The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Wasteland Turned Wonderland for Rowing in NJ

After decades of use as a landfill, Overpeck Creek's recent makeover has created a dream home for rowing crews from around the New York region, reports Juliet Macur.

May 9 - The New York Times

Designing the Workplace for the New Ecomony

Mike Sheridan looks at the changing types of workspaces being demanded by knowledge-economy businesses. These aren't your parents' cubicle-filled steel and glass boxes.

May 9 - Urban Land

What Gets Left Behind in the Rush to Privatize Public Improvements?

As public-private partnerships to invest in aged urban infrastructure gain in popularity in Chicago, and across the country, Christopher Weber asks who will fund the improvements unaligned with corporate interests.

May 9 - Rust Wire

Cairo Subway an Oasis From the Chaos Above

Kareem Fahim explores the surprisingly reliable subway system beneath the Egyptian capital, as well as public sentiment that it's the last stronghold of order in a city still trying to regain its balance.

May 9 - The New York Times

Battle Over Beach Sprawl Divides Orange County

Once again, Southern California finds itself embroiled in a dispute over public access to, and private usurping of, its most coveted resource -- the beach. This time, tony Orange County is the scene of the battle.

May 8 - Los Angeles Times


Last Stop: the Shredding of America's Transit Networks

Amidst the paradoxical increase in ridership demand, Yonah Freemark explores the plague of transit cuts reinforcing regional inequalities across the country.

May 8 - the transport politic

Six Ideas for Building Food Oases

With low-income children much more likely to be overweight than their wealthier counterparts, Sarah Parsons looks at six innovative ideas for improving access to healthy foods in low-income communities.

May 8 - Good


Does England Need More Mayors?

On the occasion of recent elections in England that saw the defeat eight of the nine referendums seeking approval for directly elected mayors, Peter Hetherington laments the state of local governance in the country.

May 8 - The Guardian

Infographics Illuminate the Decline of Suburbia

Megan Jett has created a beautiful series of compelling infographics that capture the different factors contributing to the decline of suburbia.

May 8 - ArchDaily

Why Whole Foods' Arrival is an Auspicious Sign for Detroit

Starbucks used to be the retailer who symbolically announced the revival of an urban community. Not any longer. Will Doig looks at Whole Foods, the new gentrification symbol, who've "made a science of putting down roots" at "just the right moment".

May 8 - Salon.com

NYC Bike Share Gets a Sponsor, a Name, and a Price

Announced on Monday by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYCDOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, America's largest bike share program will be named Citibike, for its lead sponsor Citibank, reports Branden Klayko.

May 8 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog

Chicago: America's Freight Rail Speed Bump

John Schwartz looks at Chicago's rail mess, which seems entirely inadequate a word to describe the "sprawling traffic jam" that keeps some rail traffic crawling through the city at an average speed of 1.13 miles per hour.

May 8 - The New York Times

The Street Hacker Finds an Open Source Embrace in SF

Emily Badger tracks the hacking phenomenon as it migrates from the virtual to the physical world, and the official channels that are embracing and facilitating its emergence.

May 8 - The Atlantic Cities

Google Crowdsources 3-D Tours

Mark Wilson profiles Google Maps' new feature - Photo Tours - which combs the Internet to provide 3-D tours of popular locations around the world.

May 8 - Fast Company Co:Design

Renting the American Dream

In an essay for The Wall Street Journal, economics author Daniel Gross explores how he believes America's transition from an Ownership Society to a Rentership Society will unleash a wave of economic efficiency to fuel the next boom.

May 7 - The Wall Street Journal

Cincinnati Embraces the Form-Based Code

As Cincinnati embarks on an effort to rewrite its building regulations, city leaders hope a form-based code will provide the tools necessary to revitalize its neighborhoods, writes Carrie Whitaker.

May 7 - Cincinnati.com

D.C.'s Rapidly Disappearing Affordable Housing

In a city that survived the recession better than most, efforts to meet the demand for upscale housing will "change the face of the city for decades to come," reports Annys Shin.

May 7 - The Washington Post

How Cars Harm the Relationship Between Kids and Their Neighborhoods

Sarah Goodyear reports on a new study that illustrates the disastrous effect that commuting by car has on children's connection to their neighborhoods.

May 7 - The Atlantic Cities

A National Model for Transit Equity

Kaid Benfield looks at a groundbreaking new report compiled by Reconnecting America and the equity coalition Mile High Connects, that suggests how the expansion of Denver's transit system could reach traditionally underserved populations.

May 7 - Switchboard

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