The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>B.C. Auditor General John Doyle released a scathing report this week claiming that officials have done a poor job of involving the public and looking out for their best interests.</p>

July 21 - The National Post

<p>Rising gas prices aren't just encouraging more transit use, they are making public transit more expensive, and charging more for tickets and passes hurt low-income riders the most.</p>

July 21 - The Christian Science Monitor

<p>A new Federal regulation will deny funding to public transit services for routes oriented to meeting the needs of public schools, with the aim of encouraging school boards to contract with private bus operators instead.</p>

July 21 - Campaign for America's Future

FEATURE

In response to a recent essay about an apparent relationship between urbanism and social alienation, Robert Steuteville argues that the study in question -- and its press -- twists the facts.

July 21 - Robert Steuteville

<p>This article from <em>LA Weekly</em> looks at L.A.'s parks deficit and what some are trying to do to address it.</p>

July 21 - LA Weekly

<p>Guerrilla gardening- planting flowers and edibles in untended pockets of cities- is a growing phenomenon. This article looks at a group of Toronto residents who've turned ugly medians into lush gardens.</p>

July 20 - CTV Toronto

<p>The American Society of Landscape Architects has awarded the Lurie Garden in Chicago's Millennium Park with it's highest honor.</p>

July 20 - Marketwatch

<p>The New York Times profiles Marathon, a tiny town in Texas with no jobs to speak of but a growing number of second-home buyers looking for the quiet life.</p>

July 20 - The New York Times

<p>Prefab housing is experiencing a revival of interest among architects and design magazines. But as one realtor puts it, “I just think the whole thing is a false promise."</p>

July 20 - The Architect's Newspaper

<p>The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society warns that industry could jump on Nahanni National Park Reserve and stake claims when an interim ban ends in October unless the federal government grants the reserve permanent protected status.</p>

July 20 - The Canadian Press

<p>Nassau County, NY has released a plan to end homelessness using strategies such as developing a database to track homeless people, assist people at risk for homelessness with landlord/mortgage issues, and build significant new affordable housing.</p>

July 19 - Newsday

<p>Escalating gas prices are depressing, but look on the bright side: a new study shows that they may reduce annual traffic deaths by as much as one-third.</p>

July 19 - Associated Press via Yahoo News

<p>Alexis Madrigal at Wired digs into the stats, and find that the state of California uses more gasoline than any country in the world.</p>

July 19 - Wired

<p>The population of white people in Atlanta is growing larger by the day, a demographic shift many say is bringing about major changes in the city. This article from <em>Governing</em> says other cities are seeing similar trends.</p>

July 19 - Governing

<p>This article from the <em>San Francisco Chronicle</em> argues it's time for a national rail plan.</p>

July 19 - The San Francisco Chronicle

BLOG POST

<p> In early 2008, the <a href="http://www.micd.org">Mayors&#39; Institute on City Design</a> received a generous gift from the <a href="http://www.micd.org/news/micd_tat_pr.htm">Edward W. Rose III Family Fund</a>, directed through the <a href="http://www.nea.gov">National Endowment for the Arts</a>, to support technical assistance teams going into the communities of alumni mayors who have already attended one of our traditional Mayors&#39; Institute sessions. The four cities that we selected for the pilot phase of this work were Santa Rosa, CA, Lincoln, NE, Cincinnati, OH, and Tulsa, OK. </p>

July 18 - Jess Zimbabwe

<p>A young Florida man apparently infatuated with public transit has managed -- on multiple occasions -- to steal buses and drive their routes picking up passengers.</p>

July 18 - The Miami Herald

<p>The New York Sun looks west and finds a lot to love in Houston's cars, growth, and pro-development policies.</p>

July 18 - The New York Sun

<p>According to a recent survey of architects in Ireland, 80% think that local planning decisions do not support good design and are essentially a waste of time.</p>

July 18 - The Irish Times

<p>The Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae crisis is resurrecting the debate over the role the federal government should play in the housing market.</p>

July 18 - The Christian Science Monitor