The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
How Much Does Bad Air In LA and Central Valley Cost California?
An economic study has been published showing that the costs of air pollution to the 20 million Californians living in the state’s (and nation’s) two most polluted regions, the LA basin and San Joaquin Valley, to be around $28 billion annually.
Preserving and Reusing Boston's Architectural Infrastructure
This article looks at some adaptive reuse projects that successfully preserve the beauty of Boston's late-nineteenth century infrastructure.
Pricing Parking at a Premium
On Tuesday, San Francisco's MUNI approved a pilot program to price 6,000 of the city's parking spots according to popularity.
Despite Lower Gas Prices, Americans Driving Less
According to the Federal Highway Administration, the number of miles driven in the U.S. declined by 4.4% since last year.
TOD Down Under
Transit-oriented development is catching on in Australia, as several projects spring up around Brisbane. The article is accompanied by a photo gallery of recent developments.
Mike Davis Says Green Revolution Should Take a Backseat
A lot of pundits have been seeing in the Obama presidency a chance to invest large amounts of federal dollars on green infrastructure. Not yet, argues Mike Davis.
Would $3 Gas Balance California's Budget?
Energy expert Severin Borenstein suggests a novel strategy to ensure California drivers don't lose their gas-saving habits and vehicle preferences learned when gas cost $4.50/gallon - a 'variable gas surcharge' to stabilize gas prices at $3/gallon.
Change Comes to Committee on Energy and Commerce
Representative Henry A. Waxman of California replaces the current chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, who has served in the post since 1981. Waxman's nomination was applauded by environmental groups.
Planner Confesses Love for Driving
It's hard to give up driving, even when you're professionally committed to sustainable transportation.
BLOG POST
Why I fight
<p> Occasionally, someone familiar with my scholarship asks me: why do you care about walkability and sprawl and cities? Why is this cause more important to you than twenty other worthy causes you might be involved in? </p> <p> The answer: Freedom. I grew up in a part of Atlanta that, for a carless teenager, was essentially a minimum-security prison. There were no buses or sidewalks, as in many of Atlanta’s suburbs and pseudo-suburbs. But in my parents' non-neighborhood, unlike in most American suburbs, there were also no lawns to walk on, so if you wanted to walk, you had to walk in the street - not a particularly safe experience in 40 mph traffic. </p>
Pirate Booty Creates Boomtowns
Somalian pirates are creating a booming economy of caterers, luxury cars, and high-end chefs in the northern coastal towns of the impoverished country. "The pirates depend on us, and we benefit from them," said one shopkeeper.
'Right to Rent' as Way out of Foreclosure Crisis
The way out of the foreclosure crisis may not be as difficult or as complex as it has been made out to be, argues Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
New Highway Plans Clash With Greehouse Gas Reduction Plans
While the California Air Resources Board is proceeding with implementation of laws to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, highway planners are considering projects to accommodate more cars. Bill Fulton comments.
Killer Brown Clouds On The Rise
A U.N. report details the severity of the 'brown cloud' phenomenon affecting much of Asia and other parts of the planet. In addition to reducing sunlight and causing premature death, the clouds affect weather patterns, harvests, and glacier declines
Landscape Architecture, Reinvented
Landscape architect James Corner pushes the envelope of the field to create innovative projects like The High Line Park in New York. 'There is a desperate need for a different kind of professional who isn’t so Balkanized.'
Building a Resort on an Olympic Foundation
As it prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, the beachfront Russian city of Sochi is hoping to become an attractive resort city. Money is flowing and development is under way, but some expect growing pains.
Residents Say Bridge Design Doesn't Fit
New bridge plans for the New York community of City Island has residents up in arms over what they see as an incompatible design.
Museums and Historic Preservation
An Eero Saarinen house in Indiana has been acquired by the Indianapolis Museum of Arts in a cross effort to preserve and exhibit the famous work. Christopher Hawthonre wonders if this could be a model other cities and museums should follow.
Pine Beetles' Wrath Spreads
The scourge of the pine beetle is wreaking havoc on forests all up and down North America, leaving behind millions of acres of dead trees.
BLOG POST
Rethinking Transportation Safety
<blockquote> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman">A paradigm shift is changing the way we think about transportation safety. In the past, traffic safety experts evaluated risk using distance-based units (traffic crashes and casualties per 100 million vehicle-miles or billion vehicle-kilometers), which ignores increases in vehicle traffic as a risk factor, and mobility management as a safety strategy. Yet, we now have overwhelming evidence that the amount people drive has a major impact on their chance of being injured or killed in a traffic accident. Here is a small portion of the evidence:</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.
