The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Refund loan usage declined by almost 5 percent nationally between 2001 and 2002, but the loans remain popular, especially in the South.

April 13 - The Brookings Institution

Bombings in Iraq have spawned a 'private fortifications industry' where concrete blast walls now surround many of the city's landmark buildings and lesser-known streets.

April 13 - The Los Angeles Times

Mayor Dave Beiter of Boise, ID, wants Ada County to amend zoning rules.

April 13 - The Idaho Statesman

A new academic article shows that rail passenger forecasts are regularly overestimated by a staggering average of 106%.

April 13 - Journal Of The American Planning Association

Google's satellite image service may increase public interest in imaging technology and the surprises that lurk in imaging data.

April 13 - Wired

The neighborhood conditions in which individuals live contributes to their health and longevity, according to a new RAND report.

April 13 - RAND

American Rivers releases 2005 report of the nation's most endangered rivers.

April 13 - American Rivers

New state legislation would redefine the definition of blight to potentially include L.A.'s port.

April 13 - Daily Breeze Torrace

While Florida's real-estate boom has made affordable housing scarce and the state's income has increased, lawmakers seek to cut affordable housing funds.

April 13 - Palm Beach Post

William Fulton offers the inside story on economic development secrets and the policy process.

April 13 - Governing

BLOG POST

Sorry about the giant graphic, but I like the pretty colors.<br /> <br /> This is the Torino scale, a Richter scale for asteroid strikes. Unlike the old Richter scale used to do -- measuring the magnitude of an earthquake -- Torino measures the likelihood of a hit, and how bad that hit's going to be.<br /> <br /> For a while, when some backyard astronomer with a high-powered 'scope would see something that looked like it was on the way to a "rendezvous," he'd send a telegram to the <a href="http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/">Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics</a> (this is before email), and they'd send out a notice to the world astronomy community saying, basically, keep watching the skies.

April 12 - Anonymous

Experts say climate change's impact could affect timber industry.

April 12 - Star Tribune

Architect Cesar Pelli will design a 4,000-room "themeless" hotel-casino, part of a $4.7-billion project to be built on the Las Vegas Strip.

April 12 - The Los Angeles Times

New York City launches a fully automated 24-station subway line.

April 12 - The Boston Globe

Governing profiles Fred Kent, president of the Project for Public Spaces.

April 12 - Governing

Thirty-six interesting facts about how the American Dream has grown.

April 12 - MotherJones.com

A showdown in the Nevada desert pits coal plant proponents against advocates of renewable resources. L.A.'s decision will shape the outcome.

April 12 - The Los Angeles Times

Market forces nurture a new crop on rural land -- suburban development.

April 12 - The St. Petersburg Times

Oil strategists plan for geopolitical drama as demand increases.

April 12 - Wall St. Journal

As Toronto loses jobs, its suburbs see an increase in demand for land.

April 12 - The Globe and Mail