The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Stadium Seats Recycled Into Bus Stops
An "independent urbanist" group in Indianapolis spearheaded an idea to take seats from the closing Bush Stadium minor league ballpark to be used as much-needed bus stop furniture.
Congressional Transportation Committee Debates CA High Speed Rail
The stage moved to D.C. from Sacramento for the latest debate on the pros and cons of California's embattled HSR plan. The more vocal detractors from the Central Valley and Peninsula testified before the few members of the committee who attended.
Washington Navy Yard Projects Getting Dusted Off
Developers who held out through the recession are finally getting back to moving their projects for the Washington, DC Navy Yard. Jonathan O'Connell reports.
U.S. Now Exports More Petroleum Products Than It Imports
Petroleum products are defined as refinery products, such as fuel. The U.S. passed a threshold in November. The EIA recorded 689.4 million barrels of oil refinery products imported and 753.4 million barrels exported in the first 9 months of 2011.
Detroit Scraps Train Plans
The city and federal DOT have decided against a $600 million plan that would introduce light rail and, subsequently, more residents to the city. Instead, money will go to improving a notoriously unreliable bus system.
Robot Roadbuilders of the Future
In 1958, it seemed all but inevitable that giant tree-chomping, asphalt-pouring machines would roam across the countryside leaving gleaming interstate highways in their wake.
Potholes as Parks?
Writing in Grist, Chuck Wolfe provides a counterintuitive look at what to do about potholes and how they could become "the universal darlings of walkable urbanism".
Chicago's Bikes and Rail Infrastructure Get Federal Boost
About $20 million in all, the grants will go to improvements to the CTA and the city's first bikeshare program. This is just one of 46 projects nationwide getting funding this round from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Skyscraper District Faces Real Estate Board Opposition
The plan to historically designate downtown Brooklyn's skyscrapers, which has been approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, is facing backlash from the city's Real Estate Board.
Friday Funny: Pedestrian Haiku
NPR reports on NYC's new set of hilarious Haiku traffic street signs, that are meant to make drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians more aware when sharing the street.
Diagnosing Sprawl...in 1959
A prophetic film from 1959 offers a diagnosis of the causes and emerging challenges associated with what came to be known as urban sprawl.
New Philadelphia Zoning Code Passes Unanimously
By a vote of 17-0, Philadelphia City Council passed into law the final report of the Zoning Code Commission Thursday morning during its final session of the year. The new code was four years in the making.
China's Abandoned "Wonderland"
Once billed as China's answer to Disneyland, the now-rusting ruins of Wonderland attest to the unsustainability of China's development industry.
Land Conservation Increasing in Spite of Recession
Land trust have been able to increase their holds during the last five years. Lower land prices and conservation easements on working ranches and farms have enabled greater conservation efforts.
Lawyers Call for Zoning Changes in NYC
The NYC Bar Association Committee advocates making amendments to the city's the current Zoning Resolution to make the city more sustainable.
IKEA to Build A Neighborhood
International company IKEA, known for their low-cost design furniture, will develop a 26-acre complete London neighborhood.
Good News/Bad News For GM's Volt
October saw the first time the plug-in hybrid Volt outsell the all-electric Leaf; Consumer Reports rates Volt owners the most satisfied, but the car's potential to catch on fire is being investigated, and the $7,500 EV tax credit is under attack.
Congress Mulling Extending Transit Pretax Benefits
The benefits, which allow for up to $230 a month of pretax income to be set aside for transit commuting, may dip to just $125 a month if Congress does not decide on an extension by the end of the month.
Federal HOME Program Suffers From Lack of Oversight
West Palm Beach is demanding millions of dollars of one organization to correct greedy actions under HUD's HOME program. Kimberly Miller reports on how this is just the latest incident in an "easy to game" federal program.
What Happens To All That Trash?
In New York, according to Urban Omnibus, "Each week, approximately 64,000 tons of household and institutional waste are collected. ... But public awareness of what happens to that trash once it leaves the curb is limited."
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