The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

New Study: Car Ownership Not Essential to Everyday Commute

A new study, "Tech for Transit: Designing a Future System," concluded that four-fifths of research participants felt car ownership was not essential to their everyday commute.

March 26 - TheCityFix.com

Tools of Inspiration

Landscape architect and designer Ken Smith talks about some things that inspire him, such as William H. Whyte's classic book The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces.

March 26 - Fast Company

How Egyptian Planning Helped Breed Revolution

Egyptian architects and planners cite the number of large public spaces as a factor in the success of protests in that country leading to the ousting of Hosni Mubarak.

March 26 - Congress.org

Preservation Challenges on Peddocks Island

At the 210-acre Peddocks Island in Boston Harbor Island State Park, two different visions prevail over preserving -- or destroying -- the 26 historic buildings on the island.

March 25 - The Architect's Newspaper

Will Safety Concerns Curb the Spread of Wind Power?

Speigel Online reports that wind turbines are proving to be prone to breakdowns and accidents. In Europe, the wind business is booming, but growing concern about safety could put a crimp in the growing industry.

March 25 - Climate Adaptation


How an Infrastructure Bank Could Work

Last week, a bill was submitted to Congress to create an entity to "facilitate efficient investments and financing of infrastructure projects." Robert Puentes of the Brookings Institution explains how he thinks a natl. infrastructure bank could work.

March 25 - Miller-McCune

Bicycles Empower Women and Boost Economic Development in Uganda

Over 200 Ugandan women met in Buhoma,Uganda to learn how to ride and repair bicycles in an effort to promote bicycling and provide economic development opportunities.

March 25 - TheCityFix.com


Ping Pong in the Park

Following trends seen in Europe and China, a public park in New York City has installed a ping pong table.

March 25 - DNAInfo

States Cut Funds to Cities

State budget problems are trickling down to cities, which are being cut off from funding by their governors.

March 25 - The New York Times

The Fake "War on Cars"

Sarah Goodyear points out the absurdity of the idea that urban planners who are seeking to raise tolls and parking fees while increasing transit accessibility are mounting a "war on cars".

March 25 - Grist

Visualizing the Cost of Water

This visualization compares the costs of providing water in cities across the world, and shows how those costs have grown or shrank in recent years.

March 25 - Kraeutli

More 'Parklets' Heading to San Francisco

The City of San Francisco is expanding its program of "parklets" -- small public patio-like spaces built on parking spots.

March 25 - The San Francisco Examiner

A Debate Over 'Fully Contained Communities'

Rural Kitsap County, Washington, has been debating over a policy change that would allow new communities to spring up in the area.

March 25 - Kitsap Sun

The World's Water-Smart Cities

This collection of city profiles looks at cities around the world that are making major improvements to the way they handle and provide water.

March 24 - National Geographic

The New Terrorist Threat: Bike Lanes

Jess Zimmerman, writing for Grist, takes a look at the absurdly overheated rhetoric coming out of New York concerning that city's new bikelanes.

March 24 - Grist

Car Ban Proposed in Central Park

A lawmaker in New York has introduced a plan to ban cars from Central Park and Prospect Park.

March 24 - The New York Post

Combating Gas Prices with Transit and Urban Design

As gas prices rise, more voices are calling for increased investments in transit and more multi-modal city planning.

March 24 - USA Today

Reusing Empty Office Space

Through a rule that allows landlords to financially benefit from allowing charities and non-profits to use their spaces, empty office buildings in the UK are being utilized by groups for a variety of projects, including an art exhibition.

March 24 - This Big City

Cities Losing Black Populations

Cities with high populations of black Americans are losing them, according to figures form the U.S. Census Bureau.

March 24 - USA Today

BLOG POST

A War On Cars? Let There Be Peace!

<p class="MsoNormal">Our job as planners is ultimately to <a href="http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm114.htm">manage change</a>, which is often fun but occasionally ugly. A good example is a current debate over a supposed <a href="http://daily.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2011/01/03/war-on-cars-a-history">“war against the car.”</a> </p>

March 24 - Todd Litman

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