The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Big Dig's Done. What Next?

<p>With Boston's Big Dig officially completed, many in the city are looking forward to other urban renewal efforts following in its wake. But hurdles remain.</p>

February 25 - The New York Times

School Closings Hurt St. Louis Neighborhoods

<p>Urban school closings in St. Louis are being blasted by community members for draining the souls of many of the city's neighborhoods.</p>

February 25 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Organized Crime Trashing Naples

<p>Organized crime has taken over Naples' municipal waste disposal -- and the resulting, uncontrolled trash heaps are causing illness, ruining regional agriculture, and contributing to an atmosphere of ungovernability.</p>

February 25 - The Globe and Mail

Baltimore Urban Renewal District Nixed

<p>Plans to create an urban renewal district in South Baltimore have been denied by the city's Planning Commission, arguing that forcibly removing residents and businesses is not a reasonable method for saving the neigborhood.</p>

February 25 - The Baltimore Sun

Atlanta's Beltline Project Soldiers On -- But Without a Lot of Cash

<p>After the Georgia Supreme Court ruled the Beltline project could not use school funds from a tax-increment financing funding source, what next?</p>

February 25 - Creative Loafing


The Cleaning Power of Landscape Architecture

<p>This post from <em>Pruned</em> looks at a proposal to turn a contaminated reservoir into a "bioremediating ecological machine".</p>

February 25 - Pruned


Bringing Down the House

<p>Experts differ on the extent to which the economy will be damaged as a result of the mortgage crisis. But almost all agree it's going to get a lot worse.</p>

February 25 - Time

The Fascism of TOD

<p>This editorial from the <em>Hawaii Reporter</em> argues that plans for transit oriented development are "based in communist and fascist thinking" and that building rail and TOD will be bad for Hawaii's families.</p>

February 24 - Hawaii Reporter

Sinking Delta May Not Be Losing Battle

<p>A new study has shown that rapid land subsidence in the Mississippi Delta is a problem that occurs closer to the surface, not deep below, giving geologists hope that the delta can be restored.</p>

February 24 - Terra Daily

San Francisco Subway Plans Blasted

<p>Plans to build a short subway in San Francisco are meeting criticism.</p>

February 24 - The San Francisco Chronicle

The Chinese Dream

<p>China's burgeoning middle class is moving out of the crowded and polluted cities to a booming constellation of satellite cities. The suburbanization of China has begun.</p>

February 24 - Time

Walking Away from the American Dream

<p>The prevalence of mortgage "walkaways" reveals that the mortgage crisis has significantly changed the values associated with homeownership, and reduced the stigma of foreclosure.</p>

February 24 - Washington Independent

Density Plans 'A Hard Sell' in Vancouver

<p>Vancouver's plans to increase density in the city are being called "a hard sell".</p>

February 23 - The Vancouver Sun

Bonds, Lame Bonds

<p>Unprecedented failure in municipal bond auctions is causing municipal borrowers to flee the auction market and driving up rates at which cities can borrow money.</p>

February 23 - Bloomberg.com

Changing Patterns in Traffic Volume

<p>In recent decades, traffic volumes have risen rapidly throughout the United States. But a report by the East-West Gateway Council of Governments argues that growth rates in traffic volume may be tapering off.</p>

February 23 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Retirees Flee to Find Stronger Dollar

<p>Retirees are increasingly moving to Central and South America to retire and take advantage of economies where the dollar retains some strength.</p>

February 23 - The Wall Street Journal

Land Unused

<p>Residents and city officials in L.A. battle over what to do with unused land surrounding the Silver Lake Reservoir.</p>

February 23 - LA Weekly

Friday Funny: I Can Has Zoning

<p>Cats be zonin'.</p>

February 22 - Cyburbia

Hollywood Dispersed

<p>More and more states are looking to cash in on the movie business by building film studios and offering tax incentives to filmmakers.</p>

February 22 - Stateline

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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.