The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Is Downtown Any Place to Raise a Family?
Certainly, says Brent Toderian. And with children "the indicator species of a great neighbourhood," he argues that cities should be designed with families in mind.
Presidential Candidates Address Climate Change
The Democratic and Republican presidential candidates could not have more different approaches to climate change. Mitt Romney joked about it in his acceptance speech at the Republican convention while President Obama vowed to reduce carbon pollution
With Town Center Projects, Can the Suburbs Challenge Cities Yet Again?
Chasing the widespread interest in city living, developers are exporting mixed-use urbanism to the suburbs and exurbs as "town center" projects, prompting Jonathan O’Connell to ask if "a city can be a city if it’s built in the middle of a cornfield."
Philly Prioritizes Public Access with Hiring of Chief Data Officer
Self-described "civic hacking veteran" Mark Headd has joined Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's administration as the city's first "chief data officer," with the mission of "improving public access to information the city collects."
Buffalo Dusts Itself Off
After years wasted trying to implement large-scale redevelopment of its formerly industrial waterfront, Buffalo is cleaning up its shores from the ground up, reports Daniel Robison.
The Many Benefits of 'Multiblock Underground Shared Parking'
The urban parking garage gets an overhaul with the innovation of multiblock parking. By constructing underneath multiple blocks, developers and cities can improve parking efficiencies and lower costs.
It May Be Choking Our Environment and Economy, but Sprawl Sure is Pretty
German photographer Christoph Gielen has trained his artistic eye on America's suburbs, capturing aerial images of sprawl "in all its geometric glory" in order to "startle the viewers," reports Ariel Schwartz.
A Plea for Proper Water Management in India's Cities
Indian cities boast of huge GDP contributions, but cannot fulfill the basic needs of their citizens, such as providing safe drinking water. Central government funding has enabled some improvements in the urban water sector, but much more is needed.
Want to Triple Highway Capacity? Put Robot Cars on the Road
A new study on the potential benefits of autonomous cars concludes that "platooning" self-driving vehicles could increase highway efficiency by 273 percent, reports Devin Coldewey.
Sunny California Is Getting a Whole Lot Warmer
With the number of days of 'extreme heat' on the rise, and dramatic increases projected, will global warming melt the Golden State?
Skepticism, Economics, and Regulations Choking Development in Minneapolis
Stringent zoning, high costs, and a culture of skepticism directed at developers have hampered efforts to introduce infill redevelopment into some of Minneapolis' most prime locations.
California Bike Lanes May Be Exempted From Environmental Review
If Gov. Jerry Brown signs AB 2245, a bill which will exempt bike lanes from the CA Environmental Quality Act until 2018, opponents of these lanes will be deprived of a major tool to delay these projects that may accompany controversial 'road diets'.
The (Slow) Rise of Wireless Technology
The technology is there, and has been for a decade. Still, Wi-Fi's roll-out into our homes has been slow, at best, and continues to be confronted by various challenges.
Friday Funny: When Green Technology Backfires
The humor site Cracked takes a look at what happens when green technology backfires: melting houses, blinded jet pilots and buildings drowning in urine.
America's Most Diverse Cities
A new study out today ranks America's cities by their racial diversity. In general, the study found that "the country has become much more diverse at the metropolitan level," reports Conor Dougherty.
Google Pulls Back the Curtain on its Secretive Maps Program
Alexis C. Madrigal get exclusive access to "Ground Truth," Google's project to develop the most accurate maps in the world. But why is the master of the virtual world so intent on documenting the physical world?
A Guide to Great Streets
Using examples of exceptional streets from diverse settings across the world, Kaid Benfield tries to tease out what makes a great city street.
Hoboken's Innovative Car-Share Program Provides National Model, While Locals Grumble
Lauded by transit advocates, and garnering attention from cities across America, an experimental car-sharing program in Hoboken has proven effective in dissuading private car use. If only the city's residents were as happy with its success.
Transit Wins at Job Creation Game
Blogging on HuffPo, Greg LeRoy, director of Good Jobs First, makes the case that transit, transit oriented development and smart growth are key factors in job growth.
The Politics of Zoning Reform: Know Your Audience
In a blog post for <em>Better! Cities & Towns</em>, Susan Henderson compiles a comprehensive list of the types of personalities that must be brought on board to navigate the politics of zoning reform.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.
