The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Renewable energy is still only 2.3% of the U.S. energy production. David Biello asks, can renewables be ramped up in time to combat global warming?

January 20 - Yale Environment 360

Volvo is taking things a step closer to the "driverless car" idea with their "road train" concept: cars can "hook up" to a lead car or bus with a professional driver and ride along in their stream until they need to disembark.

January 20 - Grist

As New Yorkers prepare for city-mandated, publicly-accessible 'report cards' on their buildings' energy use, they're finding fault with the LEED rating system for its lack of attention to actual energy measurement.

January 20 - Crain's New York Business

The City of Vancouver is moving forward with plans to re-zone downtown's Eastside neighborhood for extended height limits, but there are a growing number of voices speaking out against it, including planners.

January 20 - Vancouver Sun

FEATURE

In an excerpt from his new book, Bill Fulton suggests that it's time for America's cities to focus on prosperity, not population.

January 20 - Bill Fulton

Rising sea waters are eroding the coast of California. The City of Ventura faces reality, and moves a wasting bike path inland.

January 20 - The Los Angeles Times

Redevelopment agency officials throughout California are moving rapidly to prevent a threatened takeover by the state (to reduce deficit) by signing deals on projects potentially prematurely. LA just turned $1 billion in 275 projects to the city.

January 20 - Los Angeles Times

Work begins at the Union Depot, restoring the historic building into a transportation hub for light rail, buses, taxis and bikes and pedestrians.

January 20 - Star Tribune

While the company town model hasn't been taken seriously in the West in decades, they're cropping up today in countries like China and India.

January 20 - The Economist

Arlington, Virginia is using housing and redevelopment to repair the superblock-dominated street grid of Crystal City.

January 20 - Under One Roof

A recently released report reveals that intercity bus travel has reversed a decades-long trend of decreased use and shows that the industry is growing at double the rate than air travel, reports Jonna McKone of TheCityFix.

January 19 - TheCityFix

In Providence, Rhode Island, a team of young developers are breathing new life into an old factory complex. But it's not your typical condo conversion.

January 19 - Metropolis

A new report from the Political Economy Research Institute says that bike and pedestrian projects create 11 to 14 jobs per million dollars spent, while road construction only creates 7 per million.

January 19 - TheCityFix

The industrialization of Hong Kong created hundreds of abandoned villages on the outskirts of the city. Today, these rural villages struggle to rejuvenate their economies and preserve their traditions.

January 19 - The New York Times

While Gov. Walker's rejection of $810 million of federal stimulus funds for the Milwaukee-Madison rail upgrade has received much publicity, he has not ruled out using funds to upgrade the existing Milwaukee-Chicago Hiawatha Line pushed by businesses.

January 19 - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Three California schools are seeking to quantify the effects of efficiency-conscious driving in a study to establish a baseline for drivers' behavior.

January 19 - TheCityFix

Officials in Ogden, Utah are considering a plan to launch an unmanned blimp to monitor the city from crime at night.

January 19 - Reuters

This piece from <em>Next American City</em> looks at plans to dramatically rework streetscapes in Boston, and cheers the effort.

January 19 - Next American City

As states return money aimed at high speed rail projects, officials from North Carolina are hoping to scramble up some of this newly available funding to augment existing projects.

January 19 - News and Observer

An art competition in Salt Lake City has resulted in a new installation to be built in one of the city's vacant lots.

January 19 - The Salt Lake Tribune