The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Criticism of New Mexico's commuter rail system heats up as officials claim Rail Runner starves other transportation projects of funding.</p>

February 15 - Associated Press

<p>The world's largest marine protected area has just been established around the tiny Pacific island of Kiribati.</p>

February 15 - Reuters

<p><em>Popular Science</em> has released a list of the 50 greenest cities in America.</p>

February 15 - Popular Science

<p>Critics have been swift to point out that the federal government's proposed (and voluntary) "Project Lifeline" does little more than set a "pause button" on at-risk mortgages. What's needed are "Neighborhood Stabilization" plans.</p>

February 15 - Center for American Progress

<p>In this interview about her new book, "Blue Covenant," Maude Barlow argues that current and future shortages of fresh water aren't the result of drought, but rather the massive overuse, abuse and mismanagement of water sources.</p>

February 15 - AlterNet

<p>Concerns over environmental abuse may block a river access plan in south central Kansas.</p>

February 15 - Wichita Eagle

<p>China kicks infrastructure development into high gear.</p>

February 14 - The Economist

<p>This op-ed, transportation expert and Brookings Institution researcher Rob Puentes discusses the need for the Dulles Metro-rail project and how it has become a pawn in a bureaucratic chess match.</p>

February 14 - Politico

<p>The TTC, or Trans-Texas Corridor, is far more than just a 4,000-mile toll road, but an all-encompassing, multi-modal infrastructure network that is desperately needed, according to Texas planners. But citizens are wary and opposition is growing.</p>

February 14 - The New York Times

<p>New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to build or preserve 165,000 units of affordable housing by 2013 is moving forward, but some have concerns about how the plan will be affected by a diving housing market.</p>

February 14 - The New York Times

<p>Private individuals, investors and charities are buying up environmentally sensitive land all over the world for preservation, but this article wonders whether this method is really such a good idea.</p>

February 14 - The Guardian

<p>Rail networks across the country are expanding -- the first advancement in rail in nearly 100 years.</p>

February 14 - The Wall Street Journal

BLOG POST

<p><strong>Rethinking College Park</strong> </p><p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rethinkcollegepark/389600607/" title="Route 1 by RethinkCollegePark, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/389600607_46aace7f11_m.jpg" alt="Route 1" hspace="5" vspace="5" width="240" height="180" align="right" /></a>Is College Park, Maryland a great college town? Although the town is home to a top-ranked national research university that is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland, the town pales in comparison with the nation&#39;s best-liked college towns, whether Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ithaca, New York, or Charlottesville, Virginia. In this post I describe <a href="http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/">one attempt</a> to use the internet to improve an aspiring college town. </p>

February 14 - Robert Goodspeed

<p>Cities across the country scramble to deal with abandoned properties as they drive down local economies.</p>

February 14 - The Baltimore Sun

<p>California officials are proposing a broad swath of protected marine areas -- a plan that aims to reduce fishing and allow marine populations to flourish longer before being caught for consumption.</p>

February 14 - The Sacramento Bee

<p>The U.S. Treasury and HUD have announced a new program called Project Lifeline, to help at-risk mortgage holders.</p>

February 14 - Associated Press

<p>This <em>CBS News</em> video interviews passengers, as they are working, aboard Amtrak's Acela between NYC and Washington DC. New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg who has proposed legislation, and Amtrak CEO Alexander Kummant are also interviewed.</p>

February 14 - CBS News

<p>Israel's announced construction of more than 1,000 housing units in disputed East Jerusalem is being met with a hostile response from Palestinian officials, who claim the land as the future capital of an independent Palestine.</p>

February 13 - Associated Press

<p>A 138-acre plot of land above L.A.'s iconic Hollywood sign is up for sale. Many in L.A. are protesting the sale, which could lead to the development of luxury homes on the site.</p>

February 13 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>Lake Mead -- a major water source for the western United States -- could go dry by 2021, according to a new report.</p>

February 13 - The Arizona Republic