The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
A Taste of Urbanism in Charlotte
Can a "munching tour" along "an auto-focused commercial strip of tattered, 1970s-era Americana 5 miles from downtown" Charlotte help redefine what "urbanism" in 21st-century America means for Mary Newsom?
Should D.C. Break From Its Architectural Tradition?
Perhaps no American city is as defined by a single architectural style as Washington D.C. is by classically inspired architecture. Roger K. Lewis argues why the nation's capital needs to break from its historical antecedents.
L.A. Moves to Harness to Its Bountiful Sunshine
Carren Jao reports on recent steps the City of Los Angeles is taking to expand is woefully under-built solar power capacity.
Urban Trees: Friend or Foe to Crime?
A new study published in the June issue of <em>Landscape and Urban Planning</em> intends to settle once and for all the debate about whether urban trees provide a deterrent or inducement for crime, writes Eric Jaffe.
Could Fractals Provide the Secret to Designing Optimal Cities?
Michael Mehaffy and Nikos Salingaros explore the application of fractal structures to the design of the built environment, and why they believe they hold the key to improving our understanding of and appreciation for our cities.
Green Waves Descend On San Francisco
San Francisco is expanding a program of traffic light synchronization for cyclists, which is patterned after successful applications in Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Portland.
Broad Agreement Paves the Way for Development at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Lisa W. Foderaro reports on a new deal that enables adaptive reuse of historic structures and commercial development at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and ends a long-simmering dispute.
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Sticker Price vs. Real Price for a Planning Education
Unless they are independently wealthy, students thinking about graduate school in planning need to consider the cost.
How Can We Get NIMBYs to Say Yes?
Will Doig reflects on the scourge of public micromanagement that has "essentially become an official part of the urban planning process in many cities," and explores the psychology behind anti-development activism.
Washington Suburbs Accelerate Push for Rapid Transit
In D.C.'s built-out northern suburbs in Montgomery County, Maryland, officials recently released an audacious plan for a proposed 160-mile “RTV” system that they hope will revolutionize transportation patterns in the area, writes Yonah Freemark.
Public Art Proves Its Worth
Dan Rosenfeld looks at two recent projects in L.A. that incorporate public art components and finds that "investments in public art may provide the highest financial returns of any funds committed to an aspect of a transit project."
London's Olympian Traffic Headache
With the Olympic games, and millions of visitors, descending on London this summer, Sarah Lyall looks at how the capital city is hoping to spare users of its ancient road network and temperamental subway system from a transportation nightmare.
Why Car Sharing Won't Reduce Emissions
A new study by the RAND corporation highlights the various benefits of expanding car-sharing nationwide. It turns out, however, that significantly reducing carbon emissions isn't one of them, writes Brad Plumer.
Lamenting Toronto's Missing Middle
Christopher Hume surveys Toronto's "mid-rise crisis" and asks why the city has made it nearly impossible to build "the urban residential form par excellence."
Can Chicago Eliminate Traffic Deaths?
Sarah Goodyear reports on the Windy City's ambitious plan to eliminate all traffic fatalities in the city within 10 years.
D.C.'s Popularity Brings Growing Pains
Jonathan O’Connell looks at Washington's remarkable growth over the past decade, as the city has become a magnet for young professionals, and wonders if the city will be able to retain those residents as they become parents.
Talking Head Talks Bikes
Talking Heads founder and avid cyclist David Byrne pens an opinion piece in <em>The New York Times</em> regaling in the opportunities New York's new bike share program will provide to those who live and work in the city.
In Defense of the American Community Survey
Recently Congress voted in favor of a GOP measure to scrap the American Community Survey, on the basis of its alleged intrusiveness. Now a backlash is growing in defense of the survey, even among some conservatives, reports Matthew Yglesias.
How to Get Rural Transit Right
With nearly 40 percent of the United States’ transit-dependent population living in rural areas, it's imperative that rural transit agencies get the most out of their investments. A new report explores how some are getting it right.
Examining Zoning's Origins to Shed Light on Current Critiques
As traditional zoning comes under increasing criticism for its exclusionary practices, strict separation of uses, and controls on density, Daniel Nairn explores its genesis and the arguments of pioneering planner Edward Murray Bassett.
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.
