The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
4 Major U.S. Cities Publish Data for All to See
A new platform from the U.S. government serves as a central location for Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle to share their municipal data.
Defeat of Atlanta Tax Measure is Huge Loss to the Region
In light of the resounding defeat of Atlanta's regional referendum on a transportation sales tax that could have brought 'transformative infrastructure' to the sprawling region, Brookings' Adie Tomer provides a brief post-mortem on the historic vote.
FEATURE
Learning to Love Congestion
Economic Segregation Spreads Across America's Cities
Emily Badger looks at new data from the Pew Research Center that shows, "As Americans are growing farther apart on the income scale, we are also effectively moving apart from each other within cities, into our own economic enclaves."
Minnesota Courting Bicyclists' Billion-Dollar Business
With bicycling a $1 billion (with a 'B') industry in the State of Minnesota, a coalition of eight public partners are joining together to raise the profile of biking and make it easier to pedal through the already spoke-friendly state.
Can New York's Juvenile Jails Become a Cash Cow for Goldman Sachs?
In an initiative announced today, New York will become the first city in the U.S. to test social impact bonds, "an experimental mechanism for financing social services that has excited and worried government reformers around the world."
You've Got a Friend in Me: Community Development and Health Sectors Working Together
Sixty percent of premature deaths are accounted for not by medical care or lack thereof, but by social circumstances, environmental conditions, and behavioral patterns. So perhaps the medical field on its own can't prevent them.
Five Years Later: What Lessons Have Been Learned From I-35W Bridge Collapse?
Part 4 of this multi-part series on the 5-year anniversary of the August 1, I-35W bridge collapse by David Levinson, U. of Minnesota Professor of Civil Engineering, deals with the three vetoed gas tax measures before and after the bridge collapse.
Plans for Elevated Roadway in Oklahoma City Encounter 'Buzz-Saw of Criticism'
According to Steve Lackmeyer, traditional highway design, aimed at the automobile, is clashing with modern urban planning trends, of 'complete streets' and multi-modes, over a new proposal to build an elevated highway in Oklahoma City.
Updated Designs Depict High Line's Grand Finale
New renderings unveiled this week at a meeting to solicit community input show what designers James Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Piet Oudolf have planned for the third and final section of the High Line.
Oil Spill in Michigan Still Affecting Town Two Years Later
Matt Pearce reports on the town of Marshall's road to recovery after a 2010 oil spill damaged the area's human and natural ecosystems, and describes how these long-term impacts should serve as a warning to other communities.
Do Chain Stores Threaten L.A.'s Newfound Urbanity?
As downtown Los Angeles seeks to cement its nascent transformation into a full-fledged urban neighborhood, Sam Lubell cautions against the threat brought by the suburban mindset of Walmart, Target, and other chain operators.
Uncovering the History Behind Our Own Homes
Is your home historic? <em>The Atlantic Cities</em> challenges its readers to look at the history behind their own homes, providing a list of 10 things one can do to learn something new about the place we spend most of our time.
BLOG POST
What AASHTO, NACTO and other Acronyms Tell Us About the Future of Professional Guidance
<p> The recent release of the <a href="http://www.transportation.org/" target="_blank">American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’</a> (AASHTO) 2012 <a href="https://bookstore.transportation.org/collection_detail.aspx?ID=116" target="_blank">Update to the Guide for Development of Bicycle Facilities</a> sparked an interesting discussion on the <a href="http://www.apbp.org/default.asp?" target="_blank">Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professional</a>’s (APBP) email listserv. <br />
Bloomberg's Broadway Gamble Gets Standing Ovation
Nicole Gelinas reports on the effects of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s controversial 2009 transportation reforms, which have unexpectedly lightened the traffic and dangers on New York’s streets.
Can Toronto's New Planning Head Succeed Where Others Have Failed?
This week it was announced that, after a lengthy search, Toronto had found a candidate willing to take on the challenge of guiding the city's planning efforts amid a hostile climate created by "car-loving" mayor Rob Ford.
Celebrating the Anniversary of a Moment That Galvanized Historic Preservation
It was 50 years ago tomorrow that many will argue the modern historic preservation movement was born in the United States. On that day, the Action Group for Better Architecture in New York gathered to protest the demolition of Pennsylvania Station.
Atlanta Rejects Transpo Tax
Voters in the Atlanta metro area overwhelmingly rejected a 1% sales tax increase to fund $7.2 billion in transportation improvements. The result is being framed as a victory for anti-government Tea Party allies and a loss for the region's economy.
Mega Miami Development Seeks to Tame the Car
You know things are changing in Miami when the most notable aspects of the $1 billion Brickell CitiCentre development are its parking and transit access strategies. Douglas Hanks provides the details.
What Role do Small Cities Play in Shaping Global Events?
Deen Sharp asserts that inattention to smaller and less-central cities in the Arab world has obstructed urban theorists from understanding the roll such places have played in changing the course of history.
Pagination
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
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.