The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Vancouver in Cinemascope
With the Winter Olympics fast approaching, the editor of Vancouver Magazine takes a shot at capturing the big picture of the city that has become a model for planners everywhere.
Nevada Passed Over for High-Speed Rail
The Department of Transportation has decided that the proposed Las Vegas - Southern California maglev train was not far enough along to be eligible for funding, which is meant to go towards more immediate solutions.
High Speed Rail Needs High Class Stations
<em>Chicago Tribune</em> architecture critic Blair Kamin argues that America's foray into high speed rail should also focus on the rail stations and user experience in addition to the speed.
Infrastructure Bank Included in 2011 US Budget
The Obama Administration is including a $4 billion plan to create a national infrastructure bank as part of its 2011 federal budget proposal.
BLOG POST
Images for Planners: More Resources
<p class="MsoNormal"> Some time ago I noted a number of terrific<a href="/node/34290" target="_blank"> image resources</a> for urban planners. This blog highlights some additional sources. </p>
Parking For Dollars
Los Angeles explores the possibility of selling off parking garages to manage a budget crisis.
Government Plans Vertical Garden on Portland Skyscraper
As part of a $133 million renovation of a federal building in Portland, the Government Services Administration plans to add 200-foot high "vegetated fins" that will carpet the building with plants and - hopefully - energy savings.
Atmospheric Cities
Two interesting video submissions this week, one an atmospheric tour of Vancouver, BC and one of San Francisco before the 1906 earthquake.
A Close-Up Look at Masdar's Eco-Village
The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology is the first building to be completed in this ambitious, carbon-neutral city in Abu Dhabi. Thomas Lane of Building takes a tour.
Ventura, CA Transitions To Paid Parking, Under Mayor Bill Fulton
Like anything 'free', it's difficult to make the transition to charging, especially when you are City Hall, but pay stations are on their way that will apply charges on the busier streets to 10pm or midnight while the parking garage will be 'free'.
FEATURE
Carjacked: The Culture of the Automobile and Its Effect on Our Lives
Planetizen talks with Anne Lutz Fernandez, author of the new book <em>Carjacked: The Culture of the Automobile and Its Effect on Our Lives,</em> about how Americans feel about their cars, the Starbucks Effect, and the built environment.
Florida is Ideal Test Case for High-Speed Rail, Says TIME
TIME Magazine gives an overview of possibility of high-speed rail in the country, and sees Florida as the perfect place to start.
An Experiment of Luxury and Urban Utility
A new luxury hotel with subway access on the ground floor has opened in L.A., creating what Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne sees as a bizarre mix of vanity and transit.
Building a City of Healthy People
This piece from <em>Next American City</em> looks at health in New York City, and why the city's new health commissioner is looking at elevators, escalators and other subtleties of the built environment.
BLOG POST
Accessibility, Mobility and Automobile Dependency
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small">Let me wade into an ongoing debate among fellow Planetizen bloggers </span><a href="/node/42367"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small">Samuel Staley</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small"> and </span><a href="/node/42323"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small">Michael Lewyn</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small"> concerning the meanings of <em>accessibility</em> and <em>mobility,</em> and their implications for transportation and land use policy. </span> </p>
Building the Skyline and the Street in OK City
Despite the economic downturn, a new skyscraper is rising in Oklahoma City. A suite of street improvements are also one their way.
A State-by-State Look at Biking and Walking
A new report from the Alliance for Biking & Walking takes a state-by-state look at the cycling and walking community, safety statistics, and investment figures.
Size Matters
The main reason people move to the outer suburbs is for larger homes, says a small study conducted by Ohio State University.
Outside Vancouver, Smaller Towns Skeptical About Olympic Benefits
Locals in some of the smaller towns of British Columbia are skeptical that they will see the economic benefits of the this year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
BLOG POST
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Box?
<p> As a young kid, skirting aimlessly throughout my suburban municipality from one car-optimized shopping center to the next on my bicycle in search of stimulation (and perhaps trouble), I vividly recall - though I likely didn't describe it as - the internal conflict between interesting commercial destinations on the inside, and the banal, cruel approach to these places on the outside. Although the primitive human desires of my psyche subconsciously longed for a central place to congregate with other lost children of the suburbs, I never had a downtown; I never had a community center. In this vacuum, I compensated with all that was available. </p>
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.
