The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Cities Built By Air-Conditioning

A device invented to cool factories changed where and how our cities formed.

July 2 - The Atlantic

Cohabitation for the Facebook Age

Jessica Reeder examines new methods of "coliving" cropping up in the Internet age, including the repurposing of McMansions into shared living for singles.

July 2 - Shareable

Train On Wheels: L.A.'s Unsung Transit Success

Should Los Angeles be investing more in bus-rapid transit?

July 2 - Los Angeles Times

Pittsburgh to Become an "Urban Forest"

The City of Pittsburgh, PA has announced an "urban forest master plan" to add more foliage to the 2.5 million trees already covering the city.

July 1 - The Pittsburg Post-Gazette

The Future is Here: Behold the Flying Bike

As GOOD's Sammy Roth notes, it's pretty impractical. But the Czech-based DesignYourDreams has pioneered a working model. (VIDEO)

July 1 - Good


The Incredible, Deficit-Reducing Transportation Bill

Just how does a transportation bill that doesn't increase fuel taxes or introduce new user charges, and maintain the same level of spending reduce the deficit by $16.3 billion? Ask the Congressional Budget Office.

July 1 - Taxpayers For Common Sense

A 40-Year Transformation for Detroit's RiverWalk

Since the mid-1970s, Detroit’s riverfront has been transforming from a depressed industrial area into a bustling district for families and businesses.

July 1 - Detroit Free Press


Playgrounds for Adults

Winnie Hu reports on a new effort in Macombs Dam Park in the Bronx to encourage adults into healthy activity.

July 1 - The New York Times

Robert Moses and the "Playscape"

James Trainor looks back at the history of New York's "adventure playgrounds" of the 1960s and 70s, tracing their origin back to the original Central Park dust-up between Robert Moses and local housewives.

June 30 - CABINET

D.C. Area Hits Uptick as Recession Peters Out

Carol Morello and Patricia Sullivan explore the recent population spike in Washington, D.C., part of a nationwide trend toward "an urban renaissance."

June 30 - Washington Post

How to Lose Your Home (and Keep Your Mortgage)

After seizing control of a condo association, a Pennsylvania developer has forced 11 homeowners to sell their units for as little as a third of their appraised value, leaving them stranded with crippling mortgages, Teke Wiggin reports.

June 30 - AOL Real Estate

From the Golden Age of Skyscrapers, an Eyesore No More

Anthony Paletta takes a look at a new book by Elihu Rubin, chronicling the intriguing political history behind the construction of Boston's Prudential Center in the mid-1950s.

June 30 - Metropolis Magazine

What Does the Final Federal Bill Mean for Transportation Reform?

At long last, after more than a thousand days of politicking, Congress passed a comprehensive federal transportation funding bill on Friday. Transportation reform advocates are disappointed by the results.

June 30 - Streetsblog D.C.

Friday Funny: Detroit Neighborhoods Perfect Site for 'Zombie Park'

One brazen entrepreneur from Detroit is looking to raise funds to bring his "zombie theme park" concept to life, Sarah Cox reports.

June 29 - Curbed

Imagined Air-Cleaning Technologies are Good Enough for CA Supreme Court

The court set a standard of "reasonable anticipation" that improved cleaner technologies will be developed, allowing government agencies to set more stringent standards for that anticipated future.

June 29 - Governing

"Gazelles" Are Leading the Pack

Economist David Birch coined the term "gazelle" to refer to small businesses that double their size every four years. Charlie Gandy says these gazelles are incredibly useful when it comes to placemaking.

June 29 - Project For Public Spaces

Census: Cities Growing Faster Than Suburbs

Historically the one-year data may be an aberration as suburbs have outgrown cities for every decade since the 1920s. It may be as much a consequence of the recession and housing bust as a preference for urban living, but builders are responding.

June 29 - The Wall Street Journal

Filmmaker Shows New Yorkers Tripping on Subway Step - Over and Over

Filmmaker Dean Petersen noticed a troublesome step at the 36th Street subway exit in Brooklyn, and decided to find out how many people tripped over it. Video evidence shows this hazard in action.

June 29 - Boing Boing

Buffalo Zoning Supports Sprawl

David Steel explains how Buffalo's zoning code not only makes it impossible to build the type of neighborhoods people love, but also guarantees that low density development pays less taxes.

June 29 - Rust Wire

The Rise of the Creative Class, 2012 Edition

Workers making up the 'creative class,' a term first coined by author Richard Florida, continue to grow and prosper, generating trillions in wages. What cities in the U.S. have the largest creative economies?

June 29 - The Daily Beast

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

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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.