The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

In Washington, D.C., a huge parking lot that parallels the southwest waterfront is slowly being transformed into a 4.2-acre park. Developers and architects are "turning community input into actual park concepts and designs," said to The Dirt.

November 2 - THE DIRT

A long-standing Congressional ban on U.S. funding for any U.N. agency that recognizes Palestine will mean a $60 million hole in UNESCO's budget in the wake of its decision to admit the nascent state.

November 2 - Green Prophet

BLOG POST

<p> In August, I moved into a high density apartment complex just 1.5 miles from my office and a five minute walk to a bus stop. One of the central advantages of the building&#39;s location was its access to alternative transportation modes. While I could park my car for &quot;free&quot; (the real cost is built into the lease), I was interested in keeping it parked as much as possible. Now, after nearly three months of experimentation, I&#39;m ready to give up the bus, and the reasons are central to understanding the future of transit in the US. </p>

November 2 - Samuel Staley

According to preliminary reports on the new business plan, the California High Speed Rail Authority's new estimate for the 800-mile system will be $98.5 billion - initially pegged at $43 billion, and will take an additional 13 years to build.

November 2 - Los Angeles Times

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai has one of the world's largest condensate recovery systems that diverts and reuses water from air conditioning. One World Trade Center in New York will use 30% less water and 20% less energy.

November 2 - The Infrastructurist

Seattle's East Link light rail extension project is said to be completed in 2023 and will attract about 50,000 riders a day, says Yonah Freemark. In addition, the city council wants a section of the line to be tunneled under Downtown Bellevue.

November 2 - the transport politic

The Mayor has proposed a $1.5 billion plan to build a football stadium, named Farmers Field in L.A.'s downtown with the goal of boosting the region's overall economy.

November 2 - newgeography

Environmental criminology may not be the most well-known field, but in this profile of Nikki Filipuzzi and her work throughout Calgary, Tamara Gignac shows how even the right amounts of shrubbery and light can make the city safer.

November 2 - The Vancouver Sun

On Tuesday, the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced that the cost of the project has tripled to nearly $99 billion, and federal funds for it don't exist yet--prompting some legislators' support to fizzle.

November 2 - San Jose Mercury News

BLOG POST

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November 1 - Barbara Knecht

Union Station in Washington, D.C. has "about 29 million people" pass through the station each year. An 18-month reconstruction project is in the works to improve walkability and safety for the massive number of visitors.

November 1 - City Parks Blog

How grassroots entrepreneurs and inspired religious leaders are working to erase urban blight in Detroit.

November 1 - Urban Faith

A ferry service across New York's East River that launched in June is worried about losing ridership as soon as winter begins. Summer usage was twice as many as planners had expected.

November 1 - The New York Times

As the world population reaches 7 billion some U.S. builders are working on smaller, compact homes.

November 1 - NPR Morning Edition

After 34 years on the California Coastal Commission, Peter Douglas is ceding his post due to poor health. The San Jose Mercury News looks back at his long career at the powerful public agency.

November 1 - San Jose Mercury News

A technology company in Maryland has developed a speed bump that captures the kinetic energy of the cars driving over it and sends it back into the grid.

November 1 - SmartPlanet

With little taxpayer investment, a dynamic Moshe Safdie-designed Center for the Performing Arts has arisen in Kansas City. Hampton Stevens says that the companies are betting on the power of the arts to attract investment and attention.

November 1 - The Atlantic Cities

The Prince of Wales, as covered here and elsewhere, has gotten a reputation for using his position to meddle in architecture and planning decisions in the U.K. The report now is he extends that power far deeper into U.K. politics.

November 1 - The Guardian U.K.

Columnist Ken Garcia writes that San Francisco's neighborhood-driven political system has been a more powerful force in shaping the city's skyline than the planning department has.

November 1 - The San Francisco Examiner

Nov. 1 is a decisive date for the CA HSR Authority. The long-awaited and once delayed business plan will provide the basis for the legislature to continue funding the $45 billion project or put a halt to it, thus returning massive federal grants.

November 1 - Mercury News