The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
In Defense of ACORN
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now has a remarkable record of grassroots anti-poverty and community development campaigns, writes David Morris.
Wooing Women to Transportation Planning
The Department of Transportation is teaming up with Spelman College in Atlanta for a new program designed to get more women into transportation careers.
Awash In Natural Gas
A veteran gas producer claims that the U.S. may be 'drowning in natural gas'. Interestingly, the gas has always been there - it's technology advancements that make the Marcellus shale deposits from N.Y. to W.V. and accessible.
Show Me the Mortgage!
Homeowners threatened with foreclosure are increasingly finding that a simple legal tactic is stalling the process.
Morocco Seeks to Supplant Slums
In an effort to replace slums with low-cost housing, Morocco is paying developers to create thousands of new apartments. Some slum residents see it as a boon, others say they couldn't afford the rent, even if it were subsidized.
Reversing a Federal Transit Rule - But Only in Washington State?
A federal pro-privatization transit rule, which prevents local transit agencies from competing with private bus services on providing service to special events, could see an end in Washington State with this year's transportation spending bill.
Cause of the Banking Meltdown? Suburbia, Says Kunstler
James Howard Kunstler criticizes a recent New Yorker article that failed to consider the American pattern of suburban development as the cause of the banking crisis.
Westchester, NY Struggles with Desegregation, Federal Government
Westchester's County Legislature left its Monday meeting with no decision made on how it would move forward with a settlement requiring it to build affordable housing with the goal of desegregation. Or go to trial.
Transit Agencies Begin to See Stimulus Funds
The Obama administration has begun awarding grants of millions to transit agencies across the country for everything from bus upgrades to photovoltaic canopies and agency building upgrades. Check out the breakdown by agency here.
Sea Levels Rise, Californians Seek Dutch Expertise
The rise of sea levels is an inevitable fact. This week, designers, planners, and engineers from the Netherlands and U.S. met to strategize on how the Bay area should deal with it.
Climate Change Stumps California Planners
Although climate change is a predominant issue for California's land use planners, they concede they are just making up new practices and lack the tools they really need. Paul Shigley reports from the CAL APA Conference.
Anti-Hasidism or Preservation?
Chabad Lubavitch of Connecticut has filed suit against the Historic District Commission for denying its application to develop a property there into a center. The Commission said it would consider a revised plan, but Chabad says it's anti-Hasidism.
Increasing Bike Ridership Means Pulling in Women
In the U.S., men bike far more than women. Some researchers suggest that understanding and meeting the demands of women is the best way to increase overall ridership.
City Selling Itself
Neosho, Missouri, facing a severe budget crisis, is searching its inventory for property it can sell off. Some say the easy properties have already been sold.
Oklahoma City Releases Broad New Plan
A broad new plan has been unveiled in Oklahoma City. Included in the plan is a new 70-acre downtown park and a raft of transit improvements.
Creating Communities To Grow Old In
Meeting the needs of aging residents has been a challenge for many cities. Some suburban communities are pioneering the conversion to an elder-friendly layout.
Park(ing) Day 2009
Last Friday was Park(ing) Day 2009, a growing movement where city parking spaces are transformed into miniature parks as a comment on public space (and the lack thereof). Here's a glimpse into Seattle's version.
San Francisco's Fast Park Movement
New parks are popping up with a quickness in San Francisco, where planners have fast-tracked the conversion of street spaces into pedestrian parks.
Trading Cars for Fashion
Detroit's creative class is making the switch from designing cars to couture, as local boosters push the manufacturing culture into a new industry: Fashion.
Curb Ramps to Nowhere
A number of curb ramps in Jackson, Miss., are built to meet federal regulations but are completely unusable by wheelchairs. [VIDEO]
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.
