The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Bogota's TransMilenio Turns 10
Bogota's integrated mass transit system has been operation for a decade and continues to grow, but faces challenges for the coming years, from the constant growth in ridership to irregularities in construction contracts.
Big Boxes Going Urban
Big box retailers are continuing to target urban markets, and finding new ways to squeeze their large sizes into dense urban settings.
Gov 2.0 Grows
Gov 2.0 is on the rise, and an increasing amount of cities and groups are getting behind efforts to improve the way cities function by better processing their data.
BLOG POST
Development Versus Growth
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small">Healthy children grow bigger, but once people reach maturity at about age 20 continued physical growth is harmful - it makes us fat. It is certainly possible to develop our skills, strength and knowledge, but most adults should not pursue growth as an end in itself. This also applies to communities.</span> </p>
How Cities Can Survive Rising Temperatures
Temperatures are warming all over the planet. The new book "Climatopolis" looks at what cities can do to survive.
Cairo 2050 Plan Makes Big Shifts in City
The Egyptian government is undertaking a broad plan to reimagine Cairo. The plan would redistribute the city's people and shuffle its industries to the outskirts of town. Some there see the plan as too much of a change.
The Head of New York's Streets Revolution
<em>Grist</em>'s Sarah Goodyear talks with New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan about her work in the city -- and what other cities can learn from it.
Inside China's Ghost Towns
This post from <em>Business Insider</em> collects satellite imagery and pictures of ghost towns in China.
FEATURE
The Place Making Dividend
Edward T. MacMahon of ULI explains why cities and towns with unique character have an economic advantage over the sameness of chain stores and malls, and why people should fight to preserve and create a sense of place.
Futuristic Ideas for Smarter Cities
This piece from the <em>Guardian</em> lists a handful of ideas that could shape the future of cities and city design.
Israel's Urban Outlier
Capitalism and bourgeois values built the city of Tel Aviv, which stands today as an outlier in Israel, according to this article.
Status Quo Sprawl Lives On in Fresno
The approval of a massive shopping center in Fresno, California, highlights the city's inability to move beyond its sprawl-centric tendencies, according to this piece from <em>The Fresno Bee</em>.
A Decade of Population Shifts in the U.S.
The first piece of data from the 2010 U.S. Census has been released, showing state-by-state population information. <em>The Urbanophile</em> offers three maps that document how the country has changed since the last Census in 2000.
Shrinking Cities Means Shuttered Churches
The Archdiocese of Detroit is working with city planners and local demographers as they develop their plans for Catholic parish closures.
Big Signs May Top Downtown Seattle Buildings
Seattle is considering a new policy that will allow companies to place large signs atop buildings downtown. It's part of an effort to lure companies downtown, but many locals are outraged.
U.S. Demand For Gasoline Has Peaked
As improbable as it sounds, the U.S. hit 'peak gas demand' in 2006 at 9 million barrels per day. By 2030, experts predict it will be 20% lower. The decline is attributed to driving less, more efficient vehicles, and the addition of ethanol to gas.
A Planned Community for Artists
Artists are flocking to a town in Turkey that promises "authentic village life." The architect behind the plan says that the project has attracted creatives who "miss natural and pure human relations."
Postal Service as Mobile Urban Data Collector
The U.S. Postal Service operates a massive fleet of trucks and vans throughout the country. Michael Ravnitzky argues that this fleet could be easily modified to collect data about the places the vehicles go.
Mapping Seattle's Bikeability
Comparing Seattle to Portland, transportation planner Adam Parast used GIS data to show the most bikeable parts of the city.
BLOG POST
Digging Holes
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Calibri">Once upon a time there was a transportation planner driving thru the sunbelt.<span> </span>He pulled into a truck stop and while fueling his vehicle he noticed a couple of workers working on the shoulder down the road.<span> </span>One man appeared to be digging holes about three feet across and three feet deep along the side of the road.<span> </span></span></span> </p>
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.
