The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Tech Boom is Feuling Another Bay Area Real Estate War
Unlike the prior generation of tech executives who spent their lavish earnings on wealthy neighborhoods and Silicon Valley suburbs, a new generation of dot-com profiteers are driving up housing costs in grittier parts of San Francisco.
Harvard Study: Cheap Natural Gas Decreased 2009 Climate Emissions
A new report attributes a 9% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions from the nation's power plants in 2009 to the relatively cheap price of generating electricity from natural gas versus coal.
Exclusive: Urban Planning Reaches Out to "Dummies"
<em>For Dummies</em>, the ubiquitous reference series, has recently released its first book dedicated entirely to Urban Planning. Planetizen spoke recently with author Jordan Yin about the book, its audience, and what he hopes to provide for readers.
Is China's Building Bubble About to Burst?
Peter Day visits Ordos, a largely empty new city in Inner Mongolia, and sees evidence that the great Chinese building boom, which did so much to fuel the country's astonishing economic growth, is over.
Branding Kansas City through Graphic Design
Sharon Gochenour explores the ways in which the evolution of graphic communications – from building signage to official logos – represent various aspects of Kansas City's identity.
Should Phoenix Exist?
Emma Marris reviews a new book by Andrew Ross, a cultural critic at New York University, that tries to understand how Phoenix came to be what it is, and determine whether there's any way it can be turned around.
Tracking Artists and the Next Big Neighborhood
The days of creeping gentrification are over. Contance Rosenblum reports on the New York artists who "rush about pell-mell in search of fresh terrain to colonize" and blows the cover on three of their up and coming territories.
Using Cartoons to Explain Smart Growth
Consider adding this animated video, which explains how past planning practices created sprawl and how smart growth policies can help solve multiple problems, to your family's Sunday morning cartoon rotation.
Bringing Value to Low-Cost Housing
Ron Nyren looks at 10 affordable housing developments across the world completed in the last five years that demonstrate good design and low-cost housing are not mutually exclusive.
The Segregating Effects of the Housing Bubble
Suzy Khimm reports on a new paper that demonstrates that, contrary to widely held beliefs, the country’s top metropolitan areas became <em>more</em> segregated from 1995 to 2006.
Communicating Character Through Streetcars
Mark Byrnes takes the global streetcar renaissance as an opportunity to reflect on how their design symbolizes a city's common interests and sense of itself.
Making Swimming Pools Accessible for All
Judy Woodruff reports on the Department of Justice decision requiring government and private building owners to alleviate architectural barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from taking full advantage of facilities' amenities.
Guinness Goes Green
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Kaid Benfield profiles the sustainable practices of the most Irish of emblems, Guinness Beer.
Friday Funny: Accessorizing Your City's New Hot Ride
John Metcalfe has "designed" what he thinks could be the "Ultimate Municipal Supertruck of the Future."
Spreading the Word that New Orleans is Open for Business
Ariel Schwartz reports on NOLAbound, a week-long event meant to showcase the sustainable, entrepreneurial culture that has taken hold in New Orleans as it recovers from Hurricane Katrina.
On the Public Health Risks of Urbanization
Eric Jaffe looks at the findings of a recent article in the medical journal The Lancet, which predicts massive public health challenges in China resulting from the country's urban influx of migrant workers.
A Wrap Up and Look Ahead on Transportation Reauthorization
Yonah Freemark has authored a comprehensive examination of the policy and process behind the Senate transportation bill passed on Wednesday. But will it come to anything?
Top Emerging Art Scenes Unveiled
Earlier this month, <em>Good</em> asked its readers to submit picks for cities full of emerging talent and creativity. In this piece Colleen Wormsley compiles the results.
Are Satellite Cities the Smart Alternative to Urban Sprawl or Pie in the Sky?
Kai Laursen argues for satellite cities as a promising alternative to accommodate population growth, while preserving open space and farmland, and minimizing urban sprawl.
Navy Pier Design Team Picked
From amongst an international field of distinguished competitors, a 17-memeber team led by James Corner Field Operations has been selected to revamp the Chicago landmark's public spaces, reports Blair Kamin.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
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.
