The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas puts a new spin on convention center design.

July 27 - The New Yorker

The City of Boston is in the process of adding solar powered trash cans in its downtown. Despite early confusion from pedestrians, Mayor Tom Menino praises them for their cleanliness and ability to save on labor costs.

July 27 - The Boston Globe

HUD's Los Angeles Housing Authority is replacing its older, "oppressive", public housing stock with friendlier, mixed-income complexes to ease the city's housing crisis.

July 27 - The Planning Report

Steve Lopez asks why Los Angeles county supervisors use taxpayer dollars for chauffer-driven gas-guzzlers.

July 27 - The Los Angeles Times

FEATURE

Can cities get back in touch with nature? Planners, developers, architects, and policy makers convened in Los Angeles June 7 to face the challenge and develop a plan of action to help bring life onto the rooftops of L.A.'s downtown.

July 27 - Nate Berg

A suburban town just west of Minneapolis is debating a plan to bring a bit of New Urbanism into a proposed housing development that would otherwise just be houses. The planned mixed use development has enticed some residents and worried others.

July 27 - Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

A recent opinion piece questions the wisdom of regional plans that promote public transit over accommodating more cars.

July 27 - The Globe and Mail

National restaurant chains moving into Philadelphia’s Center City are changing the character and landscape of the historic area.

July 26 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Nation's fastest growing master-planned community is also one of its most insulted writes Stephanie Simon.

July 26 - Abhijeet Chavan

Climatologists blame the urban 'heat island' effect for a rise in Southern California's average evening temperatures, which have hit record highs in recent days.

July 26 - The Los Angeles Times

An experiment in Ontario, Canada has ordinary residents meeting regularly to decide how government funds are spent on playgrounds, health clinics and adult education.

July 26 - Shelterforce Magazine

A business group publishes its annual "report card" or housing profile for Bay Area communities by comparing local housing permits issued to state-mandated housing goals.

July 26 - San Jose Mercury News

The Algiers Casbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is collapsing with little political will to save it.

July 26 - The New York Times

Large home builders are increasingly able and willing to bribe local governments to approve new greenfield developments.

July 26 - Gristmill

A new, sustainably-built home seeks produce as much energy as it consumes.

July 26 - The Oregonian

Naomi Oreskes, history of science professor at UC San Diego, on why there are a "handful of scientists" that reject the evidence that humans contribute to global warming.

July 26 - The Los Angeles Times

An investor from Los Angeles grabs Atlanta's tallest tower for its biggest price.

July 26 - The Slatin Report

For years, drifters and homeless people have been living on some of the small islands of earth that remain in the paved-over Los Angeles River. While they are not a high priority for police, the river revitalization movement wants them gone.

July 26 - The Los Angeles Times

The number of new homes with porches increased has nationwide over the past 10 years.

July 26 - The Daily News

To coincide with the World Urban Forum, the Ottawa Citizen devotes most of their Sunday, June 18th newspaper to covering a host of urban issues, including slums, urban gardening, and the case for and against cities [links to 9 articles].

July 25 - The Ottawa Citizen