The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Transit Agencies Begin to See Stimulus Funds
The Obama administration has begun awarding grants of millions to transit agencies across the country for everything from bus upgrades to photovoltaic canopies and agency building upgrades. Check out the breakdown by agency here.
Sea Levels Rise, Californians Seek Dutch Expertise
The rise of sea levels is an inevitable fact. This week, designers, planners, and engineers from the Netherlands and U.S. met to strategize on how the Bay area should deal with it.
Climate Change Stumps California Planners
Although climate change is a predominant issue for California's land use planners, they concede they are just making up new practices and lack the tools they really need. Paul Shigley reports from the CAL APA Conference.
Anti-Hasidism or Preservation?
Chabad Lubavitch of Connecticut has filed suit against the Historic District Commission for denying its application to develop a property there into a center. The Commission said it would consider a revised plan, but Chabad says it's anti-Hasidism.
Increasing Bike Ridership Means Pulling in Women
In the U.S., men bike far more than women. Some researchers suggest that understanding and meeting the demands of women is the best way to increase overall ridership.
City Selling Itself
Neosho, Missouri, facing a severe budget crisis, is searching its inventory for property it can sell off. Some say the easy properties have already been sold.
Oklahoma City Releases Broad New Plan
A broad new plan has been unveiled in Oklahoma City. Included in the plan is a new 70-acre downtown park and a raft of transit improvements.
Creating Communities To Grow Old In
Meeting the needs of aging residents has been a challenge for many cities. Some suburban communities are pioneering the conversion to an elder-friendly layout.
Park(ing) Day 2009
Last Friday was Park(ing) Day 2009, a growing movement where city parking spaces are transformed into miniature parks as a comment on public space (and the lack thereof). Here's a glimpse into Seattle's version.
San Francisco's Fast Park Movement
New parks are popping up with a quickness in San Francisco, where planners have fast-tracked the conversion of street spaces into pedestrian parks.
Trading Cars for Fashion
Detroit's creative class is making the switch from designing cars to couture, as local boosters push the manufacturing culture into a new industry: Fashion.
Curb Ramps to Nowhere
A number of curb ramps in Jackson, Miss., are built to meet federal regulations but are completely unusable by wheelchairs. [VIDEO]
Phoenix Light Rail Succeeds Beyond Expectations
Would one of America's most sprawling, auto-dependent cities take to the country's newest light rail system? Even its proponents were surprised by its success and its transformative effect on downtown businesses, particularly during a recession.
Radburn Plan Alive and Well in LA
Village Green, a utopian, multifamily development in the Baldwin Hills district of Los Angeles, was built in 1941 and inspired by the Radburn Plan. The low, California style apartments ring a large, common open space.
The Cup of Coffee Cycling Incentive
Birdbath Bakery in New York has found popularity, and a niche, by offering a 25% discount to cyclists. As New York's bicycling infrastructure grows, businesses that cater to them may thrive.
Des Moines, Iowa Moves Forward with "Complete Streets" Policy
Despite opposition from businesses and neighborhood groups, the city of Des Moines, Iowa is intent on implementing a program to make local streets friendly to non-drivers.
Getting Creative About Finding Places for Parks
New York City is developing a handful of new parks on industrial lands and otherwise underused spaces. <em>Urban Omnibus</em> talks with Adrian Benepe, the city's commissioner of parks and recreation about the new projects.
Broken Windows Theory Busted?
The Broken Windows theory suggests that a high concentration of small, petty crimes leads to a higher incidence of bigger, nastier crimes. Some European cities run counter to that premise, according to this piece from <em>Next American City</em>.
BLOG POST
Ow! That hurt! Or: The Start of Planning School, Year Two
<p class="MsoNormal"> Forgive me Olmsted, for I have sinned. I have strayed. I have coveted. I have had doubts. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> I have thought about kicking urban design to the curb like a mangy puppy. </p>
City Tackles Antique Zoning Code
The zoning code of Alamogordo, NM hasn't been revisited since April of 1950. Today, the zoning rewrite group is finally updating the code and making the switch to a form-based code in the process.
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.
