The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

In the new book of essays Reconsidering Jane Jacobs, Thomas J. Campanella says that noteworthy to practicing planners in 2011 is the final essay by Thomas J. Campanella wonders if urban planning is at risk of becoming trivial.

June 15 - South Bend Examiner

A grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has Louisville thinking differently. "...it's not just about smart growth, it’s not just about transportation, it's not just about parks or better nutrition, it’s about all of those things and more."

June 14 - The New York Times

Despite having the world's most energy efficient, least polluting auto fleet, greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector continue to rise in Sweden.

June 14 - Common Dreams

The Arlington, VA County Board is voting in July on naming 23 properties as 'essential' to preserve. Among those chosen are two strip malls.

June 14 - The Green Miles

Travertine City would house 35,000 residents on the shores of the Salton Sea, California's largest - and most unpleasant - body of water. Developers claim that it will be a model of sustainability. "

June 14 - California Planning & Development Report

Top-down and bottom-up planning are brushed aside in favor of the concept of a middle ground approach in the new book "Fast-Forward Urbanism: Rethinking Architecture's Engagement with the City". It could work, according to this review.

June 14 - The Architect's Newspaper

At a recent conference on world cities, attendees from all over the world shared the impression that their cities do not receive enough respect from their national governments.

June 14 - Grist

In this post on <em>The Infrastructurist</em>, Peter Kageyama looks at a recent listing of 10 "dying" cities, and how the metrics used to rate these places can be and have been misinterpreted.

June 14 - Infrastructurist

As London prepares to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, plans for a temporary basketball stadium that can be removed after the event are offering a new way to look at the event and its potential for creating venues with no long-term usability.

June 14 - Guardian

One of the most park-poor major cities in the U.S., Los Angeles is in the midst of a slight park renaissance, with a few new major projects in the works. A new exhibition looks at the state of new parks design in L.A.

June 14 - Los Angeles Times

This piece from <em>Domus</em> goes on a tour of Athens with local architect Andreas Angelidakis, who reflects on the city's lasting and negative impacts from hosting the Olympics.

June 14 - domus

As city budgets get slashed, repairing and maintaining transit systems can fall down the list of necessary expenditures. The FTA this morning announced assistance programs for "good repair."

June 13 - Streetsblog

Last week, the El Paso City Council approved a new city ordinance that broadens restrictions on landscaping in new developments. Opponents say the restrictions will discourage growth.

June 13 - Tim Halbur

New York City cyclist Casey Neistat got ticketed $50 by the NYC police for riding outside the bike lane - which may in fact not be illegal, but tell the officer and judge that.

June 13 - YouTube

Chuck Wolfe focuses on the role of the urban corner, terming it "the central place of urban life".

June 13 - The Huffington Post

Real estate advisor Melina Duggal suggests that while studies show that today Millennials are seeking urban digs, that preference could change as they grow older and suburbs get more walkable.

June 13 - The New York Times

Michael J. Lewis reviews a new biography of Frederick Law Olmsted, which he says reveals new facts about the man who coined the term "landscape architect."

June 13 - The Wall St. Journal

Manhattan's High Line is a new model for reclaiming underused spaces and turning them into successful public spaces. Phase 2 of the ambitious park opened yesterday to much fanfare.

June 13 - ASLA's The Dirt blog

Anthony Townsend comments on a recent study that is wary of wireless access in public spaces. He says the study has an outdated understanding of how people use spaces today.

June 13 - Urban Omnibus

New urbanist Andres Duany has been speaking out against the "landscape urbanism" movement for months, particularly against Harvard's Charles Waldheim for embracing it. At CNU19, Duany invited Waldheim to have his say and respond.

June 13 - New Urban Network