The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Smart Growth Experts Debate How To Rebuild New Orleans

With more than half of the city still underwater, smart-growth experts say now's an ideal time to rethink the entire infrastructure of the city.

September 22 - Montgomery Advertiser

Stranded In The Wake Of Disaster

Over 200,000 people without cars in New Orleans had no way out of the city in Katrina's wake.

September 22 - AlterNet

Vancouverism vs. Lower Manhattanism: Shaping the High Density City

Shaping high density residential environments is the most important issue before urban designers in North America today.

September 22 - ArchNewsNow

Public Park Or Glorified Front Lawn?

Planned Brooklyn waterfront park draws criticism from neighborhood groups.

September 21 - The New York Times

Dreaming Of A Car-Free Development

While local developers and city leaders reject the idea, Sherman Lewis, professor emeritus at California State University, East Bay, continues to advocate for a pedestrian-friendly development of 1,000 residences in Hayward, CA.

September 21 - The Argus


The Death of Marshall Fields and the Dissolution of the Sense of Place

In banishing the Marshall Fields name, Federated Department Stores is just doing to Chicago what's its already done to cities across the country. The implications are anything but positive, writes Lynn Becker.

September 21 - Repeat

FEATURE

Recovering New Orleans

September 21 - Thomas J. Campanella


Smart Growth and National Security

Hurricane Katrina exposes the urgent need to fix America’s obsolete way of life.

September 21 - Elm Street Writers Group

Lessons From Katrina: What A Major Disaster Can Teach Transportation Planners

This paper examines failures in Hurricane Katrina disaster response and their lessons for transportation policy and planning in other communities.

September 21 - Victoria Transport Policy Institute

FEATURE

Book Review - 'Dream City: Vancouver and the Global Imagination'

Bob Ransford reviews the magical and often paradoxical relationship Vancouver shares with its natural surroundings as described in Lance Berelowitz's Dream City: Vancouver and the Global Imagination.

September 21 - Bob Ransford

The Plan To Flood New Orleans?

The most striking fact of the New Orleans catastrophe has received less notice than it deserves: The plan for New Orleans in case of a hit from a very powerful hurricane was to lose the city.

September 21 - Reason Magazine

Rhode Island Urges School Districts To Plan Smarter

Rhode Island Department of Education promotes 'Smart Growth' principles in School Facilities Planning Guidelines.

September 21 - Grow Smart Rhode Island website

The Politics of Gridlock

It is time for a new consensus that is based on the realization that we will never get Americans out of their cars, writes Robert Atkinson.

September 21 - Progressive Policy Institute

Local Dining Could Help The Environment

The farther food travels, the more greenhouse gas emissions it generates -- a fact which concerns some environmentalists.

September 20 - CNN

Using Google Maps to Find An Ancient Roman Villa In Your Backyard

An Italian enthusiast examning maps of the region around his home using two new Google mapping products discovers the remains of an ancient Roman Villa.

September 20 - Nature

Who Will Rebuild New Orleans?

Mark Alan Hughes asks who has the power to decide on rebuilding plans for New Orleans: former or returning residents, federal policymakers, local officials, or all taxpayers?

September 20 - The Philadelphia Daily News

Is Broadband A Municipal Service?

With high-speed internet access becoming a necessity, rural Arizona lawmakers are searching for ways to bring broadband to rural towns.

September 20 - The Arizona Republic

Frank Gehry Goes Hollywood

The acclaimed architect is the subject of Academy-award winning director Sydney Pollack's new documentary.

September 20 - Brenda Meyer

Are Environmentalists To Blame For Katrina's Devastation?

A Senate committee requests information from the Justice Department about legal challenges to New Orleans levee projects by environmental groups. Do Republicans plan to blame environmentalists for the extent of destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina?

September 20 - The Washington Post

FEATURE

Greening of the Campus VI Conference

Can a campus community become a "green" model for society as a whole? Educators, students, and professionals meet at an interdisciplinary conference to promote sustainability in education, research, operations and affiliated service organizations.

September 20 - R. Umashankar

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.