The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Cyclists hear a lot about how much better the biking is in Europe. The Brooklyn Paper takes a look at why, and whether or not the lessons of Amsterdam are applicable in the US.

July 19 - The Brooklyn Paper

Americans will be forced to change their lifestyles as fuel prices rise. NPR's "Talk of the Nation" talks to author Chris Steiner about the good that might result.

July 19 - National Public Radio

China's fast-paced development is making it into a major economic power. Its emphasis on urban policy is leaving the U.S. in the dust, writes Eugenie Birch.

July 18 - Citiwire

Cities from San Antonio to Singapore are resuscitating waterways that once lay buried under rivers of concrete.

July 18 - The New York Times

Tuk-tuks are mechanized rickshaws - a cheaper alternative to taxis - that can be found throughout the developing world, from Latin America to Africa to southeast Asia and India. Environmental think-tank Enviu is trying to reduce rickshaw emissions.

July 18 - New York Times

Colorado, Arizona and Texas have come together to apply for a $5m grant to research a possible high-speed rail link connecting Denver, Albuquerque, and El Paso.

July 18 - Transport Politic

With the successful launch of the 17th St. park, San Francsico's "Pavement to Parks" project is moving to its next location, the corner of Guerrero and San Jose. Activist Gillian Gillett has been pushing for something to happen there for years.

July 18 - Streetsblog

In the wake of his appearance on Capitol Hill, The New York Times delves into what makes Randal O'Toole tick.

July 17 - The New York Times

Julius Shulman, famed popularizing mid-century modern architecture through his photographs, died yesterday at the age of 98. In his honor, The Architect's Journal features some of Shulman's photographs and commentary.

July 17 - The Architect's Journal

Vancouver is hoping to build the greenest Olympic Village yet as it prepares to host the 2010 Winter games. But there are some challenges facing the ambitious plans.

July 17 - Grist

General Electric has released a design for a Home of the Future, which is planned to be almost completely energy-neutral. As GOOD Magazine notes, the house is almost overloaded with gadgets to get you there.

July 17 - GOOD Magazine

In a posh borough of London, empty homes are causing problems for officials, who are tasked with finding the owners of these vacant or abandoned mansions.

July 17 - The Wall Street Journal

A group of U.S. representatives has proposed the creation of a national trust fund for water infrastructure in the U.S.

July 17 - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

A review of <em>The Wayfinding Handbook: Information Design for Public Places</em> by David Gibson finds it rich with great ideas for designing new systems, but lacking in ideas for fixing old ones.

July 17 - re:place Magazine

BLOG POST

<p> According to the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/27/AR2009062702476.html?hpid=topnews">Washington Post</a>, 62% of Americans think Sonia Sotomayor should be confirmed for the U.S Supreme Court because she is “about right” ideologically. The question is, how good will she be for municipal attorneys? </p>

July 17 - Dwight Merriam

The city of Santa Monica has just unveiled its first segment of green street, one where rainwater runoff seeps into porous pavement and landscaping.

July 17 - The Lookout

Plans to build a Wal-Mart and parking lot near a historic Civil War battlefield has spurred a bi-partisan protest from Virginia's top officials.

July 17 - The Washington Post

The ACLU and local clergy are fighting over the prayers recited at City Council meetings in San Marcos, Texas, near Austin.

July 17 - San Marcos Daily Record

Environment California has released a study that shows significant growth in the state's solar power construction, and ranks cities by how many solar roofs they have. San Diego is tops.

July 16 - Environment California

Salon's Michael Lind argues that attempts to create "comprehensive reform" of anything is a recipe for disaster.

July 16 - Salon.com