The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Steer Clear of the 5 Most Dangerous Roads in the World
Writing for <em>Yahoo! Travel</em>, Aefa Mulholland identifies five of the most dangerous roads in the world - from India's chaotic city streets to Bolivia's mountain hugging back roads.
Are Democrats Really the Party of Urban America?
Will Doing wonders why, at the Democratic National Convention last week, the challenges facing cities, and the benefits they bring to the country, were never mentioned.
Shadow of the Wall Remains Visible in Still-Divided Berlin
The no man's land once occupied by the Berlin Wall has been the focus of redevelopment efforts for nearly two and a half decades now. But the slow pace of rebuilding means the scars of the Cold War remain visible across the city's landscape.
Cycling Renaissance Races Across America
From coast to coast, cities across the United States are experiencing a rise in bicycling. Local governments are leading the peloton, with cycle-friendly policies and increases in government funding spurring a municipal pedal pursuit.
Arizona Activist Defends Planning from Tea Party Assault
Greg Hanscom profiles Stacey Champion, an environmental consultant and PR specialist who uncovered, and defeated, shady efforts to ban sustainability planning in Arizona.
Land Use Battles a Blight on City Budgets
The recent bankruptcy of the California city of Mammoth Lakes - brought on by a $43 million court decision in favor of a developer - is an extreme example of the cost of land use disputes. But it's indicative of a widespread problem in the state.
Is Downtown Any Place to Raise a Family?
Certainly, says Brent Toderian. And with children "the indicator species of a great neighbourhood," he argues that cities should be designed with families in mind.
Presidential Candidates Address Climate Change
The Democratic and Republican presidential candidates could not have more different approaches to climate change. Mitt Romney joked about it in his acceptance speech at the Republican convention while President Obama vowed to reduce carbon pollution
With Town Center Projects, Can the Suburbs Challenge Cities Yet Again?
Chasing the widespread interest in city living, developers are exporting mixed-use urbanism to the suburbs and exurbs as "town center" projects, prompting Jonathan O’Connell to ask if "a city can be a city if it’s built in the middle of a cornfield."
Philly Prioritizes Public Access with Hiring of Chief Data Officer
Self-described "civic hacking veteran" Mark Headd has joined Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's administration as the city's first "chief data officer," with the mission of "improving public access to information the city collects."
Buffalo Dusts Itself Off
After years wasted trying to implement large-scale redevelopment of its formerly industrial waterfront, Buffalo is cleaning up its shores from the ground up, reports Daniel Robison.
The Many Benefits of 'Multiblock Underground Shared Parking'
The urban parking garage gets an overhaul with the innovation of multiblock parking. By constructing underneath multiple blocks, developers and cities can improve parking efficiencies and lower costs.
It May Be Choking Our Environment and Economy, but Sprawl Sure is Pretty
German photographer Christoph Gielen has trained his artistic eye on America's suburbs, capturing aerial images of sprawl "in all its geometric glory" in order to "startle the viewers," reports Ariel Schwartz.
A Plea for Proper Water Management in India's Cities
Indian cities boast of huge GDP contributions, but cannot fulfill the basic needs of their citizens, such as providing safe drinking water. Central government funding has enabled some improvements in the urban water sector, but much more is needed.
Want to Triple Highway Capacity? Put Robot Cars on the Road
A new study on the potential benefits of autonomous cars concludes that "platooning" self-driving vehicles could increase highway efficiency by 273 percent, reports Devin Coldewey.
Sunny California Is Getting a Whole Lot Warmer
With the number of days of 'extreme heat' on the rise, and dramatic increases projected, will global warming melt the Golden State?
Skepticism, Economics, and Regulations Choking Development in Minneapolis
Stringent zoning, high costs, and a culture of skepticism directed at developers have hampered efforts to introduce infill redevelopment into some of Minneapolis' most prime locations.
California Bike Lanes May Be Exempted From Environmental Review
If Gov. Jerry Brown signs AB 2245, a bill which will exempt bike lanes from the CA Environmental Quality Act until 2018, opponents of these lanes will be deprived of a major tool to delay these projects that may accompany controversial 'road diets'.
The (Slow) Rise of Wireless Technology
The technology is there, and has been for a decade. Still, Wi-Fi's roll-out into our homes has been slow, at best, and continues to be confronted by various challenges.
Friday Funny: When Green Technology Backfires
The humor site Cracked takes a look at what happens when green technology backfires: melting houses, blinded jet pilots and buildings drowning in urine.
City of Moorpark
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City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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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.
