The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Rem Koolhaas, in an interview in Der Speigel, talks about the "zero character" office building he works in in Rotterdam and how wonderful

December 21 - The Atlantic Cities

Thomas Balsley has designed more Privately-Owned Public Spaces (POPS) in New York than anyone. In this op-ed he expresses his support for continuing to encourage the creation of these spaces, regardless of the ownership issues.

December 21 - The New York Observer

Governor Paul Lepage of Maine has banned the use of LEED certification in state buildings. Lloyd Alter at Treehugger says it's all about the timber industry.

December 21 - Treehugger

In an article primarily featuring a couple who designed and built a 560 sq ft home, a developer says that homebuyers say they want smaller homes but still want big bedrooms.

December 21 - The Houston Chronicle

As utilities and energy companies move towards distributed power, building owners, businesses, and developers are seeing the possibilities.

December 21 - The Planning Report

As a part of its series on the changing face of the suburbs, CNN considers the transformation of the suburban prototype, Levittown.

December 21 - CNN

After the Big Dig, the most expensive highway projects are subject to more rules, but use of funds is largely up to the states, who may come back for more money pending planning and design issues that arise.

December 21 - USA Today

Delhi was being celebrated as a capital for the first time, under British rule, a hundred years ago. This short piece from the Economist compares today's Delhi with the images of fanfare in December 1911.

December 21 - The Economist

Leon Neyfakh of The Boston Globe examines the unexpectedly cohesive political roots of the controversial civic symbol.

December 20 - The Boston Globe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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