The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The Mud House Boom and Bust
The housing boom has busted in a tiny village in the West African country of Guinea, where homebuilders had constructed rows of new mud houses in hopes of cashing in on the rising demand for housing and its rising costs. Now, they sit empty.
Thousands of Crimes Not Displaying on LAPD Crime Map
The Los Angeles Police Department's crime-tracking website has been omitting thousands of violent crimes. 40% of crimes reported so far in 2009 are not included in the public website.
Why Broadband and Telecommuting Are Transportation Issues
Telecommuting should be considered an aspect of transportation, according to this piece from <em>New Geography</em>.
Homelessness is On the Rise in Rural and Suburban Areas
Homelessness has jumped in the nation's suburban areas, according to a study from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Of those in U.S. shelters, 32% are in rural or suburban areas.
Cities Miffed As Transportation Funds Filter to Rural Areas
Less than half of the money set aside in the federal stimulus plan for transportation projects is going to cities, according to an analysis by The New York Times.
Density is Victim of the Economy
In Austin, TX, a planned transit-oriented development went bust. The new developer is taking the density down from 1,200 homes to "plus or minus 700."
Buy a Burger, Generate Energy
A New Jersey Burger King will soon be a test site for motion energy-generation technology. Drive-thru patrons will depress panels, creating kinetic energy which can be turned into electricity.
T. Boone Pickens Nixes Wind Farm
A central component of the Pickens' Plan for freedom from foreign oil was the creation of the world's largest wind farm in Texas. This week, T. Boone announced that he won't be building it after all.
Lovelock: It's Too Late -- But Some Will Survive
In this review of James Lovelock's new book "The Vanishing Face of Gaia", Alexander Zaitchik explains the author's view that, while nothing can be done to stop climate change, there is reason to believe that some form of civilization will survive.
FEATURE
Next Steps for Shrinking Cities: Results of the Planetizen Brainstorm
Bulldoze? Densify? Walk away? There are many ways cities can react to shrinking populations and abandoned neighborhoods. Planetizen readers decide which ways are the best.
Is Concrete the New Asphalt?
As oil prices rise, so does the cost of asphalt. Concrete, historically more expensive, is now becoming a viable cost competitor. Because of its lighter shade, its also been shown to contribute less to climate change.
Transit Shortchanged by Climate Bill
The recently passed House climate bill only dedicates 1 percent of funding to public transportation projects. Some are arguing that needs to be increased when the bill heads to the Senate.
Balancing Preservation and New Construction in Downtown Charleston
As the city of Charleston, SC works to develop a plan to guide future development along the eastern end of Calhoun Street from Marion Square to the SC Aquarium, preservationists express concerns about possible new guidelines.
The 15 Most Sustainable Cities
The NRDC reveals the most sustainable large, medium and small cities in the U.S., after an extensive evaluation based on air quality, energy production and conservation, environmental standards, recycling and many more criteria.
BLOG POST
Free Gas To Stimulate Main Street
<p> Everybody knows that most, if not all, of downtown businesses' customers arrive by car. So it's intuitive to try to come up with a way to encourage drivers - who normally wouldn't venture downtown - to hop into their rides and cruise on down to Main Street to shop for wares. If we could do this, just think of all the new business we'd be stimulating! In continuing with this logic, it's also a given that it's impossible for would-be customers to actually get to downtown without the essential <em>attaché</em> to driving, gasoline. So, isn't it therefore intuitive to suggest that if cities were to give away a little bit of gas to each customer – you know, to kind-of thank them for their generosity - then customers would find an overwhelming incentiv
The Blow-By-Blow at the Senate Banking Committee
The committee convened a hearing on Monday on green investments in public transportation, and Streetsblog got the scoop. It was 4 against 1 as witnesses sided against Randal O'Toole and his anti-transit arguments.
India Rejects Limits On Greenhouse Gas Emissions
An announcement by India that it won't reduce its carbon emissions is sure to capture the attention of climate treaty and energy legislation opponents in the Congress.
A Bird’s-Eye View of the Foreclosure Crisis
As part of an art exhibition about housing, artist Damon Rich used the Panorama of the City of New York- a 9,000 sq. ft. model- to illustrate the foreclosure crisis.
Post-Katrina, A Neighborhood Changes
The Lakeview neighborhood of New Orleans was deluged in the post-Katrina flooding. Today, a new community emerges with traditional renovations living side-by side with unique contemporary buildings.
A Little Too Tough on Blight?
The City of Chula Vista has a highly successful anti-blight ordinance- so successful that some critics say they may actually be delaying the recovery of the local real estate market.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
