The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Although they played a part in the ensuing financial panic, noted economist Mark Zandi argues why Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac don't deserve to be blamed for the housing bubble.

February 1 - The Washington Post

Sustainability is not enough. Because so much damage has already been inflicted upon the world's ecosystems, Anna Leidreiter argues for the need for regenerative cities that positively enhance 'ecosystem services.'

February 1 - The Global Urbanist

As the strip malls ubiquitous across the suburbs of the United States and Canada lose favor and become increasingly derelict, planners and developers debate whether there is anything about the 'retail relics' worth salvaging.

February 1 - France 24

Emily Badger explores the art of environmental graphic design, or wayfinding, and what it takes to strike the right balance between intuitive navigation and individual discovery.

February 1 - The Atlantic Cities

Writing for the Well blog, Jane Brody traces the direct link between 20th century development patterns and the leading causes of disease and death. Put simply, public health is the biggest challenge facing planners today.

February 1 - The New York Times

In an opinion piece, noted economist Jeffrey Sachs explores what it will take to achieve the 'triple bottom line' of sustainable development, which the UN puts at the top of the global agenda.

February 1 - Project Syndicate

In New York and Washington, Rod Stevens reports on two very different examples of the importance of programming, or "software", to placemaking.

February 1 - Urbanophile

Blair Kamin reports on proposals from five teams of celebrated designers vying to re-imagine Navy Pier. They reflect big ideas, and big budgets.

February 1 - Chicago Tribune

Ken Bernstein, Principal Planner for the City of L.A., explores how the expansion of transit in Los Angeles is changing how the department approaches its plans and the planning process.

February 1 - The Planning Report

The city’s MillionTrees program fights asthma and global warming. But tightening maintenance budgets, increasingly severe weather and decades-old planting decisions complicate trees’ contribution.

February 1 - City Limits

Writing in the Economix blog for the <em>New York Times</em>, Nancy Folbre investigates the economic impact of traffic and revives the idea of congestion pricing for Manhattan.

January 31 - The New York Times

Christine Grant was fortunate enough to win a fellowship that allowed her to spend six months in the world's most bike-friendly cities. In this article she shares with us the 10 essential lessons she learned along the way.

January 31 - Grist

A lawsuit based on the Americans With Disabilities Act may leave Los Angeles responsible for over a billion dollars' worth of crumbling sidewalks.

January 31 - Los Angeles Times

The Miami City Commission will give a nonprofit group the green light to rehabilitate Miami Marine Stadium, an abandoned Modernist landmark that was identified as one of the country's most endangered places in 2009, reports David Sokol.

January 31 - Architectural Record

Jim Rendon has some inventive suggestions for those priced out of the most beloved and exclusive neighborhoods in New York.

January 31 - The New York Times

A new bridge completed this month is a key element in a $1.5 billion "superhighway" intended to bring economic development and the rule of law to a place now dominated by some of the country’s biggest illegal drug growers and gangsters.

January 31 - The Washington Post

Did it seem odd when Stanford University withdrew from a competition to build a new $2 billion Applied Sciences and Engineering campus in New York City just as officials were about to decide the winner, and Stanford was the perceived front-runner?

January 31 - The Stanford Daily

Sam Roberts reports on a new study of census results that found the nation’s cities are more racially integrated than at any time since 1910.

January 31 - The New York Times

Even in New York City, it's a pain to try to "green" a building with insulation, overhangs, and other methods that violate zoning. Katharine Jose reports on the Zone Green Text Amendment, which addresses such impediments, and the team behind it.

January 31 - Capital New York

A new report by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy titled "Active Transportation Beyond Urban Centers,” debunks the myth that "nobody walks" in rural America.

January 31 - Streetsblog D.C.