The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
If A Park is Beautiful But No One Uses It, Is it Still A Park?
Robert Campbell keeps hoping that the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway (the park built over the Big Dig site) will attract visitors. But even as it gets more beautiful, it still fails in terms of usage.
Barbie, Duany and the American Institute of Architects
Mattel chose to premiere its "Architect Barbie" at the AIA Convention in New Orleans, and reporter Doug MacCash foregoes the plastic icon to talk to another sort of icon—Andres Duany.
Big But Familiar Park Changes Mirror L.A.'s Issues
Exposition Park in Los Angeles is on the verge of major changes -- a retired space shuttle, the last days of a stadium, new transit access, and the demolition of a piece of big-name architecture. But looking at its history, changes are nothing new.
Bikes to Get Buck in New Portland Budget
Portland Mayor Sam Adams has pledged to increase the amount of money dedicated to bicycle planning and bicycle infrastructure from 4% to 17% in the city's next budget.
Tight Timeline A Challenge for Doha Metro
Doha wants to have a fully functioning metro rail system in place by the time Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup, but the tight deadline of the event has some officials worried the system won't be complete in time.
Booming West Faces Busted Water Supply
Projections of water shortages and predicted changes in the climate mean bad news for water users in the American West.
BLOG POST
On defining "Sprawl"
<p> Last week, I was busy trying to turn my paper on sprawl in Canada (available at http://works.bepress.com/lewyn/65/) into a speech. In my paper, I define sprawl in two ways: where we grow (measured by growth or decline of central cities, controlling for municipal annexations) and how we grow (measured by modal shares for cars and transit). As I was proofing, I asked myself: why these particular measurements? What presuppositions underlie defining sprawl based on, say, modal share as opposed to the growth of a urban area's land mass? </p>
L.A. Second-Best When it Comes to Transit
Honolulu has the most accessible public transit in the U.S., but apparently the same state with the worst traffic in the nation has the 2nd-most convenient transit.
Despite Smear, Vancouver Density is Key to City
In Vancouver, urban density is being attacked as a detriment to the city. But as this column argues, the city's emphasis on density and transit accessibility is what makes the city great.
Houston: City of the Year?
Fast Company chooses Houston as its 2011 City of the Year, citing its sense of opportunity and general affordability as the major reasons for its selection.
How Far Will People Walk to a Park?
Ryan Donahue of the Trust for Public Land says that it depends on age, health, time availability, quality of surroundings, safety, climate, and many other factors.
Real Estate of the Rich and Tyrannical
With Bin Laden's Abbotabad hideaway still in the news, Rob Bear takes us on a tour of despot's palaces and hideaways.
Loved Cities Prosper
When people love a city, it succeeds. That's the semi-obvious conclusion of a recent survey. So why aren't we working hard to make cities people will love?
Preserving Industrial Areas for Jobs
Only 10% of the City of Vancouver, B.C. isn't zoned for residences, and that 10% holds 50% of the city's jobs. Planning director Brent Toderian says it is imperative to preserve the remaining industrial land for employment.
Is the High Line's Success Replicable?
Witold Rybczynski thinks not, saying that the success of the project's "landscape urbanism" is its remarkably dense and urban setting, not the hip design and landscaping.
An Urban Protest Movement Arises in Beirut
A new anti-sectarian political movement has emerged in Lebanon challenging the government. It is mimicking the successful urban strategies of ongoing Arab revolutions, like the occupation of public spaces.
Street Artist JR Turns Stoops Into Portraits
Faces are appearing in Brooklyn, plastered along the slats of front stoops as part of a participatory public art project by famous French street artist JR.
To Beat The Backlash, Expand The Bike Network, Say Planners
Bike lanes have become one of the most controversial topics in all of New York City. For cycling to take hold, the city needs to make sure all groups have equal access to cycling, say a team of Hunter College grad students.
Density Supports Great Retail Environments in Hong Kong
Policy in Hong Kong dictates that development must concentrate on only 25% of the land area, with the remaining 75% preserved as open space. Julia Levitt examines the ingenious density that results.
Emergency Avenue
Your streets could be killing you -- or at least making it harder for emergency services to reach you in times of need.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
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.
