The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Henry Grabar profiles some of the projects shortlisted for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Comprising new construction and preservation work from throughout the Muslim world, the award spotlights projects often overlooked by the western media.

May 4 - The Atlantic Cities

FEATURE

With the right approach, social media can expedite the exchange of information between stakeholders, facilitate participatory planning, and build better places. Two case studies offer insight for using social media to connect with communities.

May 3 - Jessica Hsu

A couple of months ago we told you about a new bicycle safety campaign being run by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Apparently the memo didn't go out to Metro's bus drivers.

May 3 - LAist

Paris's Boulevard Peripherique is one of the most clogged roadways in Europe, it delivers dangerous pollution to 100,000 people in its vicinity, and this year it turned 40. Lara Marlowe looks at the future for one of Paris's little loved landscapes.

May 3 - The Irish Times

Emily Badger looks at recent research that shows that racial and economic segregation harms not only minority and low-income families, but also those that've fled to affluent areas.

May 3 - The Atlantic Cities

Jane Lumumba issues a warning about the self-contained cities being comprehensively planned and built from scratch across the continent. Will they benefit international investors and government leaders to the detriment of local residents?

May 3 - Next City

The consultants developing a master plan for L.A.'s historic Union Station have unveiled four design concepts for the station that seek to accomodate high speed rail and improve passenger amenities.

May 3 - Daily News Los Angeles

After a sharp decline brought on by the housing crash, Miami's condo market is experiencing a squeeze on supply and an attendant building boom, reflecting a nationwide uptick in urban real estate markets.

May 3 - The New York Times

The Bay Area is finalizing its plan to comply with state legislation to reduce vehicle emissions from transportation. "Plan Bay Area" has aroused fears of regional government and more, which were expressed at a recent public meeting.

May 3 - The San Mateo Daily Journal

Utilizing the largest data release of its kind, researchers at IBM have analyzed the location information from 500,000 cell phones to help optimize the routing of buses in Ivory Coast's largest city of Abidjan.

May 3 - MIT Technology Review

On 50th anniversary of the Jetsons, Hazel Borys celebrates city planning that isn't pie in the sky, but instead lets us cast a shadow.

May 3 - PlaceShakers

After a half century of growth driven by families fleeing New York City, New Jersey's northern suburbs face an uncertain future as young families, young professionals and retirees find a resurgent Big Apple more to their liking.

May 3 - NorthJersey.com

The Arctic may become ice free as soon as 2015, 85 years earlier than recent predictions, prompting a briefing of top U.S. government officials, including those from the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, by Arctic specialists.

May 2 - The Guardian

Writing in The New York Times, Paul Hockenos describes the revival and global spread of the "woonerf", the Dutch complete street model that's bringing shared public space to cities from Montreal to Auckland.

May 2 - The New York Times

California's population grew by nearly 1 percent last year, driven by growth in the Bay Area and the state's other urban areas. In a significant milestone, the state built more multifamily dwellings than single-family homes for the first time.

May 2 - San Francisco Chronicle

A private collection of 38,000 historical maps has been added to the Digital Public Library of America, reports Rebecca Rosen, making it more accessible to researchers and anyone interested in the history of their community.

May 2 - The Atlantic

Patrick J. Kiger looks at the global trends that will impact urban landscapes over the next 50 years and explores two competing visions for the future of land use.

May 2 - Urban Land

Alex Schmidt looks at efforts to re-'train' L.A. drivers to use the city's growing rail network. Planners are focusing on rezoning areas within a 10-minute walk from stations, but face obstacles in blending density with single-family districts.

May 2 - NPR Morning Edition

The elimination of extreme poverty - daily income below $1.25 - has long been a goal of the U.N., the World Bank, and development experts. The world's mass urbanization is a leading reason that quixotic goal may actually be achievable by 2030.

May 2 - The New York Times

Much of the future built environment will be determined by how commercial sites are developed, says Robert Steuteville. And it's up to cities and towns to demand better retail designs.

May 2 - Better! Cities & Towns