The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Fortunately for the unrelated roommates, that is, because in NYC the housing code prohibits more than three to live under the same roof. By one estimate, that would make at least 15,000 units illegal. This article looks at several of them.

April 1 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

A Marin County shopping mall hopes to be the first LEED-certified mall, partly by reserving parking space for low emitting vehicles. All spaces, for guzzlers and green vehicles alike, are unpriced, perhaps pointing to shortfalls of green building.

April 1 - Marin Independent Journal

The recession has left many real estate properties empty across the country. In Los Angeles, some of those empty spaces are being revived by the city's artists.

April 1 - Core77

This piece from <em>The Examiner</em> looks at the alleyways of San Francisco and how they have become activated in recent years.

April 1 - Examiner

President Barack Obama has lifted a ban on drilling for oil off the coast of the eastern U.S. Critics say the move won't meet the stated goal of achieving energy independence, while proponents say this is only the first step that needs to be taken.

April 1 - The New York Times

This oped from <em>The National</em> calls for increased attention to the streetscapes of the United Arab Emirate, specifically the lack of non-palm trees and seating.

April 1 - The National

FEATURE

To inaugurate the launch of our new website with exclusive coverage of high-speed rail, we asked David J. Carol, Market Leader of High-Speed Rail at Parsons Brinkerhoff to tell us what we need to know about the U.S.'s exciting new endeavor.

April 1 - David J. Carol

A recent survey from UNLV suggests that 40% of the residents of the Las Vegas metropolitan area would prefer to leave the state.

April 1 - Las Vegas Sun

A recent report from NASA outlined the threat solar storms pose to Earth-based electrical and communications systems, and warned that the social and economic disruptions could be catastrophic.

April 1 - Big Think

In this editorial, blogger Kevin Buchanan argues that a Fort Worth streetcar is being delayed by political forces and should move forward for the benefit of the community.

April 1 - Fortworthology

With the country is full recovery mode, urban planners in Haiti are releasing a strategy document that seeks to redistribute the population of damaged Port-au-Prince and to create a series of smaller urban centers throughout the country.

March 31 - The New York Times

Illegal immigrants in Arizona are wary about the Census, and are planning to avoid enumerators. But other illegal immigrants without the right to vote see the count as their only option for having a positive impact on their communities.

March 31 - NPR

While this article focuses on 'Heavy', the homeless hold-out, it really is a success story of how a popular, urban destination can tackle what many considerable an insurmountable urban problem - homelessness.

March 31 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

In a Chicago Tribune op-ed, Alderman Joe Moore explains why he is letting residents decide how to spend his $1.3 ward budget, through the first Participatory Budgeting process in the US.

March 31 - Chicago Tribune

The environmental and infrastructural conditions that brought about the flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 remain today, and have the potential to cause similar devastation, according to this piece.

March 31 - Places

San Francisco's recently passed and controversial sit/lie laws that prohibit sitting on sidewalks were based on a similar rule passed in Seattle in 1993. Though that rule has been on the books for years, its controversy remains.

March 31 - San Francisco Chronicle

The local food movement is growing in popularity, but a lack of related agricultural and processing infrastructure is holding back its spread.

March 31 - The New York Times

Inside this gated community in the L.A. suburb of Hemet, the recession is taking a tough toll and making life difficult for the families that had moved there for quiet calm.

March 31 - Los Angeles Times

Recent attacks in the Moscow subway system highlight concerns in New York City, where a closed circuit security camera system still has many gaps.

March 31 - The New York Times

Brazilian slums represent huge segments of the country's urban population, especially in Sao Paulo. Upgrading them into economically sustainable segments of the city is a challenge, but a new toolkit offers a path to success.

March 31 - Citiscope