The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

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<img src="http://www.cio.ca.gov/images/ClarkKelso-www2.jpg" alt="Clark Kelso" align="right" />Clark Kelso, California's Chief Information Officer, was kind enough to respond to my recent post, <a href="http://www.planetizen.com/tech/archives/2005/10/18/326/ ">California Updates State IT Strategic Plan</a>, commenting on the state's new strategic plan and what I perceived to be a lack of focus on making technology accessible to people with disabilities.<br /> <br /> Clark writes:<br /> <br /> <blockquote>...I am pleased to see that our planning activities are being followed so closely in the trade press.<br /> <br /> The last paragraph in your article suggests we may not be paying sufficient attention to Section 508 issues in our web developments. Although we did not cite Section 508 in the strategic plan, accessibility is the very heart of our efforts. As your article notes,<br /> the very first goal of the plan is to "Make government services more accessible to citizens and State clients." That concept of accessibility includes not only opening up new, technology-enabled vehicles for delivering services, information and benefits, but the goal of ensuring that those vehicles -- as well as all existing vehicles -- are ADA accessible and compliant.<br /> <br /> Our Portal Steering Committee, which was only recently created and is just starting to warm up to the topic, has already expressly recognized ADA compliance as a required component of the State's web presence. The following link plainly identifies ADA accessibility and compliance as a necessary aspect of the user interface: <br /> <a href="http://www.cio.ca.gov/PDFs/Portal_Committee-040805.pdf">http://www.cio.ca.gov/PDFs/Portal_Committee-040805.pdf</a> (PDF, 100KB) <br /> <br /> The State's web pages are NOT always appropriately accessible, but this is most certainly an issue that we take seriously at the highest planning levels, and we encourage all departments to make accessibility a high priority. </blockquote>

October 26 - Chris Steins

A bienniel survey, Beyond Grey Pinstripes 2005, identifies the top 30 MBA programs for 'sustainable-business education' and names Stanford the top school.

October 26 - GreenBiz

Governor Davis was recalled, in part, because of the "bad business climate" in California. Now a study from the reputable Public Policy Institute of California refutes the charge that businesses were leaving the state.

October 26 - The Sacramento Bee

A City Council report warns that the financial risks for building the project could affect the vote on the project.

October 26 - The Seattle Times

Political leaders in China are hard at work devising incentives to make local leaders more environmentally conscious with development projects.

October 26 - The Economist

The impact of market-driven inclusionary zoning programs is expected to increase.

October 26 - The New York Times

The social disconnect felt in suburbia is caused by the same zoning laws that create sprawl.

October 26 - Louisville Cardinal

Lifestyle centers, like shopping malls of the past, are contributing to the decline of city centers across the country.

October 26 - AIA Oregon Architect Newsletter

Is there any evidence to suggest the turning the Gulf Coast into one huge, tax-sheltered enterprise zone will help businesses?

October 26 - The Los Angeles Times

An interview with architect Daniel Libeskind, master-plan designer for the new World Trade Center site.

October 26 - Forbes

'A Crack in the Edge of the World' by Simon Winchester, has a few nuggets of interest, but is 'filled with enough geological minutiae to fell James Michener.'

October 26 - The Christian Science Monitor

Davis, CA apartment complex creates a winning combination of style, function, and eco-awareness.

October 25 - Abhijeet Chavan

Residents in a suburb north of Melbourne are still waiting for a promised transit extension.

October 25 - The Age

Will cable and satellite TV make the massive Cesar Pelli-designed HDTV tower proposed for Chicago's Gold Coast a white elephant? Lynn Becker critiques the Beitler Tower proposal.

October 25 - Repeat

Calling it an 'Emerlad Necklace', Atlanta plsnd to create an innovative 22-mile loop from an abandoned railroad into parks and transit that connect historic neighborhoods across the city.

October 25 - The Los Angeles Times

The principal spokesman for Maryland’s high-profile Smart Growth Initiative analyzes the program's strenghts and weaknesses and offers strategies for similar statewide, incentive-based programs.

October 25 - Vermont Journal of Environmental Law

Heritage at Millennium Park, the latest skyscraper to grace Chicago's already dense skyline, is already garnering a lot of attention.

October 25 - The Chicago Tribune

Some states ease laws to allow traditional neighborhood development.

October 25 - Michigan Land Use Institute

For escape from high-rises, it's high tech to the rescue. An 'executive chute' is one of many innovations on the market. Some doubt if 'last-resort' systems work.

October 25 - The Christian Science Monitor

In the Northeast, where land costs are high and expectations are high, the most cost-effective way to build is to build up.

October 25 - The Boston Globe