The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Are New York's Streets Safe for Pedestrians?
A spate of high profile pedestrian deaths have New Yorkers wondering just how safe it is to traverse their city on foot.
Can the UN's Goals of Expanding Energy Access While Curtailing Global Warming be Reconciled?
"The United Nations has set two huge energy-related goals for the coming century," says Brad Plumer. While bringing electricity to 1.3 billion people without it and curtailing fossil fuel use seem to be at odds, the U.N. has a plan to achieve both.
Reining in Sprawl Won't Be Easy; One of Canada's Worst Offenders Shows Why
With its progressive mayor and recent examples of exemplary architecture and urbanism, you'd think alternatives to sprawl would be an easy sell in Calgary. Unfortunately, you'd be wrong, says Christopher Hume.
Transforming a Train Station on the Cheap
For only $155,000 a light sculpture has helped transform Stamford, Conn.'s unloved train station - “a building that has a harshness almost unequaled in contemporary architecture” - into a pulsating beacon "reminiscent of a Mondrian" painting.
An Incremental Approach to Slum Improvement
Flavie Halais looks at both successful and unsuccessful cases of alleviating slum conditions on three continents. For the best results, practitioners must be more adept at problem solving and creativity than pure design.
10-Year Study Confirms Public Health Benefits of Walkability
A newly published University of Melbourne study ten years in the making reveals that increased access to shops, parks, and other amenities increased walking and overall health.
Should D.C. Leave Parking to Developers?
AAA has been outspoken in their opposition to the parking reforms being debated in Washington D.C. For Matthew Iglesias, parking is a "privilege," not a right.
Can a 'Poster Child for Sprawl' Turn Itself Around?
In a video documentary, Matthew Gordon examines the elements of Fresno's General Plan update, which seeks to reorient the city around a more sustainable urban form, and turn around the fortunes of one of the country's most impoverished cities.
Glamorizing the 'Humble' Park Bench
The semi-finalists competing to design an iconic ‘street seat’ for Boston's growing Innovation District have given "the city a glimpse of what the often-overlooked park bench could be when reconsidered through sustainable, beautiful design."
The Do's and Don'ts of Urban Cycling
Taking the important first step in becoming an urban cyclist is often the most daunting. But with some pieces of advice and knowledge, anyone can become a confident urban cyclist.
Welcome to the Era of Peak Everything
You may have heard of 'peak oil,' but what about 'peak water' or 'peak wood'? Terry Tamminen looks at the range of natural resources we're using up "far too quickly."
Hollande Embraces Greater Paris Plan
To the surprise of many, a change in governments has failed to derail former president Nicolas Sarkozy's ambitious "Greater Paris" plan for an expanded transit network linking the French capital to its suburbs.
Frightening Friday: Irish Council Supports Allowing Drunk Driving to Prevent Mental Illness
Unfortunately folks, this is not a story out of The Onion. A county council in south-west Ireland has voted to support allowing rural drunk driving to help "prevent depression and suicide," reports Henry McDonald.
Bipartisan Bill Aims to Boost Brownfield Redevelopment
This week, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced the Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development Act of 2013 (BUILD Act), a bill aimed at assisting local communities in remediating and redeveloping contaminated sites.
Outlandish Incinerator/Ski Slope Breaks Ground in Denmark
That wild "mountain-slash-ski-slope-slash-waste-to-energy-power-plant" project proposed by "it" architecture firm BIG that everyone thought was dead has broken ground in Copenhagen, reports Branden Klayko.
In San Francisco, Massive Waterfront Projects Bring Transportation Challenges
A new arena for the NBA's Warriors and a $1.6 billion mixed-use development south of AT&T Park are among the projects planned for San Francisco's waterfront. But a transit system already at capacity presents a formidable challenge for planners.
To Reform CEQA, Return to its Roots
Rick Cole, the former City Manager of Ventura, California, and a well-known civic leader in Southern California, defends the need for CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) while calling for returning to the law's key roots.
Is Good Transit Necessary for Parking Reform?
Paul Barter answers with an unequivocal no. He outlines the reasons why debates over the elimination of parking minimums should be decoupled from transit, and identifies other reforms that can make parking changes palatable.
Arcane State Board Votes to Give CA Nation's Highest Gas Tax
While state legislatures and governors are struggling whether to raise state gas, sales, or income taxes or user fees to fund transportation projects, an arcane state board of five elected members voted 3-2 to increase CA's gas tax by 3.5 cents.
Poor Renters, not Middle Class Homeowners, Were Hardest Hit by Sandy
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the news media were fixated on the plight of middle-class homeowners in places like the Rockaways in Queens. But two new reports show that low-income renters were the more prevalent victims of the storm.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.
