The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Launched this week, Houston's first bike share program is seen as a significant step in helping to dispel "Houston's national reputation as an uncongenial, sprawling metropolis," reports Allan Turner.

May 4 - The Houston Chronicle

With only about half of those graduating from accredited architectural programs predicted to go on to become licensed architects, Sam Lubell looks at some of the other ways graduates are applying their skills.

May 4 - The Architect's Newspaper

The Wall Street Journal printed a response to the Wendall Cox opinion, “California Declares War on Suburbia” by none other than the author of the bill (SB 375) that Cox holds responsible for the war, Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg.

May 4 - The Wall Street Journal - Letters

Robin Pogrebin sheds light on a thorny conflict between a high-rise condo in Dallas, Texas and the museum it named itself after.

May 4 - The New York Times

Steven Erie, a professor of political science and the Director of the Urban Studies Program at UC San Diego, discusses how the San Diego County Water Authority's finger-pointing obfuscates the region's discourse on what is really driving water rates.

May 4 - The Planning Report

Alexandra Lange argues why she thinks the model for crowdfunding made popular by the Kickstarter website "is not a suitable funding platform for a city."

May 4 - Observatory

Naresh Fernandes chronicles a recent upsurge in events providing opportunities for Mumbai's residents, and fascinated guests, to discuss the city's myriad challenges, and possible solutions. But can all the talk result in real action?

May 4 - The New York Times

Nate Berg muses over the shifting boundary between public and private, as technology follows us from the Internet into the physical world.

May 4 - The Atlantic Cities

Matt Bevilacqua looks at the ways in which communities across America are attempting to shrink the "play deficit" afflicting the country's children.

May 4 - Next American City

Mayor Sam Adams pens an opinion piece for <em>Grist</em> in which he considers why Portland is not as well planned as it could be, and how a different approach to planning is necessary for American cities to address their most pressing challenges.

May 3 - Grist

Christine McLaren considers the history of urban housing in Berlin, and reveals a long-defunct program designed to address a problem faced by countless communities today.

May 3 - BMW Guggenheim Lab

Included in the 2005 federal transportation bill was $100 million for four regions to invest in bike and pedestrian infrastructure to determine, essentially, if they build it, will they bike and ride more and drive less. The final results are in.

May 3 - Fast Lane (DOT blog)

Sarah Goodyear explores the need to market non-automotive transportation on its emotional appeal, rather than reason, as argued by Darrin Nordahl in his new e-book, <em>Making Transit Fun!</em>

May 3 - The Atlantic Cities

William Brangham takes a look at Norfolk, Virginia, where rising sea levels have made major floods increasingly commonplace – and increasingly burdensome for taxpayers.

May 3 - Grist

Stephanie M. Lee reports on the complicated nature of creating an urban garden in San Francisco, and how the area's Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) hopes to streamline the process.

May 3 - SF Gate

Noah Kazis describes the explosive success of transit systems in London, Stockholm, and Singapore, and suggests that charging motorists for road use is the secret ingredient that keeps ridership high and public support strong.

May 3 - Streetsblog

Reflecting trends likely to effect many cities in the coming years and decades, Magdalena Wegrzyn reports on the growing need for affordable housing for seniors in the City of Longmont, 30 miles outside of Denver.

May 3 - The Denver Post

The most influential planning trend of recent decades began with a small group of urbanists with varied interests who decided to pool their talents. Peter Katz, founding executive director of CNU, recounts their story and airs some dirty laundry.

May 3 - Better! Cities & Towns

Jonah Lehrer, author of a best-selling new book on how creativity works, is interviewed by the perfect figure to discuss the intersection of creativity and cities -- Richard Florida.

May 3 - The Atlantic Cities

As Americans' appreciation for street eats rises along with the trend in gourmet food trucks, Carly Fisher examines the "World's Best Cities for Street Food," in a piece for <em>Food & Wine</em>.

May 2 - Food & Wine