The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Making Public Space Hip
The group tasked with reenergizing Bermondsey Square in southeast London see their target audience as "urban safarians."
FEATURE
Histories of No History: Commodification and Urbanization in the American West
Josh Stephens reviews two biographies of cities, <em>The Dallas Myth: The Making and Unmaking of An American City</em> and <em>Reno’s Big Gamble: Image and Reputation in the Biggest Little City</em>.
Best Cities for Jobs
Kiplinger's picks its 2009 Best Cities list, and in this tough economy decides to put the emphasis on job creation and stability. Number one? Huntsville, Alabama.
A Village Takes Shape Near Atlanta
Serenbe is a new master-planned community outside of Atlanta that is creating a new model for placemaking in the U.S., taking its form from English villages and working within the natural environment.
New Symphony Hall Avoids Starchitecture
The new Montreal Symphony Hall design is revealed. The architect states, 'We are not building for the ego of the architect, large as it might be.'
In Defense of Modernist Architecture
Owen Hatherley presents his case for a revival of modernism, particularly in its original intent as a social reform movement, in his new book, Militant Modernism.
Underused Natural Gas Capacity
Our underused natural gas capacity could almost completely replace our current coal-generated energy, argues Sean Casten, President & CEO of Recycled Energy Development.
Rethinking Tax Abatements
Cities across the country are reconsidering tax abatement plans, in the new belief that cities just can't afford them.
BLOG POST
Shopping: An ‘Obnoxious Industrial Activity’?
<p> </p> <p> As James Howard Kunstler points out in <em>Home From Nowhere</em>, one of the tragedies of single-use zoning is that it branded shopping as an “obnoxious industrial activity that must be kept separate from houses”. Ironically, the places where most Americans shop today come pretty close to “obnoxious” and “industrial”.
School Sprawl
The American Academy of Pediatrics has released a new report focusing on the effect of the built environment on children's health. Access to parks, the ability to walk to school, and opportunities for 'incidental exercise.'
Master Planning Underway for Early LEED-ND Project
A 212-acre urban infill project in Yakima, Washington will be one of the first communities to be planned according to developing LEED-ND (Neighborhood Development) principles.
Detroit Could Become Countryside, Planners Say
A team of visiting planners suggested that Detroit could evolve into a series of urban villages connected by countryside.
Massive Redevelopment In The Works In St. Louis
Developer Paul McKee has secretly assembled 500 acres of land in north St. Louis, and recently unveiled a plan that includes 4 and a half million sq. ft. of new office and retail and 10,000 new homes.
Green Developments Getting Green Light
Developers are finding it easier to get funding for sustainable building projects due to federal incentives and investor interest in green certification.
Friday Funny: Planner Breaks Into Song
Pine Lake, Georgia City Council Member Melanie Hammet finds songwriting inspiration in the issues of land use planning.
California Housing Market Looking Rosier
The median home price in California notched up 1.4% in April from the previous month, prompting some to announce the market has bottomed out and is recovering.
California Cities Object To Greenhouse Gas Law
California's SB 375 attempts to require cities to develop in a way that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. But some cities say the new law is misguided, and the state should focus on zero-emission vehicles instead.
Is Smart Growth Successful?
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy has undertaken the first significant study to find out if state smart growth policies are achieving their stated goals.
The Story of the High Line
The Sundance Channel has produced a series of short films profiling the landscape architects, officials, activists, writers, and Ethan Hawke and Kevin Bacon about how the High Line park came to be.
Smart Meters Will Save The World
Columnist Stephen Cunningham of the BBC believes that technology like smart meters in homes will provide the necessary reduction in CO2 to reduce global warming.
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.
