The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

LAX, the LA River, Pershing Square; the list of Los Angeles' under-performing public spaces could sadly continue for a while. As the city votes for its next mayor, Christopher Hawthorne offers some "some straightforward ideas" about how to fix them.

March 4 - Los Angeles Times

Rowan Moore asks whether investing in air travel-oriented urban design is appropriate for all contexts.

March 4 - The Guardian

They're filled with musty bathrooms and peeling paint, and they're selling in the tens of millions of dollars. Jim Yardley examines New Delhi's real estate boom, which is driven by "ego, status and some unique distortions in India’s economy."

March 4 - The New York Times

You'd think the seemingly endless stream of warnings about the state of the planet (record heat, faster melting poles, increasing extreme weather, etc.) would galvanize public opinion. However, a new poll reports concern is at an all time low.

March 3 - The New York Times

Street Plans Collaborative, a New York-based urban planning and design firm, has begun an ambitious project to map the city's informal sidewalk seating culture. The project is asking the pubic to submit entries from their own observations.

March 3 - The Atlantic Cities

In an opinion piece for the Houston Chronicle, John Desmond discusses the findings of a ULI advisory panel tasked with developing recommendations for creating a mixed use 24-hour neighborhood in downtown's east side.

March 3 - Houston Chronicle

In news that's sure to please active transportation advocates, outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced his agency will ditch AASHTO's outdated guidelines and develop its own standards for bicycle and pedestrian safety.

March 3 - DC.Streetsblog

Brian Merchant describes the key initiatives intended to make the ex-Soviet nation "the best place in the world to buy and drive an electric car."

March 3 - Motherboard

Ryan Holeywell looks at the land use legacy of the Bloomberg Administration - perhaps his "signal achievement" - and wonders if his successor can continue the momentum.

March 2 - Governing

From an initial list of 200 candidates, Medellín, Colombia has been selected as the winner of The Wall Street Journal and Citi's “City of the Year” competition.

March 2 - Urban Land

Two reports claim wildly opposite views on where the current shale gas boom is headed. David Hughes, a Canadian geologist and fellow of the Post Carbon Institute disputes projections of energy independence. A Univ. of Texas study confirms the boom.

March 2 - The Tyee

Sarah Goodyear introduces us to Peatónito, the masked Lucha Libre inspired defender of pedestrians.

March 2 - The Atlantic Cities

Despite a wealth of upbeat news of late (surging downtown, encouraging long range plan, etc.), Detroit received a very unpleasant reminder of its intractable problems when Gov. Rick Snyder announced he will appoint an emergency financial manager.

March 2 - Detroit Free Press

Pregnant, elderly, or infirm; subway riders throughout the world rely on the kindness of strangers to secure a seat on the subway. The extraordinary efforts of one Beijing woman to get a seat were discovered in embarrassing fashion recently.

March 1 - South China Morning Post

Dirty looks, shushing, even brawls; the lengths that "vigilantes" take to policing the rules of railroad quiet-cars can be extreme. William Power and Brian Hershberg look at how different transit systems, and their passengers, enforce quiet rides.

March 1 - The Wall Street Journal

Although the Obama Administration has supported a reduced role for the government in supporting the housing market, it still backs 90 percent of newly issued mortgages - "more than ever before." A new report examines the prospect of a withdrawal.

March 1 - The New York Times

In the days following the shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford, FL, much was made of the influence the built environment had on the event. A year later, the city is developing a vision for how to shape its shared future.

March 1 - Transportation Nation

A new report from the Brookings Institution delves into the ridership and financial winners (and losers) for America's largest intercity rail operator. Last year, Amtrak made money on its 26 routes shorter than 400 miles.

March 1 - The Washington Post

In last month's State of the Union address, President Obama described his desire to increasing the efficiency of homes and businesses throughout the country. Philadelphia is already ahead of the game, reports Laurie Actman.

March 1 - GreenBiz.com

Suburban Orlando is home to what might well be the best example of the absurd development patterns of post-war America. There you'll find two houses with adjoining backyards whose front doors are separated by seven miles of roads.

March 1 - DC.Streetsblog