The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
What Makes a Great Neighborhood?
Howard Blackson explains the five elements ("five Cs") necessary for planning resilient and lively neighborhoods - complete, compact, connected, complex, and convivial.
Dense Re-Vision for D.C.'s Neglected Waterfront Extends onto the Water
A 52-acre development planned for Washington, D.C.'s isolated Southwest Quadrant hopes to create a 21st century waterfront by embracing the elements that have contributed to creating lively urban waterfronts for centuries, reports Kriston Capps.
With Policy Changes, Urban Farmers Seek Bountiful Harvest
Riding a tide of environmental consciousness and self-sufficiency, the urban agriculture movement is gaining momentum in California. Urban farmers have been lobbying for zoning and other city regulations to bring an underground hobby into the light.
L.A. Gets its River Back
This week, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation intended to increase public access to the L.A. River for recreational and educational purposes, reports Yosuke Kitazawa.
Lack of Productivity Afflicts U.S. Commuter Rail
What the U.S. does with twenty-five workers, Spain does with nine; 'work rules' are part of the problem when it comes to the lack of productivity and high costs of America's regional rail systems.
Criticism of Fuel Efficiency Regulations from a Surprising Source
With President Obama adopting historic fuel efficiency regulations for motor vehicles, it may be helpful to hear from opponents of the regulatory approach, not only from the President’s political opponents but also the venerable Brookings Institution
New Plan for Cincinnati Oriented Around A Multi-Centered City
Three years in the making, approval nears for Plan Cincinnati - the city's first comprehensive plan to be completed in the last 32 years. Randy A. Simes shares the details of the plan, which focuses growth around 40 walkable neighborhood centers.
Plans for Copenhagen's First 'Climate Adapted' Neighborhood Unveiled
By better integrating the natural and built environments, while enforcing standards of livability, Copenhagen seeks to transform its Saint Kjeld’s neighborhood into "a showcase area for climate adaptation technology," reports Damian Holmes.
DIY Aerial Imaging Now a Reality
Ever get frustrated looking for the right aerial image of your project site on Google Earth? Emily Badger has found the solution - a DIY balloon mapping kit developed by cartographer Stewart Long.
Is the Success of Vancouver's Urbanism Just a Facade?
Bob Ransford argues that the policies that have shaped Vancouver's streets and skyline over the last decades into a global icon of planning and design are an accomplishment of style over substance that fail to look at how people inhabit buildings.
Money Versus Public Space in Miami's Booming Brickell Neighborhood
The rapid development of Miami's Brickell neighborhood has left many residents without proper access to open space, a circumstance some are trying to remedy, despite astronomical land costs.
World's Longest Bus Debuts in Dresden
Described as a "train on wheels," the 98 feet long three-section bus that seats an astonishing 256 passengers is set to hit the streets of Dresden, Germany in October.
Landscape Architects Design Parks for Pets
Pet ownership in the U.S. continues to hit record levels, and with the increasing interest in city living the number (and variety of designs) of dog runs in city parks has increased. Designers are utilizing a dog's-eye-view to serve their clients.
GOP Platform Takes Aim at Community Planning
The official G.O.P. platform approved at the party's convention on Tuesday included tough language on U.N. Agenda 21, decrying it as "erosive of American sovereignty," reports Leslie Kaufman.
Political Squabbling Trumps Demands for a New London Airport
Where are the projected 400 million air travelers coming to London supposed to land? Prime Minister David Cameron is caught between two politically difficult choices for how to manage the projected growth in passengers.
Design Competition for Bordeaux Puts Nature First
As the city of Bordeaux, France, makes plans to move up the list of major European cities, it's calling on a multidisciplinary design competition for ways to revitalize its city from the top down by integrating "natural areas."
Housing Comeback Reported in America's Hardest-Hit Cities
The long-awaited recovery of America's housing market, after six years of decline, seems to be gaining traction, with the latest data indicating increasing prices in hard-hit cities like Miami, Atlanta, and Detroit.
Which Cities Have the Worst Drivers?
In an age of increasingly distracted drivers, it's getting ever more hazardous to ply America's urban roads. The eighth annual “America’s Best Drivers Report,” issued by Allstate Insurance, explores exactly which cities are the most dangerous.
Building Community to Build Resilience
As Hurricane Isaac lashes the Gulf Coast, Daniel P. Aldrich argues that the "density and strength of social networks are the most important variables" in determining how communities respond to natural disasters.
Dear Minneapolis Skyway: Here's Your Tongue-in-Cheek Birthday Greeting
Bill Lindeke discusses the history of Minneapolis' Skyways and argues why we shouldn't celebrate a system that he believes is failing its downtown.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
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.
