The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Chapter 9 Cities on the Rise
The economic recession is pushing many municipalities towards declaring bankruptcy.
Metro Areas Organizing Themselves Towards Regional Goals
Metropolitan officials in the Sun Corridor of Arizona are increasingly working together to form a self-organized super-region, according to this analysis.
Sustainable Urban Farming Through Aquaponics
Aquaponics offer urbanites a new way to farm sustainably in space- and resource-poor areas.
New Zoning for Design Stirs Controversy
In Anchorage, Alaska, planners are rolling out a substantial new version of their zoning code, which includes some design requirements like no blank walls. Business owners are up in arms over the proposed changes.
Guide To Charging For Parking
The Victoria Transport Policy Institute has released this report to guide municipalities to transition from 'free' parking (though author Todd Litman is quick to point out that it is never free) to charging for parking directly.
Infamous Watts Public Housing, Reimagined
The Jordan Downs public housing complex in Watts, California is a perfect example of the failed projects of built mid-century. A new proposal would tear down the towers in favor of a mix of building styles connecting to the surrounding area.
Metros Miss Out on Stimulus Funding
Metropolitan region's make up a major part of the U.S. in terms of population and economic activity. Accordingly, the Brookings Institution was surprised to see how little of the government's first year stimulus package went to those areas.
Google and the Company Town
Google and the city of Mountain View, California have a unique relationship. The city is home to the search giant's headquarters, but the company is much more than a quiet tenant, according to this article.
The Tent City Next Door to the Olympics
This post from <em>Next American City</em> looks at Vancouver's homelessness problem and the public outreach effort underway to bring attention and solutions to the problem.
Schwarzenegger Wants to Double Up
In an interview, Gov. Schwarzenegger revealed that the state is considering adding another layer of freeway on top of Los Angeles' 405.
Neighborhood Nuclear
Small-scale nuclear reactors could be a new, cheap way to provide power for neighborhoods. But their inherent controversy remains.
Mexico City Unveils Bike Sharing System
Mexico City has opened a citywide bike sharing system, similar to those in Paris and Barcelona.
Like LEED, But For Roads
The niversity of Washington and CH2M HILL have released a new sustainability rating system for roads.
Friday Bummer: Dog City to Face Mass Executions
A small city outside of Bogota, Colombia, has been overrun by stray dogs. With more than 30,000 strays on the streets, the city's mayor is calling for them to be killed.
Biking The TIGER
Bicycling and walking advocates should also be happy about the new TIGER grants - almost half of the funded projects included funding for bike and ped infrastructure.
The "Crippling" Impacts of Evictions
Recent research explores the impacts of evictions, especially on single low-income black mothers, and finds that they are a poorly-understood factor in the cycle of poverty.
Infrastructure Spending Expected to Rise in Stimulus Year Two
About one-third of the federal government's $787 billion economic stimulus has actually been spent over the last year. During the next year, much of the focus of the remainder will be on infrastructure projects.
Rail Plans Move Forward in Philadelphia
Plans to create a waterfront rail line in Philadelphia are moving forward, as the city approves funding for environmental studies and early design work.
American Commutes, in Font Form
Graphic designer Martha Kang McGill took commuting data from several American cities and made an easy-to-compare representation of the information using no more than a font and some colors.
Pagination
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.