The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Is Hollywood Ready for a Makeover?

A new Community Plan for Hollywood is making its way through the Los Angeles City Council, to the delight of the Mayor and the Planning Commission, and to the consternation of some community groups.

December 20 - LA Times

Twin Cities See Remarkable Increase in Biking and Walking

Minneapolis and St. Paul are elevating their already high levels of biking and walking. Biking is up 22 percent over 2010 (when it was named America's #1 bike city) according to figures released last Friday.

December 20 - Shareable

Brownfields to Green Golf Courses in Michigan

A former industrial corridor in Benton Harbor, Michigan is being transformed into a resort community complete with golf course.

December 20 - The New York Times

Not An Inexpensive Bike Lane

Adding a pedestrian/bike lane to the 'west span' of the Bay Bridge won't come on the cheap: $550 million is the current estimate. The east span lane, from Yerba Buena Island to Oakland, will be included in the new bridge due to open in late 2013.

December 20 - Contra Costa Times

14 Unusual "Pop-Up Shops"

The temporary shop, formerly the type of thing one would only see at the holidays - think fireworks, or Christmas trees - is now hot.

December 20 - Top Pop-Up Shops


The Largest Urban Park In America Coming To Chicago

A new park in Chicago aims to turn 140,000 acres of under-used and post industrial land along the Second City's southern rim into the country's largest urban park. Governor Pat Quinn hopes to add private funding to the $17m allotted by the state.

December 20 - The Atlantic

Kuala Lumpur's Sprawl Creating A Mini Los Angeles

In a recent report about Malaysia, the World Bank has said that the capital's urban sprawl is transforming it into a "mini Los Angeles" rather than a densely populated Asian City.

December 20 - The Wall Street Journal


Cornell Is Chosen For Roosevelt Island Science School

Only three days after Stanford pulled out of the bidding, rival Cornell is to be announced as the university chosen to create a new science graduate school on Roosevelt Island.

December 20 - New York Times

Environmental Devastation From Russia's Oil Drilling Considered Routine

It's on the scale of a Deepwater Horizon spill every 2 months - except that it's considered the cost of doing business. Aging pipes, lax oversight and inclement weather all combine to make an estimated 5 million tons of annual spillage.

December 20 - AP via Yahoo Finance

Security Perimeter Design Gets A Facelift

For almost a decade, security features have been added to the perimeters of important public buildings without regard for aesthetics, and now are being 'beautified,' across the nation.

December 19 - The Atlantic

Super-Healthy City Gets First McDonalds

Loma Linda, California has an average lifespan higher than most cities, and a significant population of vegetarians. Last week, the city council approved the first McDonald's in town. Will it have an impact on the community's health?

December 19 - The Los Angeles Times

The Metabolism of the Urban Web

Regular Planetizen contributors Nikos Salingaros and Michael Mehaffy get deep into the importance of network connectivity in cities and the reasons why sprawl is incredibly ineffective.

December 19 - Metropolis

Escaping the Data and Going With Your Gut

Jeff Wood, no stranger to transportation modeling and data-crunching, suggests its time to open up transit planning to gut-level reactions.

December 19 - The Overhead Wire

Life in the Slow Lane

After decades of building for speed, cities are rediscovering the virtues of slow: walking, biking and streetcars are taking over from freeways.

December 19 - Salon.com

The Tea Party vs. Urban Planning

Anthony Flint reports on a number of planning initiatives stopped in their tracks by protesting Tea Party members, who are strongly opposed to "smart growth communism."

December 19 - The Atlantic Cities

Parking Garage to be Topped with Urban Farm

The City of Vancouver is building a 6,000 sq. ft. greenhouse atop a downtown parking garage as part of its goal to become the greenest city in the world by 2020.

December 19 - The Vancouver Sun

Cleveland's Growing Problem with Abandoned Homes

60 Minutes reports on Cleveland, Ohio's growing problem of abandoned homes, where 1/5th of all houses are now vacant.

December 19 - CBS News

Cities Unprepared to Help Those in Need

A new report says that U.S. cities are lacking in preparation (and in funds) for providing food and shelter for those in need.

December 19 - Governing Magazine

Businesses Drive Regionalism

Ian Scott attends a symposium sponsored by The Citistates Group on the topic of regionalism and comes away with a greater understanding of having an effect at the regional level.

December 19 - Citiwire.net

BLOG POST

Planning to Get an Internship

<span style="font-size: small; font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> </span> <p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">It’s winter break for many northern hemisphere planning students so time to start planning for next summer’s internship. I have previously blogged about &quot;making the most of an internship&quot;: <a href="/node/51287" target="_blank">http://www.planetizen.com/node/51287</a>. Here I briefly talk about the practicalities of getting one.</span></span> </p>

December 18 - Ann Forsyth

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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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