The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Maps of Fantasy and Mistake
This slideshow from <em>Slate</em> explores some of the strangest maps in history.
NY Study Links Walking and Biking to Better Health
Survey data released by the New York City Department of Health indicate a strong correlation between active transportation and better health.
FEATURE
The Teachings of Rome
Jay Walljasper reflects on the glorious urbanism of Rome, and what planners and architects in North America can learn from it.
New CEQA Guidelines for Greenhouse Gases
The Bay Area's air pollution regulatory agency may approve in January the nation's first guidelines to limit greenhouse gas emissions for new developments, but it would be up to local governments to enforce them.
Distilling the Best Practices for Sustainable City Planning
Planner Alex Aylett discusses the challenges municipalities face when trying to create a successful sustainability plan, and how to overcome them with a new toolkit that takes cues from New York City's PlaNYC.
Rock Band to Make Urban Planning-Themed Album
Montreal band Tiny Iota is making an album about the battles surrounding the Ville-Marie Expressway and the Turcot Interchange project.
Delhi Gets First Pedestrian Guidelines
The Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) has for the first time created pedestrian design guidelines to ensure that walking in the city is a safe and a pleasurable experience.
Park Re-Ignites Hope in St. Louis
The new Citygarden park in downtown St. Louis is seen by some locals as a sign of hope for the future of the city.
Lobbying Up As High Speed Rail Funding Increases
Stimulus funds directed at high speed rail projects have inspired a flood of lobbying efforts across the country, according to this analysis from the <em>Center for Public Integrity</em>.
Getting Rural
The recession and fewer urban job prospects are driving young American families to try rural living.
Bump in the Road for Columbia's Expansion Plans
Columbia's plans to use eminent domain to expand its campus may have to wait. On Thursday, an appellate court reversed a previous decision to take property on behalf of the school.
Federal Government May Fund Urban Parks
New legislation looks to boost the federal government's investment in urban parks for the first time in eight years.
Two Options for L.A. High Speed Rail Station
High speed rail is slowly transitioning from idea to reality in California, and one of its major stops will be in Los Angeles. But exactly where in Los Angeles remains an unanswered question.
Major Setback for CA High Speed Rail
At its Dec. 3 meeting, the CA HSR Authority board members unanimously voted to 'decertify' the program EIR to comply with a judge's order in a suit brought by Peninsula cities and rail and environmental nonprofits over the corridor to the Bay Area.
BLOG POST
Backyard Burials
<p> I am prompted to report on this issue I came across in a <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20091125_ap_papastorseeksokforsonsgraveonchurchland.html">news item</a> last week. A Baptist minister in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, buried his 18-year-old son, who died three days after a car crash on July 12, in the backyard of the pastor’s church. While state law doesn’t prohibit this, some county and local ordinances do, and this county, Fayette County, only allows burials on large parcels zoned for agricultural use. The church has only five acres and is in a residential zone. </p>
Friday Funny: Hamster Rides the Subway
A photographer in the Brooklyn DA's office discovered a tiny model subway used in court cases, and decided it was a perfect set for her pet hamster.
Obama Addresses the Controversy Over "Shovel-Ready"
Since the stimulus package was announced, the emphasis on 'shovel-ready' projects elicited criticism from urbanists. At yesterday's White House jobs summit, Pres. Obama acknowledged the tension it has caused.
Liveability a "Major Priority" at DOT
Among the criteria for evaluating projects, livability is at the top, along with safety and economic competitiveness.
How Many British Cyclists Would it Take to Power Your House?
In this clip from the BBC, 80 cyclists struggle to power a British household for one day.
And the Winners Are...
Kaid Benfield offers an overview of the winners of the EPA's 2009 national awards for smart growth achievement.
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.
