The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Companies Use CEQA as a Weapon
When a student housing firm faced competition in the form of a proposed new building at USC, it filed a lawsuit against them using CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act). Then they sued the developer's other projects too.
Freeway Runs Directly Through Office Tower
WebUrbanist tells the curious story of the Gate Tower Building in Osaka, Japan. Property rights battles between the owners and transportation planners resulted in a high-rise tower with a freeway running through the 5th floor.
Railroad Companies Repairing Infrastructure On Their Own
Transit agencies and railroad companies realize the importance of infrastructure, as their train cars roll over bridges and through tunnels every day. This article looks at advances in bridge construction begin driven by these private industries.
Return of the "Flophouse"
Neal Peirce says its time to bring back the "rooming house" and other alternative housing options as an alternative to the single-family home.
Could a Brain-Reading Bike Be the Wave of the Future?
Bicycle builders Parlee Bikes have constructed a bicycle that can be steered by your thoughts, received through a sensor-covered helmet.
Gas Prices On The Rise Despite Reduced Gas Consumption
Americans are driving less and more efficiently, resulting in reduced gas consumption - yet prices are rising. What gives? For a nation that relies on oil imports despite surging drilling, the answer is unusual.
People Report Walking or Riding Transit More Than They Actually Do
Alan Pisarski says despite reports of growth in walking, biking, carpooling and transit, very little has changed in the U.S., and people will always over-report their good intentions.
Setback for HSR in San Jose to San Francisco Environmental Analysis
Three neighboring Peninsula cities scored a major victory in court by forcing the CA High Speed Rail Authority to reopen and revise the environmental document for the San Jose to San Francisco segment that they had hoped was finally completed.
One of Bucky Fuller's Most Realized Domes, Revitalized
25 miles east of Cleveland you'll find a futuristic-looking office building featuring a gigantic geodesic dome. Metropolis Magazine looks at the building's history and the preservation efforts that recently restored it.
Boston Area Cities Receive Smart Growth Funding
Each of the cities just north of Boston will use its federal funds however it sees fit to boost smart growth principles and local economic development.
In Beach Towns, Parking Bans are DIY
It's notoriously difficult to park in Southern California beach cities, but as Tony Barboza reports, not all "no parking" signs are legitimate.
A Unique Historic Renovation in Chicago
In 1958, 618 S. Michigan Ave. was stripped of its former glory in a modernist makeover. Today, building owners are planning to clad the front with glass and project a ghost-like image of the original facade on it.
The Tiniest Apartments in the U.S.
$1,000 a month in rent in New York City is a steal - but this apartment is only 100 sq. ft. Curbed rounds up a number of unbelievably tiny rentals in hot markets from Chicago to Reading, Ohio.
Gov Reafirms Faith In Controversial CA High Speed Rail Project
The cost of CA's high speed rail system has doubled, but Gov. Brown has shown his faith in the authority in charge of the 800-mile system by asking the legislature, many of whom oppose HSR, to release bond funds the voters approved three years ago.
"Rare Show of Bipartisanship" Behind Highway Overhaul Legislation
The two-year transportation Senate bill would mean improved infrastructure, jobs, and state-level flexibility. And as far as both parties are concerned, it's a winner.
Tysons Corner Comprehensive Plan Stymies Project
Citing the city's need for private dollars to contribute to $810 million in road improvements, developers of one residential development has indefinitely shelved its plans.
Breaking News: Judge Puts Kibosh on California HSR Route
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny ruled against the CA High-Speed Rail Authority in a lawsuit brought on by the cities of Palo Alto, Menlo Park to stop the train running through their communities.
A New Paradigm for Affordable Housing
Via Verde is a unique 222-unit building built in Queens as an experiment in healthy, sustainable and affordable living for low- and moderate-income residents. Txchnologist takes a tour.
Michael Sorkin Pulls No Punches in New Book of Criticism
Norman Weinstein reviews Sorkin's new book <em>All Over the Map</em>. Sorkin, he says, is at his best when exposing the injustices of architecture.
What a Transportation Engineer Calls "Walkable"
A transportation engineer sent Charles Marohn a video to prove how walkable his "diverging diamond" overpass design is. Marohn overdubbed his not-so-flattering reply.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
