The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Complete Streets Gaining Speed
A new report details the growing adoption of Complete Streets policies in locales across the United States, despite the removal of a Complete Streets provision from the recent federal transportation bill.
Redefining the American College Town
Richard Florida takes the end of summer, and impending awakening of campuses across the country, as an opportunity to explore which of America's metro areas have the largest higher education concentrations.
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How the Private Sector Just Might Revive Intercity Passenger Rail in the US
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small"> </span> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Calibri">For those following the intense debate over intercity passenger rail in the US, the following recent news items might have a few planners scratching their heads:</span></span> </p>
Why Does Transit Cost So Much to Build in the U.S.?
With Manhattan's new Second Avenue subway expected to cost five times as much as comparable projects in Europe and Asia, Stephen Smith looks to transit-construction practices from abroad for lessons on how to contain costs in America.
Spruce Up Your Scaffolding With Softwalks
Jordan Kushins spotlights an innovative kit of parts that can be attached to sidewalk scaffolding to create pop-up public spaces.
New Initiative Seeks to Address L.A. Parks Disparity
Last week, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa launched the city's "50 Parks Initiative," a public-private partnership that plans to add over 170 acres of new park space throughout the city's "park-poor population-dense" neighborhoods.
The Downside of the High Line
Yes, there are critics of the High Line, and this is a particularly strident one. Accusing the park not only of gentrification of Manhattan's West Chelsea, Jeremiah Moss attributes the High Line's popularity to transforming NYC into Disney World.
Does Frank Lloyd Wright Set the Wrong Tone for the GOP Convention?
With their stage design influenced by the architectural icon, Christopher Hawthorne looks at the baggage the GOP inherits by riding Frank Lloyd Wright's caped coattails.
Gov 2.0 Gets Boost from 'Peace Corps for Geeks'
The nonprofit Code for America (CfA) gets a laudatory write-up by Holly Finn in The Wall Street Journal for bringing transparency and innovation to local governments with stealth teams of "computer-savvy SEALs."
Hong Kong's Pedestrian Networks Redefine Civic Space
Nate Berg looks at how Hong Kong's unique pedestrian infrastructure of elevated walkways and underground tunnels has affected the city's use of public and private spaces, and shifted urban behaviors.
Is Chinese Bridge Collapse Just the Tip of an Infrastructure Disaster Iceberg?
A year after a deadly high-speed train accident occurred in the eastern city of Wenzhou, a portion of one of the longest bridges in northern China collapsed on Friday, reigniting concerns over infrastructure built at breakneck speed in recent years.
In Atlanta, Using Social Media for Code Compliance
Suffering from widespread blight from foreclosures and absentee owners, a new "unofficial" Facebook page lets Atlanta residents play code compliance officer.
Los Angeles Looks to Spike its Skyline
Los Angeles Fire Code rules requiring helicopter landing zones on the city's high rises has led to one of the most bland skylines in America. As the city updates its fire code, a new working group is seeking to unleash the creativity of designers.
Finding Mayor Bloomberg's Fingerprints on a Transformed New York
As the end of the Bloomberg Era in New York draws to a close, The Architect's Newspaper goes agency by agency exploring how the Mayor has steered the forces of NYC real estate to meet goals for a cleaner, greener, and more equitable city.
Super Rich Drive Residences to New Heights
The number of super-tall residential buildings continues to grow globally, with top floor residences fetching nine-figure prices. Historically, the world's tallest buildings housed offices.
Hip-Hop Architecture Remixes Global Design
Never heard of hip-hop architecture? According to C.C. Sullivan, the global movement infusing architecture with artistic and cultural elements inspired by hip-hop has been spreading for at least a decade.
Chinese City Gets Serious About Traffic Enforcement . . . Maybe a Little Too Serious
A program that allows undercover inspectors to keep 80 percent of any fines proves (un)remarkably effective.
Court of Appeals Deals Second Blow to EPA on Clean Air Regs
For the second time, a court has thrown out EPA efforts to address pollution from power plants in 'clean-air' states that cause pollution downwind. This time, the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule was the victim.
What is the World's Most Vulnerable City to Flooding?
Based on a range of data, including 19 different components, a new study examining cities located on river deltas has determined that Shanghai is the most vulnerable to major flooding.
Extreme Wealth and Poverty Grow in Brooklyn
A quick look at some of Brooklyn's demographic data illustrates a dramatic divide between the Borough's most wealthy and most poor - economic segregation at its extreme in America.
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.
