The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Condo Conundrum
Like many other cities, there are condos a-plenty in Seattle. Developers are trying almost anything to get them sold. But the majority remain empty, leaving developers scratching their heads about what to do.
'An Explosion of Creativity' in Grand Rapids
The ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan resulted in 1,262 artists temporarily installing their pieces in 159 venues around downtown. The public picks the winner.
The History of San Francisco's Urban Form
Some call it a city of neighborhoods. This piece from the <em>San Francisco Chronicle</em> looks at the history of the urban form of San Francisco and why it looks the way it does today.
Habitat For Humanity Sees Gold In Vacant Housing
Used to pouring resources into building new homes, Habitat for Humanity sees opportunity in the vast number of vacancies caused by the mortgage crisis.
Eight Smart City Innovations
This series of infographics and posts from <em>Good</em> looks at innovations within a variety of world cities that improve city organization and operation -- from traffic to energy production to water conservation.
Urban Sports Creating New Life in Civic Spaces
Urban sports like bike polo and urban golf are taking off in Germany, and are beginning to bring life back to formerly uninhabited concrete spaces.
Making Roofs Cooler in New York City
Under a new service program called NYC Cool Roofs, volunteers are painting New York's rooftops white to try to lower urban temperatures and save energy.
Russia Rolls Out New High Speed Rail
Siemens has retrofitted trains for cold Russian winters; they are being rolled out now between Moscow and St. Petersburg and could be a model for American HSR.
Friday Funny - Zoning on the Menu
I'll have a Conditional Use Permit, on the rocks, with a twist...
Is a Digital Neighbor as Good as the Real Thing?
Can Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace replace the neighborhood bar, cafe, or hangout? Mary Newsom says no.
Janette Sadik-Khan in Action
Forbes profiles transportation commissioner extraordinaire Janette Sadik-Kahn, interviewed in the middle of the new public space on Broadway that she championed.
Westward, No?
Westward migration in the U.S. seems to be slowing, as jobs dry up overcrowding begins pushing people away.
Green Roof Benefits Quantified
A new study has shown that the environmental benefits of green roofs are even greater than previously thought.
Reborn Green
<em>The New York Times</em> takes a look at Greensburg, Kansas, the tornado-ravaged town that rebuilt itself to high environmental standards.
The People Under the Strip
A community of hundreds of people live beneath the glitz of the Las Vegas Strip in flood control tunnels.
Maryland Proposes All-Electronic Toll Road
A new highway linking Montgomery to Prince Georges County in Maryland will be the first in the state to exclusively use overhead tolling technology.
City Votes to Control Big Box Stores
Lynchburg, VA approved a new regulation to control big box development in their city earlier this week, despite protests that it would hurt the economy of the area.
Bike Commuting Surges in Portland, Oregon
Fueled by the city's investment in infrastructure, 6.4 percent of commuters in Portland, Oregon biked to work in 2008, an increase of nearly 60% over the previous year.
Frappuccino-Colored Streets
Would you slow for beige? Planners in San Francisco hope so, as they plan to differentiate sections of Market St. where they'd like traffic to slow down with 'frappuccino'-colored asphalt.
BLOG POST
A Middle Ground In The Bag Wars
<p> <span><span style="font-size: x-small">The San Jose City Council is considering a proposal to ban plastic bags and most paper bags in supermarkets, out of concerns about the greenhouse gases used to manufacture them and about the waste from discarded bags. But this policy might create as many environmental problems as it solves. <br /> <br /> In a city without disposable bags, shoppers who seek to buy large amounts of groceries will have to drag around an army of nondisposable containers. For drivers, this is not a big deal. Susie SUV can always find space for dozens of nondisposable bags in her truck. And because Susie’s bags can stay in her truck forever, she will always be able to make impulse purchases without difficulty. <br />
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
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.
