The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Over 20 years, the TKF Foundation has funded the creation of dozens of “green refuges from the stresses of modern life”. With $4.5 million in funding for six new projects, they’re out to prove the physical and psychological benefits of such spaces.

July 6 - The Atlantic Cities

Larung Gar is a remote settlement located at 12,500ft in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Check out the incredible images of the row upon row of small boxes that house the 40,000 residents of one of the world's largest Buddhist institutes.

July 5 - Daily Mail

Gov. Tom Corbett's goal of increasing transportation funding was thwarted by political differences in the House. Republicans couldn't agree on lifting the gas tax cap while Democrats wanted more funding for transit. They will try again in the fall.

July 5 - Star Gazette

Taichung, Taiwan (pop 2.7 million) has beaten out six other finalists to claim the Intelligent Community Forum’s (ICF) designation as "intelligent community of the year". Robert Bell and Sylvie Albert describe what makes the city an intelligent icon.

July 5 - The Global Urbanist

The three geographers behind the Floating Sheep blog have created a world map of Internet references to zombies.

July 5 - Atlantic Cities

Inspired by Manhattan's pedestrianization of Times Square, L.A.'s city council recently approved $1.8 million in funding to reduce a major downtown thoroughfare's roadway by half to make room for "a massive increase of the pedestrian infrastructure."

July 5 - LA.Streetsblog

The streets of San Diego may be safe once again for nefarious chalking after a jury acquitted a local man accused of 13 counts of vandalism for scrawling anti-bank messages on sidewalks.

July 5 - San Diego Union-Tribune

As news reports indicate, the recent BART strike made a mess out of the Bay Area's morning and evening commutes. For planning think tank SPUR, it has helped to illustrate significant gaps in the region's transportation infrastructure.

July 5 - SPUR Blog

Looking for some design inspiration? The editors of ArchDaily have put together a list if the 25 top feeds to follow on Instagram.

July 5 - ArchDaily

Since we covered the many problems encountered by users of New York's Citi Bike, we though it only fair to share news of a large-scale bike share system that recently launched with far fewer problems (at least according to one reporter).

July 5 - Grist

An Istanbul court has ruled in favor of Turkish architects, city planners and landscape architects who sued last year to halt the planned redevelopment of Taksim Square. The project sparked nationwide protests last month.

July 5 - The New York Times

BLOG POST

American reliance on property taxes leads to NIMBYism and periodic tax revolts, thus impeding both development and basic public services.

July 4 - Michael Lewyn

Hopefully you were able to enjoy some summer sun on this Fourth of July. If you're among the many Americans who helped propel population growth in the country's warmer states over the last century, you likely did.

July 4 - The Atlantic Cities

Have you heard of stroading? While we don't recommend you try this at home, it behooves us to tell you about the ingenious meme that Charles Marohn and his friends have devised to point out America's over-engineered urban streets.

July 4 - Strong Towns Blog

Mark Landler reviews the recent efforts of the Obama administration to make headway on climate change through executive order, diplomacy and economic incentive.

July 4 - The New York Times

A new study published by the National Endowment for the Arts profiles America's 2 million professional artists (including architects), with information on artist salaries, a breakdown of occupations, and the cities with the most working artists.

July 4 - The Washington Post

Independence Day is a day to reflect on America's history; and with many of the activities associated with the holiday (parades, fireworks) set on urban stages, it's the perfect occasion to enjoy some amazing images of the country's urban past.

July 4 - Chicago Magazine

If you haven't managed to escape from, or you've managed to escape to, New York City this holiday weekend you might be pleased to learn that a new guide to the city's urban landscapes has been published by Norton Architecture and Design Books.

July 3 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog

Unlike the United Sates, Canada, and Great Britain, few countries raise substantial revenues from property taxes. The Economist argues that property taxes are among the most efficient, stable, and progressive forms of taxation and should be embraced.

July 3 - The Economist

On Tuesday, Anthony Foxx was sworn in as America's 17th transportation secretary. But before he could take over the keys to the department, outspoken DOT head Ray LaHood spoke with Sommer Mathis about the future of transport in America.

July 3 - The Atlantic Cities