The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Banker Dave Ridson wants to build a racetrack on a site preservationists say is an historic Civil War site. But where the battle actually fought is a matter of debate.</p>

June 11 - The Houston Chronicle

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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman">The </span><a href="http://www.apta.com/"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #800080">American Public Transit Association</span></a><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman"> reports that </span><a href="http://www.apta.com/media/releases/080602_ridership_report.cfm"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman; color: #800080">transit ridership climbed to 10.3 billion trips during the first quarter of 2008</span></a><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman">, the “highest number of trips taken in fifty years.” That represents a 3.3 percent increase overall over the previous year while vehicle miles traveled, a measure of demand for car travel, fell by 2.3 percent, they observe.</span>

June 11 - Samuel Staley

<p>Gas prices have just surpassed the $4 mark, but the impact is far from uniform throughout the nation- poor, rural counties, particularly in the south and west, suffer disproportionately.</p>

June 11 - The New York Times

<p>A new web site that generates directions for cyclists could supplant the New York City Bike Map.</p>

June 11 - Streetsblog

<p>In order to respond to the changing climate and economy, many say suburbs need to start acting more like cities.</p>

June 11 - The New York Times

<p>Streetcars and rail in place of bus rapid transit said to jeopardize federal funding.</p>

June 11 - The Kansas City Star

<p>After MNDOT closed the Highway 43 bridge connecting Winona, MN to western Wisconsin, locals worried about the economic fallout from an extended closure. Within a week, a ferry and bus system was put in place.</p>

June 11 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

<p>Planners in Vancouver are moving to curb booming residential growth to expand commercial development downtown. 'It's all good to walk and bike to work, but if you don't have offices for people to go to, that makes things rather difficult.'</p>

June 11 - The Vancouver Sun

<p>With the first game of the 2010 World Cup exactly two years away, many in host country South Africa are concerned about rising inflation, increased violence, and skyrocketing costs of stadium construction.</p>

June 11 - ESPN

<p>Cities across the world are rising higher and beefing up their skylines with high-profile skyscrapers. A building boom in emerging global cities has put a new face on the battle for the best skyline.</p>

June 10 - Der Spiegel

<p>Most developers dread finding archaeological remains. Normally it means months of delays and increased costs while archaeologists investigate the site. However, some savvy developers are turning archaeological finds into a marketing advantage.</p>

June 10 - The Economist

<p>The California Air Resources board is expected to approve a new propane-fueled engine this week, opening the door for an alternative fuel source for cars and trucks. Supporters say its also convenient because distribution channels already exist.</p>

June 10 - CNET News

<p>Coney Island fights to preserve its history of sideshows and tilt-a-whirls as revitalization steps into the ring.</p>

June 10 - The New York Times

<p>Eco-tourism in North Dakota? It's more likely than you may think, as conservationists, travel agents, and big landowners turn the dwindling population of the Great Plains into an asset.</p>

June 10 - The New York Times

<p>A new San Francisco plan seeks to follow in the footsteps of cities like Copenhagen and Portland in revitalizing streets, alleys, medians, and crosswalks. The goal is to bring the city's outdoors to its 'rightful place as the center of civic life.'</p>

June 10 - The San Francisco Chronicle

<p>Film is much more effective than planners or architects at assessing the possible future forms of cities, according to this article from film critic A.O. Scott.</p>

June 10 - The New York Times Magazine

<p>Boise is hoping to follow on the coattails of Little Rock in bringing back a long de-commissioned trolley system to the city's downtown.</p>

June 10 - The Idaho Statesman

<p>Upwardly-mobile city dwellers in India are heavily reliant on the neighboring slums that house their servants. But many public services are lacking beyond the walls of the affluent developments.</p>

June 10 - The New York Times

<p>NPR reports on 'hypermilers', drivers who practice active gas-saving techniques like braking lightly and combining trips. One hypermiler says he isn't doing it to be green: 'The environment I'm concerned with is my wallet.'</p>

June 10 - NPR

<p>The Waco Chamber of Commerce is credited with inspiring a renaissance in downtown, developing their new headquarters on a former parking lot. They hope to receive LEED certification - the first U.S. chamber building to receive this designation.</p>

June 9 - Waco Tribune-Herald