The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Waiting For Recovery, Eager To Plan

More than half of the residents in the small unincorporated community of Henderson Point, Mississippi, turned out to help begin planning for the rebuilding of their completely devastated community.

September 21 - Biloxi Sun-Herald

Re-Routing The Big River

To reduce the amount of land lost near New Orleans and the mouth of the Mississippi River, scientists and public officials are considering a grand re-routing of the river in hopes of recreating a delta that is rapidly disappearing.

September 21 - The Independent

Bio-Diesel As A Rural Development Strategy

Having become the world leader in ethanol production, Brazil turns to bio-diesel, with a policy that is intended to benefit small, family farms so as to keep them on their land, and benefit President Luiz da Silva in his reelection bid.

September 21 - Los Angeles Times

Flat Roofs Have Fans And Foes

As the price of land increases, many real estate developers are looking at flat-roof designs as a means of increasing the square footage of houses, much to the chagrin of historical preservationists and municipal officials.

September 21 - The Wall Street Journal

'Fractal' Design Makes More With Less

In a comparative study of English towns, one small village with a compact and walkable design has been shown to seem much larger to pedestrians than a comparable area in a big city -- mainly because there is more to see there.

September 21 - Western Mail


After 50 Years, Waterfront May Be Redeveloped

With a population cut in half and an almost abandoned waterfront area, the city of Buffalo is thinking redevelopment. Actually, the city has spent nearly 50 years thinking redevelopment. Now steps are actually being taken to improve the waterfront.

September 21 - The New York Times

Al Gore Delivers Major Speech On Global Warming

In a major "policy speech" Al Gore proposes a strategy to combat global warming. He is also working on a new book to be published next year.

September 20 - Abhijeet Chavan


Is L.A. More Crowded Than New York?

In "L.A. the King of Sprawl, Not at All," Robert Bruegmann reports that Los Angeles is one of the densest areas in the country. His article reinforces the notion that L.A. is already a very dense place, but is it true?

September 20 - Livable Places

Cuba's Crumbling Infrastructure

Even as its economy improves, Cuba instructure is falling apart.

September 20 - The Los Angeles Times

Atlanta's MARTA System Looks To Change Image

Care to ride a bus shaped like a fish? Sample a new sofa on a rapid-transit train? See locally produced artworks? MARTA's marketing consultant says you might. But the system's riders just want on-time arrivals.

September 20 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Report Shows UK Land Levy Ineffectual

A proposed land levy in the UK that is intended to raise funding for local governments has been shown in recent reports to fail to increase the amount of money trickling down to local municipalities.

September 20 - Contract Journal

Anti-Sprawl Law Revised To Encourage Sprawl

Revision to a Maryland state homebuying assistance program is catching some resistance from smart growth advocates as changed language seems to go against the original anti-sprawl intent.

September 20 - The Baltimore Sun

Universities Green For Many Purposes

Colleges and universities are finding innovative ways to be community leaders in waste reduction, renewable energy and green procurement. But their reasons are not selfless.

September 20 - Grist

Stockholm Adopts Congestion Charge

Voters in Stockholm, Sweden approve a measure to charge motorists a fee to drive into the city center.

September 20 - Streetsblog

What Is This Thing Called Sprawl?

The concept of sprawl and its attributes are broken down in simple terms in this Q&A with Indiana University Professor John Ottensmann.

September 20 - Journal and Courier

Community Voices Heard in L.A.

Neighborhood Councils in Los Angeles have stopped the city's elected Council from using a misleading title for a ballot initiative facing voters in November. The volunteer groups are moving closer to providing a voice for the community at City Hall.

September 20 - The Los Angeles Times

The Rebirth of Rivers

Impressed by the successful 'rebirth' of rivers like the Clyde, cities are scrutinizing waterfront redevelopment projects and adding rivers to their civic portfolios.

September 19 - Sunday Herald

Understanding First Ring Suburbs

A presentation from a recent meeting of city officials in New Jersey offers information about the direction of first-ring suburbs, many of which find themselves in the crossfire of the urban-suburban divide.

September 19 - The Brookings Institution

California Emission Law Has Its Day In Court

In U.S. District Court in Fresno on Sept. 15, a California deputy attorney general asked Judge Ishii to dismiss a suit by the auto industry that would void the state's new emission standards, applicable in 2009, that target carbon dioxide.

September 19 - AP via Los Angeles Daily News

Sprawl: History Or Myth?

A critical review of Robert Bruegmann's book 'Sprawl: A Compact History' asserts that Bruegmann's work exemplifies several common myths about sprawl.

September 19 - Social Science Research Network

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.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.