The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
BLOG POST
Bringing New Value to Wastewater
<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt">Much of the inefficiency surrounding our use and misuse of water derive from entrenched habits formed during previous eras of presumed inexhaustibility of water supplies. Our wastewater treatment approach has traditionally relied on an infrastructure of centralized municipal water plants where tertiary effluent is recycled.<span> </span>These plants consume considerable energy and cost to restore all of the water they process. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt"> </span> </p>
Friday Funny: Green Cities a Hot Bed for Promiscuity
CBS News compiles in a photo slideshow of dating site OkCupid's list of the top 10 cities with the highest percentage of "casual sex seekers."
Architect's Journey to Create September 11 Memorial
Architect Michael Arad design "Reflecting Absence" was chosen from 5,200 others. After navigating constant criticism and design hurdles, "Reflecting Absence," the memorial to victims of September 11, 2001, is 16 days from it's unveiling.
TODs Spark Parking Reform
Saqib Rahim asks, "If Denver is committed to transit, how much parking should it build?"
Street Art Transforms City
Graffiti artists from around the world were invited to transform the brutalist post-war architecture of Bristol, England's Nelson Street.
The One-Billion Milestone for Cars
The total number of cars around the world exceeded the billion-unit mark in 2010, according to a study by Wards Auto. This figure has essentially doubled since 1986 when the 500-million-unit mark was crossed.
NYC Transit Extends the Life of C Trains
Due to budget constraints, the current C train (code name: R32) will continue to serve New Yorkers until 2017, making it one of the oldest subway line in the world.
BLOG POST
The Urban Legacy of Jack Layton
On Monday, August 22nd, the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, Jack Layton, succumbed to cancer and passed away, mere months after leading his left-leaning party to unprecedented electoral success as the official opposition to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives. Since then, the public expressions of loss, and the celebration of his life, have been extraordinary: impromptu memorials have sprung up in cities across Canada, <a href="http://www.toronto.ca/jack_layton/index.htm">especially in Toronto</a> where he sat as a city councilor for almost 20 years before moving to federal politics.
Bus Rapid Transit for the Masses
An ambitious BRT plan for Chicago could be a great boon for inner-city folks greatly in need of better ways to get around, says Yonah Freemark.
Getting Real About Green Building
Neil Chambers talks about his new book, Urban Green: Architecture for the Future. He says that "[w]e are basically still dealing with water, energy, and buildings the same way we were 150 years ago."
Would People Drive Less if Cities Were Built Differently?
Dr. Marlon Boarnet, a professor in UC Irvine's Dept. of Planning, Policy and Design, has based his research around that question and has some answers.
The Challenge of Creating a City from the Olympics
The success of the 2012 Olympics in London likely won't be evident until after the event, which is seeking to repurpose a down-and-out part of town into a new neighborhood.
Lending Program Could Replace National Infrastructure Bank
Obama supports Boxer's 2-year transportation reauthorization bill over Mica's 6-year bill. However, both bills greatly increase funding for the Transportation Infrastructure and Innovative Finance Act.
Squatting on the Rise in Detroit
With more than 100,000 empty homes within the city of Detroit, squatters are increasingly moving in.
Airport Redesign Brings New Park to Berlin
Plans are moving ahead to convert Berlin's Tempelhof airfield into the city's newest park.
Boosting the Local Economy Through Local Food
Cities across the country are making efforts to encourage people to buy locally and support the local economy. Food is the main target for local boosters.
FEATURE
BOOK REVIEW: For the Love of Cities
Urbanist Peter Kageyama's new book suggests that the "loveability" of a city as a factor in its success is greatly underappreciated. Mike Lydon has this review.
Is There a Capital of the World?
<em>Intelligent Life</em> magazine asks what city would be the capital of the world.
Drugs and Economic Success in El Paso
El Paso is seen as one of the more successful mid-sized cities in the U.S. But as this op-ed from <em>Domus</em> explores, the fuel behind that success is the drug trafficking that has plagued Mexico and its border with the U.S.
Bicycling Towards Recovery
Bike lanes and bike commuters are fueling a significant segment of the economy in Copenhagen. In Portland, a high amount of bike lanes could mean similar economic impacts.
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.
