The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Does Living in a Poor Neighborhood Harm Your Health?
A study conducted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the 1990s found that living in poor neighborhoods can actually hurt your health.
How - and Where - Should We Live?
A new report predicts how - and where - we'll be living in the near future, and where planners and developers should focus.
How Much Landmarking is Too Much?
Amanda Fung reports on NYC Landmarks chair Robert Tierney's legacy, who has preserved more districts than any other in his role. Was this the only way to preserve architecture and economic value of places, as he asserts?
Guatemala's Silicon Valley
In Guatemala City, Campus Tec, a single tech firm building, shows early signs of promise for the city's "Silicon Valley dream."
Sharrow Backlash - Are They Working?
Proliferating faster than bike lanes or bike parking racks may be the chevron symbols in the pavement with bicycle icon informing cyclists and motorists alike to "share the road". But can too many sharrows be a bad thing, asks Grist's Elly Blue.
The Shrinking Middle Class
A new report from Stanford University looks at the changes in incomes and neighborhoods.
The Marginalization of Jane Jacobs and Women Planners
Roberta Brandes Gratz writes that "When we talk about strategies for city growth and economic development, women aren't often offered seats at the table." Jacobs was the exception, and represented a challenge to male-dominated planning.
As Congress Rejects Transportation Funding, Voters Embrace It
Ryan Holeywell reports that Congress and the Obama Administration are set against gas taxes, even as voters across the country are approving them to fund transportation and transit projects.
Surveillance Cameras Work, Says New Study
Planners have debated for decades that surveillance cameras don't deter crime, more "eyes on the street" do. A recent study shows that the cameras are worth their expense, in some cases.
From Rooftops to Rivers
The NRDC gives cities a report card on their stormwater management strategies. Philadelphia tops their list.
Planning for the Unplanned
Diana Limbach Lempel talks about the importance of allowing cities room to change, to experience entropy and remain elastic.
Prefab Steel for Atlantic Yards Towers
The low-cost method of construction on the residential towers of the Atlantic Yards project would be a first for any structure this tall. Sixty percent of it would be constructed off-site at a 20% cost savings.
Environmenal "Cost of Development" Felt in Western PA Township
Eliza Griswold profiles the economic, health, and environmental troubles of Amwell Township, PA, after an oil company moves in and begins fracking for natural gas.
Even the 1% Are Selling Their Mansions At Auctions
After languishing on the market for years and steadily getting price-chopped, mansions and estates are hitting the auction block. Candace Jackson explains this has always been a last-resort move, and an unusual one for the wealthy.
Zoning for Apartheid
Lisa Findley & Liz Ogbu explain how architecture and urban planning were critical to apartheid in South Africa and how Le Corbusier and Ebenezer Howard influenced the racial segregation practice.
A Map A Day
The Big Map Blog features - well, big maps.
Congressional High Speed Rail Funding To Cease
In an unusual showing of agreement by both houses, it would appear that Congress will terminate funding for HSR in a bill that authorizes funding for the transportation department next year. The House hears the bill Nov. 17; Senate the next day.
London Experiments With Shared Streets
It may seem counter-intuitive, but "shared space" advocates say cars and bikes will get in fewer accidents if barriers and traffic lane markets are removed. London's Exhibition Road will open next month using this design concept.
The 20 Dirtiest Cities in the U.S.
California has 7 of the 20 cities with the poorest air quality, according to a list complied by Forbes. Bakersfield, which has 60 days of unhealthy air a year, takes the top spot for its hot and dusty weather and proximity to oil fields.
LEED May Be Discouraging More Bike Storage Rooms
In a paradox of green building practices, a new office building can't earn points for building bike facilities unless the storage room has showers and changing rooms, making the price pricier.
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.
