The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Bolivia took two million cars off the street in nine cities during the "National Day of the Pedestrian." The event arrived when President Evo Morales' government plans to build a highway through the Amazon rainforest, the BBC reports.

September 6 - BBC

It may not be apparent to American motorists, but the U.S. oil refinery industry is ailing. Reduced VMT, mandated ethanol use, and escalating vehicle fuel efficiency standards caused a decrease of gasoline consumed. Diesel may revive the industry.

September 6 - Houston Chroncle

James S. Russell walks the new memorial at the World Trade Center site, and finds it "a place of quiet dignity" that is saddled with an unnecessary $300 million museum and visitors center.

September 6 - Bloomberg

While the South is king when it comes to exurbs (low density, with workers who mostly commute to an urban area), the exurban experience has many faces, including small town New England.

September 6 - Places

After complaints about blocking the sidewalk and creating litter, the City of Istanbul has been cracking down on street dining, gutting the food industry in the process.

September 6 - The Guardian U.K.

With the not-so-secret understanding that white people are much more likely to bike, some ethnic minorities in Portland, Oregon see the coming of a bike lane through their neighborhood as a fast lane to gentrification.

September 6 - Shareable

Grey Park in Evanston, Illinois is used primarily by mentally ill residents of a nearby facility, who make the space uncomfortable for the general public. A community group brought in food trucks, and everyone came together over cupcakes.

September 6 - Project for Public Spaces blog

The debate may be as old as the first environmental regulation on the federal books - do regulations kill jobs? Fresh from a Sept. 2 victory over EPA's attempt to strengthen smog regulations,Republicans will continue the effort to reduce regulations

September 6 - The New York Times - Business Day

Part of Buffalo, New York's decline, writes Amy Kedron, involved a shift from local to non-local ownership of businesses. A movement is afoot to encourage businesses to "Think Local First."

September 5 - Next American City

Martin C. Pedersen says New Orleans' recovery is far from over in the Ninth Ward, even with the efforts of groups like Brad Pitt's Make it Right Foundation.

September 5 - Metropolis Magazine

Economist Ryan Avent writes that the statistics show that people who live in denser cities have better jobs and are more productive.

September 5 - The New York Times

While the photos of the flooded towns in New England captivated our attention, it is the devastation to the roads and bridges that has become the priority in the rebuilding effort - as they must be repaired or replaced to allow relief and rebuilding.

September 5 - The New York Times - U.S.

BLOG POST

This is the third in a series of columns that respond to recent claims by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) that smart growth policies are ineffective and harmful. The first was, An Inaccurate Attack On Smart Growth [...]

September 5 - Todd Litman

The benefits of building a new $52-million HSR that connects London to northern England are plausible but not persuasive, says The Economist.

September 5 - The Economist

The Obama administration has pumped $2.5 billion in stimulus funds into the advanced battery industry, with the goal of creating manufacturing jobs. But will supporting green cars mean supporting sprawl in the long-term?

September 4 - Think Progress

An 84 foot tall cell tower, disguised as a giant pine tree, sparks controversy in Bozeman, Montana.

September 4 - Bozeman Daily Chronicle

BLOG POST

<p> For a while now, I&#39;ve wondered if we have been mislabeling the development around well functioning transit stops as transit-oriented developments (TODs). This may seem odd, because numerous studies have shown that property values can increase by 20% to 40% percent around transit stops, particularly rail stations (although the increases are uneven). </p>

September 4 - Samuel Staley

The two founders of New York's famous High Line give NPR an exclusive tour of the park and provide the inside scoop on the creation of the park.

September 4 - NPR:All Things Considered

Net lease investors see drugstores as solid, no-nonsense investments, and with an unstable market that's music to an investor's ears.

September 4 - Retail Traffic Magazine

Any prospect for the green initiatives to produce desired results requires more than just aggressive reduction targets, according to The Economist. It comes down to scope and suitability, the two factors that vary greatly from city to city.

September 4 - The Economist