The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Enjoying bipartisan support, the Senate's two-year, $109 billion transportation and infrastructure bill was approved by a comfortable 74-22 vote margin this afternoon, reports Jonathan Weisman.

March 14 - The New York Times

Fred Kent, of the Project for Public Spaces, wades into the debate over architecture and design criticism with an affirmation of the importance of place, buttressing his argument with five successful contemporary buildings, and a Hall of Shame.

March 14 - Project For Public Spaces

The Emerald City puts the streetlight of the future to the test – for both safety and feel, and the results could affect how cities everywhere are illuminated in the future, reports William Yardley.

March 14 - New York Times

Julie Ma investigates how one Swedish company is paving the way for a new urban food system that aims to increase one city's self-sufficiency.

March 14 - Good

The increasing recognition of waterfronts as a recreational and redevelopment asset belies its continued value for trade and industry. Will Doig makes the case for the oft-antagonized shipping industry in the tug-of-war over waterfront real estate.

March 14 - Salon

In the frenzied hunt for new revenue streams, municipal authorities are getting creative in capitalizing on their assets. Nate Berg follows the example of Sacramento, who is considering privatizing its parking meters to pay for a new sports arena.

March 14 - The Atlantic Cities

Web Urbanist has published a fun post featuring examples of unconventional urban furniture. If you're tired of the same old boring bus benches and park picnic tables, these interactive, comfortable, and visually interesting pieces should inspire you.

March 14 - Web Urbanist

Ben Hecht contemplates the currency of the digital age and how it will transform the cities we live in.

March 14 - Living Cities

As oversized homes fall out of fashion, is Junior's private lair disappearing? And is that really so bad?

March 14 - PlaceShakers

Inspired by three books published in the last year that help to elucidate the role of cities and density in making people and countries richer, Ezra Klein compiles some lessons for economic development in the United States.

March 13 - The Washington Post

Anil Dash examines how public spaces are less valued when they are owned by private companies as evidenced in New York City.

March 13 - Anil Dash

Ambitious plans to remake considerable portions of San Francisco's Waterfront in preparation for the America’s Cup yacht race, to be staged in the city in 2013, have been significantly scaled back, reports George Calys

March 13 - The Architect's Newspaper

Today, Gallup Wellbeing has released new findings on community satisfaction and optimism, evaluating 190 U.S. metro areas based on how residents feel about where they live and where their community is headed.

March 13 - Gallup Wellbeing

Yesterday James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro unveiled their designs for the third and final phase of the High Line, and <em>The Architect's Newspaper</em> has a plethora of tantalizing renderings.

March 13 - The Architect's Newspaper

Defying logic, as the world entered recession its poorest made inroads out of "extreme poverty" according to a new World Bank report. In 2009 a similar report predicted just the opposite would happen due to recession. Why the improvement?

March 13 - The New York Times - World

With more than 600 cities in the U.S. developing or having enacted formal climate plans, Nate Berg investigates disconcerting new findings that show a lack of any causal connection between greenhouse gas reductions and climate action plans.

March 13 - The Atlantic Cities

Elizabeth A. Harris explores the New York City Housing Authority's extensive underoccupied public housing dilemma and how attempts at resolving the issue delicately are failing to address the problem.

March 13 - The New York Times

The same issues afflicting transit agencies across the country, the perfect storm of declining funding and rising costs, are conspiring to challenge Portland's leadership in transit innovation and adoption, reports Ryan Holeywell.

March 13 - Governing

Lisa Donovan reports that the city of Chicago has plugged a $9 million shortfall in funding required to begin construction on the long-anticipated Bloomingdale Trail project.

March 13 - Chicago Sun-Times

After decades spent redeveloping Hollywood's starring attractions along Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, its alleyways are the focus of an on-going beautification effort, reports Jessica Gelt.

March 12 - Los Angeles Times