The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The Solar Co-op
In Brighton, Colorado, solar panels on one person's farm could be built by an investment from another local, creating the first solar co-operative in the U.S.
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China and Climate Change
<p> In my first week here in Beijing, I have spoken to a number of scholars here about climate change. A few observations; </p> <p> 1. China's scholars are thinking about climate change mitigation but I haven't met many talking about adaptation. </p>
Practical Lessons From Portland
Bill Fulton visits Portland, and comes back with six practical lessons that other cities can take from the 'planner's nirvana.'
Linking UK Centres with High-Speed Rail
Eleven major cities in the UK, including council leaders representing all three major political parties, have begun a campaign for a high-speed rail network linking them together to serve the entire country.
The City Planner Behind 9/11
Mohamed Atta, one of the 9/11 terrorists, pursued a masters degree in city planning before the attacks. Slate's Daniel Brooks reads Atta's masters thesis, and finds a strain of anti-Western modernism that is revealing.
Dubai's Metro Rail Starts Rolling
Citywide metro rail service is set to begin operations today in Dubai. The system will start out with ten operational stations, but eventually include 47 stops along 70 kilometers of track.
MTA Struggles to Relocate Residents
As construction on the Second Avenue subway in New York City is set to begin next year, MTA and current residents struggle to answer the question of where to relocate the people in its way.
Pavement to Parks Sees Progress in San Francisco
The city of San Francisco has barricaded two new large swatches of land to be used as part of its Pavement to Parks projects, and is enjoying a flood of support from residents, businesses, politicians, and local educational institutions.
Vegas Tourism Takes A Dive
Formerly thought to be recession-proof, the tourist mecca of Las Vegas is taking a hard hit during the current economic recession.
Become an Unscrupulous Developer, Virtually
Monopoly: City Streets melds the board game with Google Maps gives you the chance to buy the world's streets and develop your dream project on them (in competition with other players, of course.)
High Permit Fees Thwart Construction
Clark County, WA increased their building permit fees by roughly 300% on July 1st, and are facing criticism from builders whose projects now won't pencil out.
More Renewable Energy = More Acreage
As the push for renewable energy increases, The Nature Conservancy points out that renewables need a lot of land to work and could cause "energy sprawl."
New Parks Across US Boom, Dazzle
Neal Peirce says this is a 'bonanza decade' for parks, thanks to the many benefits of parks to cities and a 'wow' factor found in some of the newest parks around the U.S., including St. Louis' Citygarden and Manhattan's High Line Park.
U.S. Oil Consumption On The Decline...Permanently
For political, technological, and even demographic as well as economic reasons, don't expect American oil consumption to increase over 2007 levels. $3 gas is here to stay, and the days of the petrol-gulping SUVs and guzzlers may be numbered.
The Early Bird Gets The... Picnic Table?
Competition was stiff for prime picnic spots in a Washington, D.C. park this Labor Day, prompting locals to set up as early as 2:30am. Is this an indicator of a growing need for public parks and civic spaces?
Rail Riders Discover that Going the Extra Mile is the Hardest Part
Many would-be train riders are frustrated by poor transit options at their destination city.
TRB Report Evaluates Densification & VMT Reduction
A new Transportation Research Board study examines the relationship between land use and carbon emissions - specifically reduction of vehicle miles traveled resulting from densification and the shape of new growth to come.
Best Cities to See Live Music
Here's another way to rank your city- the Society of American Travel Writers surveyed their members on the Top 10 cities to see live music. New Orleans comes in over Austin, home of the famed SXSW festival.
Fitting the Olympics into Tokyo
Edward Lifson talks to architect Tadao Ando about his work masterplanning Tokyo's bid for the 2016 Olympics.
Pittsburgh Preps for its Debut on the World Stage
Why the decision to host the next G-20 summit in Steel City is a good one.
Pagination
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.