The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The St. Patrick's Day River

<p>As part of its yearly tradition, officials in Chicago have dyed the Chicago River green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.</p>

March 17 - The Chicago Tribune

Miami Parks Plan Looks Beyond Parks

<p>Officials in Miami-Dade County have just released their parks master plan, an ambitious proposal that looks to go beyond creating park space by redefining the region's public realm.</p>

March 17 - The Miami Herald

Big Dig's Aftershocks

<p>A look at how the specter of Boston's Big Dig cast a dark shadow over proposed freeway replacement plans in Seattle and other cities.</p>

March 17 - The Boston Globe

Bringing Harlem Back

<p>New York City officials hope that a recently approved rezoning for Harlem will revive the neighborhood.</p>

March 17 - The Economist

Replacing Transit with Toll Roads

<p>The Department of Transportation under President Bush has placed an emphasis on market-based measures such as toll roads to alleviate congestion, and this has public transit advocates worried that the Federal government sees no role for transit.</p>

March 17 - The Washington Post


Indsutry and Environmentalists Join Forces to Protect Waterfront

<p>In an unlikely meeting of minds, environmentalists, the Port of Portland and other industrial groups have come together to request funding for the protection of sensitive waterfront habitats along the Willamette River.</p>

March 17 - The Portland Tribune

After Bus Shutdown, City Considers Mass Carpooling

<p>Residents in the small town of Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island are starting a citywide carpooling program to help provide for people without cars after the city's underused public transit system was shut down.</p>

March 17 - The Vancouver Sun


Debate Continues Over New York Street Mall Proposal

<p>Neighborhood opposition is hampering plans to convert a section of New York City's Prince Street into a car-free pedestrian mall every Sunday.</p>

March 17 - The Villager

Global Impacts on Downtowns

<p>This report from <em>Progressive Urban Management Associates</em> outlines the ten trends that will impact downtowns over the next two decades.</p>

March 17 - Downtown Idea Exchange

FEATURE

How Mechanization Can Help Cities Rethink Parking

March 17 - Shannon Sanders McDonald, AIA

D.C.'s Green Parking Reform Takes Root

<p>Washington D.C. has begun to make key green parking reforms that will plow parking revenue into neighborhood bicycling and walking improvements.</p>

March 17 - Streetsblog

Canada's Top Crime Cities

<p>With their high concentrations of marginalized Aboriginal residents, the Canadian prairie cities of Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg are ranked the top 3 most "dangerous" cities in the country in the latest Macleans Magazine survey.</p>

March 16 - Macleans

Implications of Driving Less

<p>A new report from the <em>American Public Transportation Association</em> hypothesizes that people who live in places shaped by transit tend to drive less thereby reducing their overall petroleum use and their carbon footprint.</p>

March 16 - American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

Israel Fencing off Judean Desert Habitat

<p>Israel's 450-mile long "security fence" is causing controversy not just because of the opposition of Palestinians in the West Bank, but because it will run through sensitive habitat and affect the ability of wildlife to access food and water.</p>

March 16 - Orion

Miami in a Vice

<p>In Miami, speculators inflated the housing market by buying and flipping condos. Now with the market deflating and a host of condo towers still under construction, Miami may be the worst major real estate market in the world.</p>

March 16 - The Globe & Mail

Downsize Now!

<p>Stan Cox argues that the massive square footage of so many modern houses -- no matter how "energy efficient" the construction -- is a luxury the planet can no longer afford.</p>

March 16 - Common Dreams

BLOG POST

Economists vs. Planners? Complements, Not Substitutes

<p> <font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Often, planners and economists seem to be at odds. Actually, a better description would be talking past each other—literally two ships passing in the night.</font> </p> <p> <font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Planners often think economists are too narrowly focused on dollars, cents, and rational decisionmaking. Economists can’t understand why planners don’t recognize the real world of markets and why incentives matter—a lot. </font> </p>

March 15 - Samuel Staley

Foraging for Food in the Urban Environment

<p>This report from <em>Weekend America</em> talks with an urban food forager and looks at how to find food on the street in L.A.</p>

March 15 - Weekend America

The Regional Approach to Fighting Poverty

<p>This article from the <em>Albany Times Union</em> looks at the importance of using a regional approach to addressing poverty, crime and inner city blight.</p>

March 15 - Albany Times Union

Philadelphia Affordable Housing Organization Alleges HUD Vendetta

<p>Officials in D.C. have sought to punish Philadelphia's Housing Director for not selling a vacant property to a friend of the HUD Secretary. The city was then found in violation of rules, and could now lose $50 million in housing funds.</p>

March 15 - The Washington Post

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.