The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Redesigning a Car Museum to Be Less Car-Like
The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles was built into a 1960s department store, and in the 90s the facade was fashioned to look like the grill of a vintage car. With new funds in hand, the museum wants something more "attention-grabbing".
Immigration and Economic Competitiveness
Immigrant populations can be valuable assets to communities. This post from <em>The Atlantic</em> looks at how different countries' openness to immigrants benefits their economic development.
Infrastructure Lags as Brazil Prepares to Host 2014 World Cup
Infrastructure projects are lagging in Brazil, which is causing some to worry that the country won't be ready to host the 2014 World Cup.
"You Can Call It Sprawl, Or You Can Call it Quality of Life"
That's Billy Burge of the Grand Parkway Association, referring to a plan in Houston, Texas to expand the city out into greenfields on the outskirts of the city.
A New Way to Listen to Cities
A new website offers a compelling way to understand cities through sound. It combines audio feeds from city police radios with ambient music.
Why Were Census Estimates So Different From The Census?
Why did the Census estimate Atlanta's population as 541,000 in 2009 and count only 420,000 people in 2010?
Billion Dollar Rail Proposed in Victoria
Planners in Victoria, British Columbia, are proposing a new light rail line for the city. Despite its $1 billion price tag, the transit line is expected to see wide support.
D.C. Bikeshare Considers Expansion
The bike sharing system that's been operating in Washington D.C. has seen success in its early months, and an expansion is planned.
Remaking a Suburb into as Small Business Hub
Levittown is the quintessential American suburb. A new proposal seeks to reinvent it as a hub for small businesses.
Understanding the World's Urban Transition
Two writers from different parts of the world collaborate to expound on the evolution of places and how best to understand the changes underway in the urban world.
Getting Off the Water Grid in Seattle
Buildings in Seattle, including a school, are trying to remove themselves from the urban water grid. More could soon follow.
Fighting Canadian Sprawl with TDRs
The TDR, or transfer of development rights, could be a way for Canadian cities to reduce the expansion of its sprawling cities, according to this piece.
Affordable Rentals Hard to Find
The housing stock of affordably priced rental units is down in the U.S., according to this report from <em>The Washington Post</em>.
BLOG POST
Using Balloons for Bird's Eye View of Community
At the GeoDesign conference in San Diego we heard mention of folks at MIT using helium balloons with cameras attached to take aerial pictures. Thinking this was a fabulous idea I decided to find out more and see if this was a technique [...]
Jane Jacobs and the Downfall of Planning
Is urban planning losing its relevance as a profession? Some say yes. In this essay from <em>Places</em>, Thomas Campanella suggests that the roots of this fall from grace lie in the era of Jane Jacobs.
When Removing a Freeway Becomes Mundane
As a growing number of communities study freeway removal, what if the decision was no longer controversial? In Long Beach, California, two city-owned freeways carry less traffic than some neighborhood streets. Would anyone notice if they were gone?
Cities Embracing Complete Streets Policies
States and local governments across the U.S. are adopting strong complete streets policies, reports the National Complete Streets Coalition. The new report rates written policies on the strength of their inclusion of a list of policies.
Major Cities Throughout History
Cities have existed since about 5000 B.C. This post from <em>Business Insider</em> looks at some of the most important cities throughout history.
Amid Down Market, Developers Try Harder to Lure Homebuyers
Single family home sales are down in the U.S., which is driving some developers to try to spice up their deals by offering incentives like new cars with purchase.
Defending New Urbanism
New Urbanism has been given a bad rap, according to co-founder Andres Duany. In this piece for <em>Metropolis</em> he sets the record straight.
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.
