The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
More In My Back Yard
MIMBYs? Seattle plans to build a one-story light-rail station in the Roosevelt neighborhood's commercial district, but locals are fighting for greater density and reducing zoning restrictions on the site.
VMT Has Peaked In Cities, Says New Report
An Australian study indicates that in large cities in Europe, North America and Australia, driving has 'peaked' largely due to congestion causing a limit to commuter's travel, known as the Marchetti wall.
More Garden Cities? Richard Rogers Says No
The Town & Country Planning Association of Britain recently released a report calling for more "garden cities" a la Ebenezer Howard. Famed British architect Richard Rogers thinks that's crazy.
Fusion Businesses as Indicators of Urban Change
Chuck Wolfe explains how the fusion of laundromats and dining are evidence of the evolving city and the ongoing need for regulatory reform.
Beautiful Wastelands
The wastelands of the modern world can have an almost post-apocalyptic feel. But they can also be beautiful.
Can a 'Case Management' Office Save the Development Process in Los Angeles?
Despite 40 percent fewer employees, the department recently announced a reform plan to expedite the development approval process by bringing the city's Planning Department and the Department of Building and Safety under one roof.
Most Successful Bus Rapid Transit Stalls Out
Bogota, Columbia's TransMilenio bus rapid transit system has been widely praised and imitated around the world. However, many consider the successful bus system to be suffering from its own success.
Hunters Point Project Moves Ahead in San Francisco
The redevelopment of former Navy land at Hunters Point in San Francisco appears to be moving ahead after a judge overruled environmental objections that could have stalled development of the new residential neighborhood.
Urban Parks for Healthy Cities
Urban parks have an important role to play in solving the health and fitness crisis, but too many acres of parkland are not helping people become healthier. How can park systems be designed to be better-used and live up to their potential?
China's Urban Development Closing in on its Military Bases
New development is spreading uncontrolled throughout much of China, and it's closing around many of the country's military bases.
Worst-Dressed U.S. Cities
Sprawl is so last season. GQ ranks the "most sartorially-challenged metropolises in the greater United States" based solely on the five-letter S-word rarely mentioned in planning: Style.
Friday Funny: A New Direction for Transportation Policy?
James Sinclair points out that the cover of the Republicans' newly announced transportation reauthorization proposal, picturing an empty freeway overpass, makes the title - "A New Direction" - pretty ironic.
Land Art's Expired Lease Raises Questions
A recent bid to lease the land that houses Spiral Jetty, the iconic piece of landscape art by Robert Smithson, has raised questions about whether art on land can be owned and where the line between the two should lie.
MIT Develops New Fuel, Dubbed "Cambridge Crude"
A post at The Polis Blog asks the question, "how might Cambridge Crude change cities?"
San Francisco's Parklets Become Part of the City
Parking spaces in San Francisco are being repurposed as small patio-like park spaces and out door seating areas. John King of the <em>San Francisco Chronicle</em> looks at how they've become part of the city.
One Lane, One Way, $1 Billion
The weekend closure of the 405 freeway in L.A. highlights the city's limited mobility but also the skewed way transit and transportation projects are debated.
How Do US Cities Measure Up in Broadband Accessibility?
According to this piece from CivSource, US cities have fallen considerably behind other developed world cities when it comes to broadband accessibility. The influence of private sector "incumbents" is to blame, writes the author.
The Future of Los Angeles' Union Station
On Wednesday, LA Metro started the process of soliciting proposals for the redevelopment of the 42 acres of land it owns around Union Station.
McMansion No More
2010 Census offers telling evidence of America's shifting demographics. Diana Olick of CNBC contextualizes the new U.S. household data in terms of real estate development.
Richard Florida Explains "The Geography of How We Get to Work"
In a piece from <em>The Atlantic</em> Richard Florida discusses the factors that shape Americans' commuting patterns. Some of his assertions are counter to commonly accepted explanations for commuting behaviors.
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.
