The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Why NASA's Spectacular Image of the Earth is So Disturbing

NASA's amazing high definition update of its infamous "Blue Marble" photograph of Earth is disturbing not for what can be seen, but for what cannot.

February 10 - Mother Jones

The Secrets Behind the High Line

In a lengthy interview with ASLA's blog, <em>The Dirt</em>, Robert Hammond, Co-Founder of the High Line, details the birth, life, and lessons of the phenomenally successful park.

February 10 - THE DIRT

One of Britain's Most Important Architectural Treasures Gets Rescued

Robin Stummer reports on the fate of Britain's greatest surviving historic wooden building, a huge medieval barn that had suffered from years of neglect.

February 10 - The Independent

Green Sponge Will Clean Contaminants Entering NYC Waterway

Matt Sledge profiles the work of a landscape architect who has designed an attractive and innovative system for keeping contaminants out of one of New York's most polluted waterways.

February 10 - Huffington Post

NYT Editorial Blasts House Transportation Bill

Calling it "uniquely terrible", the Times questions whether it will even survive a full floor vote in the House. The editorial lists three major problems with the bill, but notes there are many more.

February 10 - The New York Times - The Opinion Pages


The Staying Power of Green Jobs

Sarah Laskow reports on new findings that show California’s green economy fared much better in the economic downturn than the economy as a whole, demonstrating the overall staying power of green jobs.

February 10 - Good

Silicon Valley Primed for Facebook Real Estate Boom

Silicon Valley real estate agents and residents are primed for the potential rush of "newly minted Facebook millionaires," now that the company is on its way to becoming publicly traded.

February 9 - The New York Times


Data Sharing Seen as Crucial to the Future of Public Transit

When civic leaders from around the world gathered for Vancouver's 2012 Cities Summit last week, urban transport was on everyone's lips, and information sharing was seen as the key to unlocking future successes.

February 9 - Vancouver Observer

Toronto City Council Defeats Mayor, Resurrects Transit City

In a stunning blow to Mayor Rob Ford -- who, on his first day in office in 2010 scrubbed the "Transit City" plan in favor of an ill-thought out and unfunded subway scheme -- the Toronto City Council has quashed his plans and resurrected the old one.

February 9 - Globe and Mail

Getting Bullish on Housing

Peter Coy and Prashant Gopal report on recent developments in the housing market that may signal a solution to the four-year-old crisis.

February 9 - Bloomberg/Business Week

How to Survive An Earthquake in the Bay Area

When the Big One strikes the Bay Area you'll want to be on the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge, set to open next year. Its flexibility will allow it to ride the earthquake.

February 9 - The New York Times

Paris Authorizes Cyclists To Run Red Lights

In most cases, traffic signals are used to stop vehicles succumbing to Newton's law of motion, but a new decree in Paris will change that. Eighteen intersections are now subject to newly relaxed rules that allow cyclists to continue at red lights.

February 9 - The Telegraph

After the Death of Redevelopment, Utilizing the Tools at Hand

In an editorial for <em>The Sacramento Bee</em>, William Fulton outlines the multitude of resources and strategies currently available to assist Californian cities in proceeding with redevelopment.

February 9 - The Sacramento Bee

Will a Liberated Workforce Still Need Cities?

Kaid Benfield investigates the rise of a more independent and nimble workforce, and ponders what the new economy means for the shape of cities as we enter an urban epoch

February 9 - Switchboard

Tactical Urbanism Lands in Raleigh

Emily Badger reports on surreptitious wayfinding signage that has been appearing mysteriously under the cover of darkness in Raleigh.

February 9 - The Atlantic Cities

A New (Old) Vision For Penn Station

Michael Kimmelman, newish architecture critic for <em>The New York Times</em>, adds his two cents to the decades old discussion of how to improve Penn Station. His solution starts with moving Madison Square Garden.

February 9 - The New York Times

New DC Zoning Code Goes Back to the Future

David Alpert provides a thorough analysis of the first third of Washington D.C.'s proposed new zoning code, and finds a return to kind of development patterns that formed the neighborhoods residents treasure today.

February 8 - Greater Greater Washington

Using the Wrong Metrics for Creating Great Streets

Gary Toth considers the damage to the quality of our streets and urban environments caused by the use of travel projection models and Levels of Service (LOS) as performance metrics.

February 8 - Project For Public Spaces

BLOG POST

Information Sources in Planning: Principles

<div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> &quot;What is an ideology without a space to which it refers, a space which it describes, whose vocabulary and kinks it makes use of, and whose code it embodies?&quot;  </div> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> <span>            </span>- Henri Lefebvre, <a href="http://books.google.ca/books/about/The_production_of_space.html?id=SIXcnIoa4MwC&amp;redir_esc=y"><em>The Production of Space</em></a> p. 44. </p>

February 8 - Michael Dudley

Effort to Make NYC Streets Safer Paying Dividends

Jane E. Brody reports on the safety features New York City has instituted as part of an ambitious effort to completely re-engineer city streets.

February 8 - The New York Times

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Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

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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.