The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Julie V. Iovine examines a new exhibition at the Center for Architecture in New York that seeks to capture the spirit of architectural possibility and optimism that defined midcentury Baghdad.

April 6 - The Wall Street Journal

Haya El Nasser and Paul Overberg report on how current trends could cause the extinction of suburban sprawl.

April 6 - USA Today

BLOG POST

A couple of weeks ago, Todd Litman made a blog entry on logical fallacies in planning.*<span>   </span>After looking at the list of possible fallacies at the end of his post, I thought I would show some (hopefully not too common) examples of these fallacies: <p class="MsoNormal"> <strong>Ad hominem</strong> (arguing against the person rather than the argument) – “Smart growth is in the U.N&#39;s Agenda 21 so we have to fight it to stop the U.N&#39;s plan to socialize the world.”<span>  </span>“Concern about urban containment is just another example of Tea Party extremism.” </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <strong>Anageon</strong> (relying on inevitability)- “Sprawl is inevitable, so there’s nothing we can do about it.” </p>

April 5 - Michael Lewyn

As the largest council of governments in the country adopts a $525 billion transportation and land use plan for the next two decades, Josh Stephens marks the beginning of Southern California's age of climate-friendly, smart-growth regionalism.

April 5 - California Planning & Development Report

According to Nick Bunkley, and data compiled by TrueCar.com, probably not. Aside from two hybrids and a diesel car, gas would need to cost $8 a gallon before most hybrids cover their increased initial cost versus a similar, non-hybrid model.

April 5 - The New York Times

Just 24 hours before Governor Snyder's deadline for appointing an emergency manager for Detroit to help rein in its budgetary troubles, the city council has voted to approve a consent agreement with the State of Michigan.

April 5 - Detroit Free Press

McKay Jenkins looks at the challenges confronting Maryland as the state tries to reckon with the devastating consequences of the era of sprawl and prepare for an additional one million people over the next twenty five years.

April 5 - Urbanite

Maggie Comstock looks at what it takes to be considered a "Smart City", and asks what an organizationally and infrastructurally challenged city like Atlanta can do to raise its IQ.

April 5 - Sustainable Cities

Claire Thompson profiles Neighborland, an online urban planning platform that aims to promote organic conversations that can build momentum and facilitate connections around improvement projects.

April 5 - Grist

The mismatch between current US housing stock and the growing demand for walkable urban living can be addressed in part by recovering the skills required for intermediate-density housing, argues Dan Parolek.

April 5 - Better! Cities & Towns

More people leave the 9-county region than migrate there from other states. In fact, the population would be in decline if it wasn't for foreign migration. Notably missing from the report on Census data is the birth rate for the region.

April 5 - Bay Citizen

A California real estate group aims to capitalize on cheap foreclosures, collecting homes en masse thanks to a semi-automated decisionmaking system.

April 5 - The New York Times

A light rail line linking Minneapolis and St. Paul, a new intermodal transit hub, and the area's first bus rapid transit system are among the projects being funded by a quarter-cent sales tax for transit approved in 2008.

April 5 - Star Tribune

Atlanta area business and civic groups are starting an advertising campaign this week to build support for a historical referendum to fund transportation projects for the region, reports Ariel Hart.

April 4 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Just months after a proposal to build the first wind farm to be located offshore on any of the Great Lakes was shelved, five neighboring states have struck a deal with the Obama administration to develop offshore wind farms more quickly.

April 4 - The Buffalo News

Andrea Bernstein reports on the recent announcement of $1.2 billion in road and bridge project funding by the New York Works infrastructure bank, just days after its creation and before appointees to its administrative committee could even be named.

April 4 - Transportation Nation

BLOG POST

<p> Last week my family and I took in the <a href="http://www.canneslions.com/">2011 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity</a> (more commonly referred to as the Cannes Commercials), the annual celebration of the best in filmed advertising. The winning ads were, as usual, an entertaining mix of the hilarious, risqué and the moving, and afforded the viewer the chance to be exposed to diverse film styles (and unfamiliar products) from around the world. </p>

April 4 - Michael Dudley

From black flight to Asian invasion, Mark Wilson offers his take on a stunning map that lays out the changing demography of Los Angeles.

April 4 - Fast Company

Simplify some steps, delete a few details, and you can get an affordable, multi-century house for under $80 a square foot.

April 4 - PlaceShakers

BLOG POST

<p> <em>Planetizen is honored to welcome Sam Hall Kaplan to Interchange, our daily blog featuring opinions and commentary from esteemed professionals such as himself. Many of you will need no introduction to Sam or his work. For those of you that do, a quick summary.</em> <br />

April 4 - Sam Hall Kaplan