The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Removing Sidewalks to Make Room for Peds
WAMU's Michael Pope reports on an Alexandria, VA's plan to level the playing field for bikes, pedestrians and cars by taking out curbs.
Lisa Jackson Leaves Behind Mixed Legacy at EPA
This week Lisa Jackson made public her decision to step down as administrator of the EPA. Despite many hard-fought victories, Jackson's tenure is also associated with a lack of significant action to address climate change.
Some in Toronto Cling to Promise of Back Alley Living
A decade ago, a landmark study proposed alley-side infill development, or laneway housing, as a way to provide Toronto with thousands of affordable units. Despite significant obstacles, some developers and architects remain committed to the idea.
World's Longest High-Speed Rail Line Opens
The opening of the 1,200-mile Beijing to Guangzhou high-speed rail line marked the latest milestone in "one of the world’s largest and most ambitious infrastructure projects." The longest such segment in the world takes only 8 hours to traverse.
New Center Seeks to Take the Guesswork out of Planning
Researchers at the University of Chicago are tackling a problem that is confronting the globe's biggest cities: how to turn the reams of data being collected and opened to the public and turn it into actionable information for decision-makers.
New York's MTA Seeks New Leader
Joseph Lhota, the chairman and chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, has announced his resignation at the end of this year. Who will be next to lead the nation's largest public transportation system?
A Potpourri of Planning's Many Forms - All in one City
In this fascinating photo essay, Jordi Sanchez-Cuenca explores Mexico City's urban morphology. Seemingly every type of urban form known to man can be found within the Mexican capital's boundaries.
Midwestern Drought Threatens the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River handles $7 billion in trade as one of the world's largest navigable inland waterways. A Midwestern drought has brought the river to water levels so low that they threaten to shut down shipping, reports John Schwartz.
Trainjacking America's Finance Industry
Acela has improved connectivity along the Northeast Corridor, but is that actually a good thing? Aaron M. Renn argues that high-speed rail has actually hurt America by giving the finance industry a stranglehold over fiscal and monetary policies.
Proximity Trumps Mobility: Smart Growth Maximizes Accessibility
The increased proximity provided by more compact and centralized development is about ten times more influential than vehicle traffic speed on the number of destinations that people can reach within a given travel time.
'Smart Screens' to Provide City Data in New York
Can 250 high-def, touch-screen kiosks make New York City more user-friendly, personalized and safe?
How Smart Is Smart Parking - And For Whom?
Parking enforcers, not motorists in search of available parking, may be the main beneficiaries of 'smart parking' technology as they have the ability to immediately spot parking spaces where vehicles have overstayed their time limits and by how long.
Can Narrow Lanes Improve Traffic Congestion?
Comparing wide versus narrow lanes, Kenneth A. Small and Chen Feng Ng examine the relatively unexplored design of building more compact roads to alleviate traffic congestion.
Biometric Monitors: Coming to a Driveway Near You
Might your car one day serve as a mobile doctor's office? If research into biometric monitoring being conducted by carmakers comes to fruition, your car may soon be able to tracks your stress and blood sugar levels, and more, reports Bob Moon.
'Most Unusual Apartment Building' in NYC Gets Penultimate Approval
The BIG news out of New York City last week was the City Planning Commission's approval of Durst/Fetner's pyramid shaped apartment building slated for the west side of Manhattan, reports Matt Chaban.
For the Sake of Santa, Please Don't Build Any More Suburbs
Santa is sounding the alarm: "Christmas is in jeopardy.” What's making St. Nick a little less jolly this year? New analysis shows that suburban development patterns are driving up costs at the North Pole, say Paul Knight and Kevin Clark.
Top Preservation Presents of 2012
As usual, 2012 has seen a host of prominent buildings threatened with demolition - from Chicago's Prentice Hospital to Baltimore’s Mechanic Theatre. But preservation has also seen some great successes. The National Trust tallies the top 10.
How Cities Celebrate the Holidays
Kaid Benfield delivers a photo essay full of holiday cheer that shows the suburbs aren't the only places that know how to accessorize for the season.
'Cycle to Work' Scheme Subsidizes Bikes for Brits
Sarah Goodyear reports on how Britain's 'Cycle to Work' scheme has decreased carbon dioxide emissions, and transformed the lives of individuals such as Toby Field.
The Year's Top Architecture Controversies
Who wants to read about the best buildings of the year when you can read about the most controversial? Architizer will guide you through the year's best in copycats, criticism, and crybabies.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.
