for e-government, urban sensing and interaction, and navigation. First, a caveat: I don&#39;t actually own one of the devices myself and haven&#39;t tested the apps (yet). I&#39;ve certainly missed many, so leave your favorites in the comments below. </p>

September 7 - Robert Goodspeed

Turnstiles are coming to the Los Angeles subway. Some say the move will help raise revenue for the city's transit authority, given its recent increases in ridership.

September 7 - Next American City

This week's episode of <em>Smart City</em> features a discussion with planner Larry Beasley about how love can be an economic driver for cities, and how planning around emotions can improve cities.

September 6 - Smart City

Union Pacific has proposed an increase in its freight and high-speed rail traffic in Springfield, including a route running through the heart of the city. It calls for nine overpasses, which would cost millions and block homes and landmarks.

September 6 - The State Journal-Register

Eating local is in vogue, as the environmental impacts of industrialized agriculture surface. But is eating local really the right response? One author says maybe not.

September 6 - Forbes

NPR's Ari Shapiro bikes from NPR headquarters to a new D.C. bike storage center outside D.C.'s Union Station. The City of Washington hopes that it will encourage more commuters to use transit and bikes to get to work.

September 6 - NPR

Annapolis, Maryland has had a popular beautification program to fill downtown with flowers, but with recent layoffs and cuts, the true value of the program has come into question.

September 6 - The Baltimore Sun

The rise of smart mobile technology is increasing the demand for digital interactivity in public spaces. Marketers and artists are obliging.

September 5 - Advertising Age

English Prime Minister Gordon Brown is confident that the 2012 Summer Olympics will bring a big economic benefit to London. But with costs rising beyond expectations, some are skeptical of the PM's prediction.

September 5 - Reuters

2010 will bring with it a series of huge international events -- the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the World Cup in South Africa and the World Expo in Shanghai. Though seen as major opportunities for their hosts, these events can also be dangerous.

September 5 - Next American City

Dan Phillips' company Phoenix Commotion builds homes from discarded materials for low-income individuals in Huntsville, Alabama.

September 5 - The New York Times

As environmental conditions erode sand along the tourist-heavy beaches in Cancun, some hotel owners are taking drastic -- and illegal -- measures to rebuild their beaches.

September 5 - The New York Times

The Honolulu City Council is considering a bill that will make it illegal to bring "odors that unreasonably disturb others" onto the bus.

September 4 - Honolulu Advertiser

A new 50,000 seat amphitheater is being planned for construction in Tel Aviv's new urban park, which was built on top of a garbage dump.

September 4 - Haaretz

Speaking to members of the Brookings Institution, Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged that there have been problems with implementing the stimulus package funds at the local level.

September 4 - Streetsblog

Chris Carlsson at Streetsblog looks back at how people have used San Francisco's public space, from the hippie uprising of the 1960s to streetclosures and farmer's markets today.

September 4 - Streetsblog SF

The question of whether graffiti is art or vandalism is facing a vote in Bristol, U.K., the hometown of famed graffiti artist Banksy.

September 4 - City Mayors