The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Two outdoor advertising firms are the operators behind the scenes in most of the world's bicycle rental programs, including a recently launched system in Paris. The two firms continue to battle for control of future systems, and advertising rights.</p>

September 21 - The Economist

<p>The mayor of a small German city is fighting depopulation by paying young women to move in.</p>

September 21 - Der Spiegel

BLOG POST

I&#39;m posting this blog entry live in front of a panel session of approximately 200 participants at the <a href="http://www.ohioplanning.org/conference/">2007 Ohio Planning Conference</a> at the Columbus Conference Center to demonstrate, live, how one posts to a blog.<br /><br /><img src="/files/u4/columbus-conf-ctr.jpg" alt="Columbus Conference Center in walkable downtown Columbus" title="Columbus Conference Center in walkable downtown Columbus" hspace="4" vspace="4" width="400" height="266" align="right" />I&#39;m presenting on &quot;Web 2.0 Tools to Communicate Planning Ideas&quot;. Here&#39;s the pitch:<br />

September 21 - Chris Steins

<p>A Philadelphia mayoral candidate says the first step to fixing the city under his administration would be a revamping and revival of the city's planning system.</p>

September 21 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

<p>Harvard’s voluntary agreement is the first in the nation to legally bind a developer to reducing greenhouse gases beyond the current standards.</p>

September 21 - Harvard University Gazette

<p>Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has announced a series of improvements to the city's bike network, angling it to become one of the nation's most bike-friendly cities.</p>

September 21 - The Boston Globe

<p>A new report from the Urban Land Institute says that even with increased fuel efficiency in cars, an increasing rate of vehicle miles traveled due to sprawling development will counteract any reductions in emissions.</p>

September 21 - The Detroit Free Press

<p>A team has been selected to build the new Transbay Terminal in San Francisco, which may result in the construction of an office tower of more than 1,200 feet.</p>

September 20 - The San Francisco Chronicle

<p>A bill being pushed in the California State Senate looks to ease the approval of developments that reduce greenhouse gas emissions -- part of an effort to help the state reach its goal of 25% in reductions by 2020.</p>

September 20 - The Sacramento Bee

<p>This commentary looks at the paranoia surrounding plans to construct a superhighway from Mexico to Canada, and claims that conspiracy theories about its intentions are hindering public policy.</p>

September 20 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>New vehicle technology won't prevent global warming unless urban sprawl is curbed, argues a new book to be published by the Urban Land Institute.</p>

September 20 - Smart Growth America

<p>In this article from <em>New Urban News</em>, Philip Langdon looks at LEED, and identifies some ways the system works well and other ways it can improve.</p>

September 20 - New Urban News

FEATURE

National Park(ing) Day aims to show people how space traditionally reserved for cars could be turned into useable public space.

September 20 - Christian Peralta

<p>The US Agency for International Development is considering a broad infrastructure project to repair a crumbling dam in Afghanistan as part of an effort to create economic and political stability in a region of Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban.</p>

September 20 - International Herald Tribune

BLOG POST

<p> It&#39;s the talk of the town today. The Metropolitan Transit Authority, after years of dithering has finally signed a contract to build out a shared cell phone infrastructure inside the underground portions of the subway system. Sort of. </p><p> According to the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/20/nyregion/20cellphone.html">New York Times</a>, &quot;[t]he cellphone network will start in six downtown Manhattan stations in two years. Once it is shown to be working properly, Transit Wireless will have four more years to outfit the rest of the underground stations.&quot; </p><p> Thats six years to completion, folks. Awesome. </p>

September 20 - Anthony Townsend

<p>In this column, urban planning professor Justin Hollander asserts that online games such as “Second Life” have the potential to enable genuine public participation in civic affairs.</p>

September 20 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

<p>New York has been looking for ways to rejuvenate the area surrounding its historic Coney Island boardwalk themepark. This article from the <em>Gotham Gazette</em> says the city should use the opportunity to create a model for sustainable development.</p>

September 20 - The Gotham Gazette

<p>Across the country, communities and housing associations are finding themselves in heated debates over what would otherwise be a rather banal subject: drying clothes. Some want to use clotheslines, but others worry about plummeting property values.</p>

September 20 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>In this four-part interview, <em>Streetsblog's</em> Aaron Naparstek talks with New York City's Director of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability about the city's congestion pricing aspirations.</p>

September 20 - Streetsblog

<p>Suburban sprawls love affair with the automobile is getting out of hand. In the primarily suburban county of Tippecanoe, parking spots are outnumbering automobile's 3 to 1.</p>

September 19 - LiveScience.com