The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The Link Between Lead Exposure and Violent Crime

<p>Research by one economist suggests that lead poisoning may cause a person to engage in criminal activities, which counties with high lead levels having higher murder rates.</p>

July 11 - The Seattle Times

Bike Sharing Experiment Launched In New York City

<p>A pilot program is hoping to show the viability of bicycle-sharing programs popular in many European cities.</p>

July 11 - The New York Times

New Downtown Design Center Trains Architects In Kansas City

<p>A new downtown facility will serve as a training ground for architecture students from Kansas State and the University of Kansas.</p>

July 11 - The Kansas City Star

Atlanta Seeks To Regulate McMansions

<p>The city council is considering new rules to prevent oversized homes on small lots, but some residents in older areas of the city are worried that the new regulations will stall redevelopment.</p>

July 11 - Atlanta Journal Constitution

University of Toronto Snags Richard Florida

<p>Florida is moving to Toronto, a city that ranks high on his own Creativity Index, to teach at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.</p>

July 11 - The Globe and Mail


Politics And Assembly Report Appear To Doom NYC Congestion Plan

<p>In a bizarre unfolding of political events in Albany, it appears that the London-style congestion pricing plan proposed by Mayor Bloomberg will be replaced by a simplified TDM approach including telecommuting incentives and funding for express buses.</p>

July 11 - The New York Times

The Greenest Generation

<p>Mike Davis reminds us that during World War II, recycling, conservation, car-pooling, bicycling and growing your own food were considered patriotic.</p>

July 11 - Sierra Club


California 2050: Sprawl Or Skyscrapers?

<p>Study predicts that by 2050 California's population will grow by 75%. Experts weigh in on what this means to planning for the state's growth.</p>

July 10 - The Los Angeles Times

Preservationists Breathe Life Into Route 66

<p>Once a major tourist destination, Route 66 has lost much of its vigor since being decommissioned as a highway in 1985. But preservationists and entrepreneurs are attempting to revive Route 66 by renovating its many historic motels.</p>

July 10 - The Chicago Tribune

Paris Looks To Revitalize Former Central Marketplace

<p>After numerous roadblocks and failed attempts at renovation, the city of Paris seems to have a promising jump on bringing new life to Les Halles, once one of the city's main marketplaces and now an area many Parisians completely avoid.</p>

July 10 - International Herald Tribune

Are America's Chinatowns A Thing Of The Past?

A development battle in Boston highlights the ongoing and controversial transformation of American's Chinatowns.

July 10 - The Christian Science Monitor

Environmental Concerns Surround Panama Canal Expansion

<p>As the Central American country moves forward with plans to expand the width of its heavily-used canal, locals and scientists question whether a reforestation plan along canal banks will affect the area's supply of drinking water.</p>

July 10 - National Geographic

A Recipe For Grassroots Community Building

<p>A new book bills itself as a do-it-yourself guide for residents looking to strengthen the sense of community it their neighborhood.</p>

July 10 - Pioneer Press

Betting On The Downtown Miami Renaissance

<p>Businesses are hoping the redevelopment activities in Downtown Miami will create a thriving commercial center. Until then, they are just trying to stay afloat.</p>

July 10 - The Miami Herald

Philadelphia Quakers Set An Example Of Green Efficiency

<p>A religious group known for embracing simplicity presents a bold green vision for Center City.</p>

July 10 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Wind Turbine Shortage Makes U.S. Look To Europe To Meet Demand

<p>President Bush has often looked toward American technology to make voluntary carbon emission reductions, but that technology often must come from abroad, where industrialized countries are required to make emission reductions per the Kyoto Protocol.</p>

July 10 - The Wall Street Journal

Debunking Portland

<p>Randal O'Toole, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, argues the planning model that has made Portland, Oregon, a planner's dream has taken a far greater toll than the benefits it provides.</p>

July 10 - Cato Institute

BLOG POST

Where Are the Star Planners?

<p>I recently discovered the Greek urban planner <a href="http://www.doxiadis.org/page/default.asp?la=1&amp;id=10">Constantinos Doxiadis</a> (1913-1975) through a biographical sketch by Ray Bromley in a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0470851600/sr=8-2/qid=1184009865/ref=dp_proddesc_0/102-0473148-3796168?ie=UTF8&amp;n=283155&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1184009865&amp;sr=8-2">collection of essays</a>. An energetic polymath, Doxiadis launched his career overseeing postwar reconstruction in Greece after WWII. Through involvement in the United Nations he developed an extensive international network of contacts concerned with urban development. </p>

July 9 - Robert Goodspeed

Duany Prepares Houston For The 21st Century

<p>DPZ finished three designs late last week detailing a level of urbanity that promises to make the sprawling 650 square mile City of Houston a more attractive place in the 21st century.</p>

July 9 - The Houston Chronicle

The Awful Folly of Sports Stadiums

<p>In city after city, stadium-building with tax dollars is taking priority over more important priorities like public schools.</p>

July 9 - CommonDreams.org

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City of Thousand Oaks

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City of Wisconsin Rapids

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Harvard University Graduate School of Design

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