The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Cities Learn From Each Other

Tim Campbell of The Urban Age Institute says that the fastest way to gain knowledge about how cities work is to get out and visit other cities.

January 5 - Citiscope

BRT Hits NYC

New dedicated lanes and limited-stop buses have entered the transportation picture in New York City.

January 5 - The New York Times

Road Safety Bill Aimed at Cars and Bikes

A new road safety bill up for consideration in Washington would increase rules and regulations for motorists and cyclists.

January 5 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Governor Considers Cutting Redevelopment Agencies

California Governor Jerry Brown has announced plans to reduce the state's budget gaps by possibly eliminating a wide array of projects and agencies, including the state's redevelopment agencies.

January 5 - The Sacramento Bee

Thou Shalt Follow the Orthodoxy of City Planning

Rick Harrison believes that city planning has turned into a faith-based series of architectural commandments that demonize the suburbs and cast out naysayers.

January 5 - New Geography


BLOG POST

Should I do a PhD in Planning?

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: 'Times New Roman'">In coming weeks doctoral applications in planning are due. Why apply? </span> </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: 'Times New Roman'">For professional planners, a PhD sometimes sounds interesting compared with doing a regular job in a municipality. Some designers remember studio professors who seemed to float into class, unprepared, for a few hours per week. Compared with the ups and downs of private design practice, this can seem quite appealing. Of course, some people genuinely like studying and research, want to make a contribution in that area, and have a flair for teaching. </span> </p>

January 5 - Ann Forsyth

Urban Amusement Parks

Harvard GSD graduate Ju-Hyun Kim thinks we should be building amusement parks as skyscrapers, cutting down on the costly commute to the outside of town.

January 5 - Fast Company


No Relief For Gridlock

MacDill Air Force Base has created a snarl of traffic in Tampa. Transportation planners are at a loss to find a solution so far.

January 5 - The St. Petersburg Times

Hawaii's Hot for Renewable Energy

The state's energy administrator says that "renewable energy will be a driver of Hawaii's economy at least for the next decade."

January 5 - Sustainable Business Oregon

Learning From the Schwarzenegger Era

This op-ed writer does not look kindly at the 7-year legacy of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. As Gov. Jerry Brown addresses the $28 billion budget deficit left by his predecessor, Joe Mathews considers Schwarzenegger's legacy.

January 5 - Los Angeles Times - Opinion

"Architectural Sizzle" in India

With the outsourcing business booming, Indian companies are building sexy new office towers with the goal of attracting the hottest software developers and consultants.

January 4 - The New York Times

What Will Chicago Be Like, Post-Daley?

Blair Kamin reflects on the soon-to-be-ex-mayor Richard Daley's legacy, his "passion to build," and how Chicago might be shaped without his influence.

January 4 - The Chicago Tribune

Builders Balk At New Energy Requirements

A handful of residential code revisions went into effect in Ohio on January 1st, including an energy conservation code with stricter standards on insulation that is causing an uproar among homebuilders.

January 4 - Builder Magazine

Big Homebuilders Not Yet Embracing Green Standards

With few exceptions, America's largest homebuilders are slower than companies in other fields to act on environmental concerns, according to a survey conducted by Calvert Asset Management Company.

January 4 - New Urban Network

New Report Says Roads Don’t Pay For Themselves

A new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group PIRG's report estimates that road construction has cost the American public $600 billion since the highway system began.

January 4 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Untangling the Knots of Planning Ethics

Daniel Nairn reviews Robert Kirkman's new book, The Ethics of Metropolitan Growth.

January 4 - SustainableCitiesCollective

Recycling Carpet Could Save Millions of Barrels of Oil

Four billion pounds of old carpet get dumped every year in the United States, and five pounds of oil goes into producing a single pound of nylon. New recycling methods could save all that oil by producing new nylon from old with little energy cost.

January 4 - greentechmedia

A Perfect Storm For Bad Roads

Winter storms have combined with bad road engineering, geography, funding shortfalls and inequities in Sonoma County, California. drivers and cyclists can expect an unusually rough ride this year and more to come.

January 4 - The Press Democrat

Improving Your Neighborhood in the New Year

Sarah Goodyear at Grist gives seven ideas for New Year's resolutions you might consider for improving your community, including planting something, going for a walk, and getting to know your neighbors.

January 4 - Grist

The Definitive Guide to New Transit in 2011

Yonah Freemark over at the Transport Politic presents an exhaustive catalog of openings and construction of new transit in the U.S., from the Wickford Junction Commuter Rail Extension in Rhode Island to Phase 1A of the Expo Line in Los Angeles.

January 4 - the transport politic

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.