The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
To Combat Pedestrian Deaths, Shift Blame from the Victim
With many states witnessing a rise in pedestrian fatalities, David M Nelson asks: "Where is the public outcry to improve safety?" With pedestrians often blamed for such incidents, he argues new laws dealing with pedestrian-vehicle crashes are needed.
With Major Bills Expiring, Can the House Find a Path Forward for Infrastructure Improvements?
Updating the U.S.'s aging infrastructure requires legislative common sense, says Rep. Bill Shuster.
London Plans Low Emissions Zone; Too Little, Too Late?
With its congestion pricing scheme, London took drastic steps to reduce the number of vehicles entering the city. With a new plan announced by Mayor Boris Johnson, the city is moving to limit the impact of those vehicles on the environment.
Planning for People
Instead of planning cities around shiny, tomorrowland dreams of our own invention, how about planning them around something we can count on: the needs of people! Complete with a groovy, vintage planning video mash-up.
This Old House: Ranking America's Oldest Cities
Anyone with an Internet connection can tell you when a city was founded. But after the trauma of urban renewal and suburban flight, how much historic fabric remains? Wendell Cox ranks metropolitan areas by their shares of pre-World War II homes.
SFMOMA Retrospective is a Love Letter to Lebbeus Woods
From February 16 to June 2, 2013, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is hosting a retrospective of the provocative architect's work from the last 35 years.
Burned by Sandy, Hoboken Seeks to Become Model for Hurricane Resilience
The low-lying city of 50,000 across the Hudson River from Manhattan was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Mayor Dawn Zimmer wants to city to serve as a model for how to develop a uniquely urban approach to extreme storm preparation.
The 3D-Printed Car: Passion Project Becomes Reality
Light-weight, durable cars are the next frontier of 3D printing. Meet Urbee, the hybrid that, according to its inventor, will be the VW Bug of our century.
MIT Shows its Love for 'Advanced Urbanism'
This week, reports Orhan Ayyüce, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced the launch of "a major new research center focused on the planning, design, construction and retrofitting of urban environments for the 21st century."
Is Obama Set to Break Environmentalists' Hearts?
Environmentalists likely found much to cheer in President Obama's support for bold action on climate change during the State of the Union address. Was their optimism premature?
Madison Square Garden and Penn Station In Need of a Divorce
The owners of Madison Square Garden are asking NYC "to renew — in perpetuity — the special permit that allows them to operate an arena atop Penn Station, the country’s busiest transit hub." Michael Kimmelman urges the city to deny their request.
The Enduring Attraction of Containerized Urbanism
Architectural historian Mitchell Schwarzer traces the historic roots of container architecture and argues that today's shipping container developments, like Proxy in San Francisco, are leading the way to a new kind of urbanism.
Economic Development and Planning: It's a Match!
Mitchell Silver, Raleigh City Planner and President of the APA, is on a mission to get planners to realize the importance of return on investment (ROI) in their projects. Raleigh is providing the testing ground for his arguments.
Valentines for City Enthusiasts
If you're looking for the perfect Valentine's Day card for the planning enthusiast in your life, search no further. Five different Valentines show appreciation for cities and the people that live in them.
Cars and Vibrant Cities: Opposites That Don't Attract
New research out of the University of Connecticut shows that making room for parking in cities only leads to more cars, and less people and economic development.
Urban Farming Model Takes Off In Boston Suburb
A suburban farming model based on shared private garden plots springs up in Needham, Massachusetts. Could Kate Canney's experiment be an antidote to the challenge of finding farmland that plagues prospective farmers nationwide?
Could New York's Bike Gains Disappear Under New Mayor?
Under Mayor Bloomberg's tenure, New York City has made great strides in improving its bicycle infrastructure. But as his final term comes to an end, some fear the next mayor may "end this period of bike-friendly programs and policies."
Using Instagram as a Planning Tool
Los Angeles County Planner Clement Lau describes how Instagram, the increasingly popular photo-sharing social media app., has become a valuable addition to his quiver of planning tools.
State of the Union Recap: Energy, Economy, Infrastructure and Environment
In an address heavy on President Obama's domestic agenda for the first year of his second term, issues of importance to planners and urbanists got plenty of play, including: the environment, energy, infrastructure, and the economy.
Geologists Dispute Predictions of a "Saudi America"
While holding out promise for oil industry advocates, shale oil extraction in the United States appears to obey the law of diminishing returns.
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.
