The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Neighborhood Mapping A Booming Business

Bernt Wahl is a pioneer of neighborhood mapping techniques. This profile in <em>Wired</em> profiles this growing industry, and Wahl's struggles with intellectual property. Who owns your neighborhood?

October 20 - Wired

Kotkin's 'New Localism'

Joel Kotkin thinks that the effects of the financial crisis may not be all bad, and may even encourage a new focus on family and community ties.

October 20 - newgeography

Scranton, PA - Not What You Think!

In this election, Scranton has come to symbolize blue-collar America, with visits by all four national candidates, parodied on Saturday Night Live, as well as the scene of NBC’s The Office. But the city is in a turnaround after decades of decline.

October 20 - The Wall Street Journal

Road Closures, Pedestrianization Key to Successful Urbanization

Chris Turner looks at successful car-free pedestrianization and bicycle planning in Copenhagen and Melbourne and wonders why Canada's sprawling, frigid cities can't adopt these ideas as well.

October 20 - Globe & Mail

A Way Out of the Housing Mess?

Joseph Nocera reports on a proposal to rescue homeowners that lets people live in their homes, and doesn't require any government money.

October 20 - AlterNet


Home Prices Expected to Keep Falling

Home prices are falling across the country, but there are signs that they're not done falling yet.

October 20 - The New York Times

Property Rights Redux

Roy Gothie, a planner for the Maryland State Highway Administration, argues that 'only a societal decision to redefine an individual's rights regarding property can restore [Chesapeake Bay].'

October 20 - Baltimore Sun


Le Corbusier's Baghdad Sports Complex Revealed

In the mid-1900s architect Le Corbusier designed a grand sports complex for Baghdad as part of the city's bid for the 1960 Olympics. That bid failed and the project was never built. Now, original drawings and designs are on display.

October 20 - Building Design

EPA Failing to Control Urban Runoff

The Environmental Protection Agency has not done enough to control pollution from stormwater runoff in urban areas, according to a report from the National Academy of Sciences.

October 20 - Associated Press

Climate Protection Jeopardized By Financial Crisis & Recession

The worldwide credit crisis will affect the ability of the developed world to tackle climate change. Businesses in Europe and U.S. are asking for delays in meeting emission reductions mandates notwithstanding the drop in oil prices.

October 20 - Wall Street Journal

FEATURE

When Financial Bridges Fail

Martin H. Krieger compares the lack of oversight involved in today's financial crisis with the transparency and responsibility involved in making bridges.

October 20 - Martin H. Krieger

Are Libertarians Socially Conservative on Land Use?

Bill Fulton thinks so, calling them to task for speaking out against density in Orange County when, he says, the market demand is evident.

October 19 - California Planning & Development Report

Amtrak Reauthorization & Safety Bill Signed

Two weeks after Congress passed HR 2095, Bush signed this bill to double Amtrak funding and mandate safety technology to prevent Metrolink-like crashes. It may be a precursor to greatly expanded transit spending in the next administration.

October 19 - Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin

Report from the Congress For European Urbanism

Faith Cable reports on the CEU's 3rd annual conference, held in Oslo, Norway, which addressed cities and their ability to address climate change through urban design.

October 19 - WorldChanging

New Urbanism Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry

New Urban News reports that even as housing costs plummet and construction is halted on single-family homes across the country, traditional neighborhood developments and TODs are thriving.

October 19 - New Urban News

Senegal Builds New Airport, Ignores Dakar's Slums

Patrick Smith believes that Senegal's ambitious new airport is not only unnecessary, but in light of the country's massive poverty and environmental problems, actually "obscene."

October 19 - Salon.com

Want Smart Growth? Break Out the Carrots and Sticks

To paraphrase B.F. Skinner, if you want positive behavior, either reward it in return, or remove something unpleasant in response; to paraphrase R. Steuteville's commentary, if we want a green economy, we need to do the same thing with development.

October 18 - New Urban News

Which Cities Stretch Dollars The Farthest?

Texas cities top a ranking by Forbes of where your dollar goes the farthest. Affordable housing and promising job prospects made a big difference.

October 18 - Forbes

Tesla Laying Off Employees and Delaying All-Electric Sedan

Electric car start-up in Silicon Valley said Wednesday that it would lay off employees and delay production of its second car, the Model S, until 2011.

October 18 - The New York Times

Camping in Public Parks Allowed in British Columbia

A supreme court judge in British Columbia has ruled that homeless people can legally camp on public property such as parks.

October 18 - The Province

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.