The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
San Francisco Upgrading Railway Safety Standards
Coming off the heels of two high-profile crashes with dozens of injuries, the San Francisco Municipal Railway is working to ensure operators are trained and accidents can be avoided.
A Region-by-Region Look at "Shovel-Readiness"
NPR looks at a few of the areas that have submitted proposals for high-speed rail funding.
BLOG POST
A First Trip to Beijing
<p> I have lived in Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco but I have never seen anything like Beijing. Over the next two weeks, I'm giving a series of talks at Tsinghua, Peking University and the Lincoln Institute, and the CASS. While I was little surprised to see Mao's face on all of the money and to not be able to access my blog, I have been very impressed with everything I see and I see glimpses of a future "green city". </p>
Cactus City
HOK is designing a brand-new, 8,000-acre city in India, and is taking design inspiration from a desert cactus.
London's Naked Street Experiment
London is attempting to make streets safer for cyclists and motorists by turning off traffic lights in one part of the city for a short amount of time.
Blight into Beauty in San Francisco
At a time when developers are having trouble getting loans to build, San Francisco is taking steps to improve empty lots with art, retail, and other temporary investments in neighborhood vitality until construction can resume.
Growing Pains in Afghanistan's Cities
In Afghanistan, cities are changing. More and more people are leaving behind their agricultural past for city life, and the tide of new urbanites is stressing the fabric of the city.
BLOG POST
An iPhone in the City
<p> What's better than <a href="/node/38227">Twitter in the city</a>? An iPhone. With a connection to the Internet, built-in camera, location-awareness, 3-access accelerometer and colorful display, the Apple iPhone has become much more than a mobile phone: it's a sophisticated mobile computing platform. Combine this technology with a library of thousands of programs and growing ecosystem of developers, the iPhone is powerful and versatile tool to transform how people interact with their surroundings. </p> <p> A growing number of iPhone apps are taking advantage of the phone's functionality to allow people to navigate, measure, observe, and interact with cities in new ways. This post describes some I have come across for e-government, urban sensing and interaction, and navigation. First, a caveat: I don't actually own one of the devices myself and haven't tested the apps (yet). I've certainly missed many, so leave your favorites in the comments below. </p>
Ticket to Ride Now Needed in L.A.
Turnstiles are coming to the Los Angeles subway. Some say the move will help raise revenue for the city's transit authority, given its recent increases in ridership.
Planning City Love
This week's episode of <em>Smart City</em> features a discussion with planner Larry Beasley about how love can be an economic driver for cities, and how planning around emotions can improve cities.
Union Pacific Proposal Causes Controversy in Illinois
Union Pacific has proposed an increase in its freight and high-speed rail traffic in Springfield, including a route running through the heart of the city. It calls for nine overpasses, which would cost millions and block homes and landmarks.
Is the Local Food Movement Misguided?
Eating local is in vogue, as the environmental impacts of industrialized agriculture surface. But is eating local really the right response? One author says maybe not.
New Amenity for D.C. Bike Commuters
NPR's Ari Shapiro bikes from NPR headquarters to a new D.C. bike storage center outside D.C.'s Union Station. The City of Washington hopes that it will encourage more commuters to use transit and bikes to get to work.
The Value of a Petunia
Annapolis, Maryland has had a popular beautification program to fill downtown with flowers, but with recent layoffs and cuts, the true value of the program has come into question.
Digital Experiences in Public Spaces On the Rise
The rise of smart mobile technology is increasing the demand for digital interactivity in public spaces. Marketers and artists are obliging.
Brown Says Expensive Olympics Will Boost London
English Prime Minister Gordon Brown is confident that the 2012 Summer Olympics will bring a big economic benefit to London. But with costs rising beyond expectations, some are skeptical of the PM's prediction.
The Dangers of Mega-Events
2010 will bring with it a series of huge international events -- the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the World Cup in South Africa and the World Expo in Shanghai. Though seen as major opportunities for their hosts, these events can also be dangerous.
Affordable Housing Built From Trash
Dan Phillips' company Phoenix Commotion builds homes from discarded materials for low-income individuals in Huntsville, Alabama.
Disappearing Sand Leads to Illegal Land Engineering in Cancun
As environmental conditions erode sand along the tourist-heavy beaches in Cancun, some hotel owners are taking drastic -- and illegal -- measures to rebuild their beaches.
Friday Funny: Honolulu Tackles B.O. on The Bus
The Honolulu City Council is considering a bill that will make it illegal to bring "odors that unreasonably disturb others" onto the bus.
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.
