The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
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Choosing Ignorance is Stupid
<p class="MsoNormal"> People love statistics. They let us understanding the world beyond our own senses. <em>USA Today</em> publishes a daily <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/snapshot.htm">Snapshot</a> which presents a graph of random statistics. Sports talk and business analysis are dominated by statistics. We measure our progress, or lack thereof, and compare ourselves with others, based on statistics about our size, activities and accomplishments. </p>
Is New York Worthy of Cultural Top Billing?
We learned earlier this week that New York deserves to be called the world's most economically powerful city. On Monday night, four cultural critics discussed whether the city should be considered the world's cultural capital as well.
The Bull Behind LA's Air Pollution
So you think cars are to blame for L.A.'s air pollution problems? That might be bull excrement, literally, reports David Biello.
Decline in Recycling Hurts New Jersey's Environment and Budgets
Once at the cutting edge of the recycling revolution, the last decade has seen a precipitous drop-off in recycling in New Jersey. James M. O’Neill reports on the reasons for the decline and its effect on municipal finances.
Harnessing the Power of Water on Its Way to Your Tap
Jim Dwyer takes a look at a proposal to produce clean energy by tapping into New York's extensive and abundantly fed water delivery system.
Transportation Reauthorization: Being Responsible Means Not Raising Gas Tax
Responsible funding for transportation may no longer be the conventional "pay-as-you-go" user fee system whereby drivers pay for projects through gas taxes. House Transportation Chair Mica wants to fund the bill responsibly, but rules out new taxes.
Owning up to NYC's Subway Map Mistakes
Matt Flegenheimer reports on how newly found errors in New York's vaunted subway map have reignited a battle over who deserves credit for its design, and who should own up to its mistakes.
Should Public Art Be Censored?
As public art proliferates as a strategy to engage disaffected youth and enliven neighborhoods, Philip Langdon argues that an additional standard must be considered when evaluating such projects -- their content.
An Argument for Housing Choice
Trying to thread the needle between those who celebrate the demise of the exurb and those who bemoan smart growth policies, Edward Glaeser argues that we can, and should, have it all when it comes to housing choice in America.
Farmers Markets Become Key Weapon in Combating Food Deserts
Rachel Cernansky reports on the federal government's recently announced plan to expand access to healthy foods by increasing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) acceptance at America's farmers markets.
In the Wake of Foreclosures, Nationwide Rents Hit All-Time High
Struggling families and young professionals are competing for a dwindling supply of ever more pricey rentals, Alejandro Lazo reports.
America's Greenest Colleges
The sustainability of an institution is becoming an increasingly important factor in decisions of where to attend college. As a result, Princeton Review has teamed up with the USGBC to produce a green guide to 320 U.S. colleges, writes Ben Schiller.
Manufacturing Makes a Comeback
A new report from the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program documents the rise in manufacturing employment during the recovery. Motoko Rich parses the findings, their geographical implications, and whether a long-term turnaround is in the cards.
Is Vienna the Quintessential Smart City?
Adie Tomer looks at how Vienna contributes to Europe's smart city movement through innovations in sustainability, place-making, and data utilization.
Lessons Learned from Parking Pioneers
Jeremy Nelson and Jason Schrieber identify six communities that are paving the way in utilizing smart parking management to simultaneously solve their parking problems while reinvigorating their neighborhoods and downtowns.
Between Recess and Lunch, a Lesson in Landscape Architecture
Lisa Foderaro explores a program underway in select New York City schools to guide children through the eco-friendly redesign of their own playgrounds.
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Urban Design Graduate Study for Planners
Each year a lot of students ask me "how can I get a degree in urban design?". This is a very big question but in this blog I outline some key questions that those interested in urban design in planning need to consider.
Bike + GPS = Digital Doodling Over the Streets of Baltimore
A Baltimore schoolteacher uses his phone and his bicycle to construct whimsical sketches on digital maps of the city, Nate Berg reports.
Ranking the Most Economically Powerful Cities in the World
Kicking off <em>The Atlantic</em>'s special report on the past and future of the world's global capitals, Richard Florida has ranked the world's most economically powerful cities.
The Real Story Behind NYC's Bike Share Coup
Neighborhoods skipped, sponsorship indifference, the entire program imperiled? Read what Andrea Bernstein has to report about the items left out of Monday's splashy announcement.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
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.
