The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The Completely Privatized City
Sandy Springs, Georgia has taken the libertarian tip and privatized almost every city service - including planning. So does it work?
Facebook's New Infographic: Where Are We 'Checking In'?
Tyler Falk reports on new data released by Facebook, mapping the top 5 "social landmarks" in 25 cities from Seoul to São Paulo.
Public Art Rejuvenates a City
Less than 25 years ago, Nantes was an old port town languishing in the wake of failing industry. But thanks to a commitment to public art, it has since become a cultural mecca and thriving tourist destination, Frank Browning reports.
Study Says Induced Traffic Effect Too Often Ignored
Despite many studies confirming the effect of induced traffic, the effect is often ignored in the transport models used for project appraisal, says a team of Scandanavian researchers creating an extreme bias in the assessment of new projects.
Tackling the Auto-Orientation and Urban Pollution of Mexico
The City of Villahermosa, Mexico, an oil industry town in Tabasco, is reclaiming space from the auto, rejuvenating their urban spaces, and on a more basic level, cleaning the water supply and modernizing their sewage systems.
San Francisco Launches Website to Encourage DIY Urbanism
The city recently launched SFBetterStreets.org to be a central source of information to help residents with street improvements like traffic-calming, parklets, bike corrals, plantings, art installations, and sidewalk fixtures.
Generation X Author Pitches Futuristic Utility Pole
Douglas Coupland, most famous for authoring the book Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, is pitching a combined street lamp / wifi / cell phone tower to bring connectivity to Vancouver's streets.
The "Perfect Storm" that Caused the U.S. Public Housing Fiasco
Architect Ray Gindroz says that a perfect storm of factors - economic change, crushing policy decisions, and over-reaching ambition - brought about the disaster of public housing in the U.S. like Pruitt-Igoe.
Towers in the Park, 2012 Style
Julie V. Iovine laments that while walkability is the watchword of the day, architects have to design what they're hired to design -- and that often means designing iconic buildings that turn a blind eye to pedestrians.
Automakers Grapple with Urbanization
In a discussion at the Automotive News Europe Congress in Monte Carlo last week, panelists said the trend towards urbanization will require making cars part of a larger eco-system of transportation.
Subsidizing Oil and Coal Over Alternative Energy
The federal government gives more research and development subsidies to fossil fuels than clean energy technologies. But, why?
Bridging the Gap Between the Virtual World and Reality
A young artist in New Orleans launches a social experiment on the built environment, turning the walls of the city's buildings into a public forum.
Reshaping Detroit by Turning Out the Lights
In an effort to save money and to rationalize civic services, Detroit is going to be turning out the streetlights in "distressed" areas.
Cities in Decline: Finding Something To Celebrate
News always comes in twos; there's the good news, and then there's the bad news. In the city of Windsor, Canada, the bad news has consistently been their ailing economy. Residents look for something to celebrate.
The Death of the Urban Freeway? Not Yet
The long-sought after demolition of Bronx's Sheridan Expressway hits obstacles as the City of New York now looks to save and retrofit it.
The Hands-On Urbanism Movement
Mike Lydon discusses "tactical urbanism," a DIY approach to planning that is sweeping the nation, and explains how communities are making lasting impacts at the grassroots level.
Gov. Brown Relents To Environmentalists: CEQA to Apply to HSR
Under intense political pressure to retain the full application of the CA Environmental Quality Act to CA High Speed Rail project, Gov. Brown withdrew his proposal to allow the project certain exceptions to lawsuits.
Transit Apps For People With Disabilities
Google Transit has changed the way people plan their public transportation trips. Now there's an app, OnTheBus, for people with visual, hearing, physical and cognitive impairments. Zak Stone describes the tool.
Friday Funny: A Lost Battle in the War Against Obesity
Just as Mayor Bloomberg had opened a striking new front in America's war on obesity with his ban on oversized soft drinks, a revolutionary "crisp-crusted, ooey-gooey" weapon of mass seduction has been unveiled, writes Rene Lynch.
Map Making Before Computers: How'd They Do It?
Ever wonder how maps were made in the decades before vector-based graphics software like Adobe Illustrator were invented? The Atlantic has posted a film from the 1940's that documents the process of "Modern Map Making."
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.
