The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Istanbul: Too Big to Master Plan
Istanbul, a unique "hinge city" at which East and West intersect, has seen its population possibly quadruple in the last 30 years. This video offers an exploration of its uninhibited potential.
The Man Behind the Pattern Language
Witold Rybczynski profiles Christopher Alexander, author of A Pattern Language, one of the most influential books in urban planning. Alexander recently won the Vincent Scully prize from the National Building Museum.
Crowded Tubers Getting Ruder
A new report shows that overcrowding on the London Tube is hardening transit takers, turning them ruthless and selfish. Even pregnant riders are left to fend for themselves.
Feds Discuss Gas Tax Increase While Nixed In Jersey
Discussion of raising the gas tax is quashed in NJ by Gov.-elect Christie while encouraged in DC by DOT Secretary LaHood and Congressional Transportation Chair James Oberstar. LaHood had an open dialog on the various forms of revenue strategies.
HSR to Link London to Madrid
A high-speed rail line is planned for 2012 between London and Madrid. France and Spain will team up to build it.
BLOG POST
The Failure of Voluntarism
<p class="MsoNormal"> <span> I recently read an article containing a World War II-era poster: “When You Ride Alone You Ride With Hitler.” The authors of the article asked whether governments could use similar powers of persuasion today to discourage energy consumption and thus address climate change. </span> </p>
Pearl District Revitalization Now Includes Kids
A new affordable housing development going up in Portland's dense Pearl District will include a public school on the ground floor.
Riding A Retro PRT
NPR covers the state of Personal Rapid Transit today, and takes a ride on the first PRT in the U.S., running at West Virginia University since 1975.
Food Stamps Across the Country
The New York Times' has created an interactive map of food stamp usage breaking down recipients by county across the United States.
Latin Americans in the Dark About Energy
Some say Latin America is in a serious energy crisis, underlined by frequent blackouts across South and Central America.
Crumbling Condition
A 'staggering' number of the bridges used by Amtrak trains in and around New York City are in poor or worse condition.
Transit Funding Blooming in the Spring
Transportation Secretary LaHood announced that this spring, bus and streetcar projects will receive $280 million as part of the administration's inter-agency sustainable communities partnership.
DIY Energy Even Better
Massachusetts has made home energy generation more attractive by allowing individuals to sell excess energy back to utility companies.
Will War Spending Mean Less For Infrastructure?
Robert Borosage, in response to President Obama's announcement of a troop surge to Afghanistan, points out how the misallocation of resources to military efforts will mean the neglect of the nation's infrastructure.
Can Homeowners "Save the Dream"?
Andy Kroll wanders through the rubble of California's subprime crisis and finds homeowners waiting 10-12 hours in lines for mortgage relief, plummeting property values, and what may be the seeds of more foreclosures to come.
Climate Change Skeptic Wins Down Under
Australia's liberal party has just elected a climate change skeptic as its new leader, which could prove to be a challenge to its carbon reduction.
Roofers vs. Landscapers
In a battle over contracts to build green roofs for Chicago's public buildings, landscapers have come out on top.
Beauty and the Bike
A new project in the UK aimed at getting girls on bikes has yielded liberating results.
Conservation Legislation to Expire
Conservation legislation, which could end this year, has proven to make it easier for moderate income landowners to resist the temptations of development.
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.
