The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Louisianans Flee Coast As Hurricane Hits Land
With Hurricane Gustav reaching land Monday, nearly 2 million people have been evacuated from coastal Louisiana. The evacuation is being hailed as a vast improvement from the effort three years ago during Hurricane Katrina, but some residents remain.
Slow Response to Changing World From Real Estate Industry
The real estate industry has been slow to realize the development world is changing, according to Scott Polikov who writes that "the fundamentals of the 'bedroom community' economy have collapsed."
The Smartest Cities
A recent study has named the "smartest" cities in Canada.
FEATURE
Brick By Brick: Protecting A Community’s Sustainable Future
Pineville, North Carolina was expanding rapidly and at risk of losing its identity. To preserve the town's character, planners put their faith in the common brick. City planning officials Kevin Icard and Travis Morgan bring us the story.
Discussing the Past and Future of Cities
<em>Smart City</em> talks with economist Ed Glaeser and architecture critic Randy Gragg about cities, their histories and their futures.
BLOG POST
Dan Burden's Magical Townmaking Tour
<p> Just spent 4 action-packed days (have <span style="font-style: italic" class="Apple-style-span">yo</span><span style="font-style: italic" class="Apple-style-span">u</span> ever tried to keep up with Dan Burden?) touring the Pacific Northwest with Dan, Paul Zykofsky, a very patient charter bus driver, and 40 +/- townmaking fanatics. Our assemblage came from as far away as New Zealand and Taiwan, from small towns and large cities, and from disciplines including planning, engineering, transportation, software design, elected officials, public health, bike advocates, and lots more. We toured communities in Washington state and in British Columbia, meeting local luminaries along the way. </p>
Ancient Cities Found in the Amazon
Anthropologists have discovered traces of highly organized and gridded cities in the Amazon rainforest dating back to the 1200s.
California Thinks About Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance Plans
The State of California is considering a plan to allow pay-as-you-drive car insurance plans. Many hope the move will encourage less driving.
Woman Dedicates Life to Fixing Local Park
Viviana Franco became a planner so she could reform a park 100 ft. from her childhood home in Hawthorne, CA. But her quest has become mired in local politics as the site was sold in a local auction.
BLOG POST
Defining the Planning Skill Set: Resources for Students
<p class="MsoNormal"> At the beginning of semester students are signing up for classes and planning their degrees. Lately, a question I have been asked quite frequently is which classes will make new planners most employable? Students ask if computer aided design or GIS will be key. However, surveys of planning practitioners show that a far more basic set of skills is important—skills in communication, information analysis and synthesis, political savvy, and basic workplace competencies and attitudes. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Below, I highlight three of these studies from across three decades: </p>
Cities Seek To Reclaim Streets
American cities are increasingly making moves to reclaim their streets. In this column, Neal Peirce looks into the trend.
Mississippi Gulf Coast Three Years On
Jason Miller reports how coastal Mississippi cities and towns are moving post-Katrina plans and ideas towards implementation.
Shanghai's Smear Campaign on Jaywalkers
In an effort to dissuade jaywalking, police in Shanghai are planning to publish pictures and videos of jaywalkers in newspapers and local TV to shame offenders.
'It's A Little Like Add Water, Instant Neighborhood'
...so says one resident of Atlanta's Inman Park neighborhood, which has gone from deserted industrial buildings to dense, urban community in four years.
Corbusier's Chandigarh Up for Preservation
A favorite target of planners, Corbusier's radical design for Chandigarh in India is being considered by UNESCO as a world heritage site.
Boston's Largest Property Owner Going Green
Equity Office Properties Trust is undertaking major green renovations for its Boston properties, citing fiscal benefits as the impetus. When complete, the work will likely serve as a model for the Company's holdings across the country.
Learning from Katrina, Three Years Later
Three years later, Hurricane Katrina has had lasting effects on New Orleans. It's also taught America some lessons about how to react to natural disasters -- and how not to.
Friday Funny: SeXXXercise Thwarted
The ACLU is helping a woman in Pittsburgh sue the city for violating her right of free expression. The city denied her occupancy permit to open a pole-dancing studio, teaching classes in "power lap dance" and "seXXXercise".
Friday Funny: The $1.01 Store?
The 99 Cents Only chain is facing a dilemma- with inflation and rising food costs, they're running out of things they can sell for only 99 cents.
'Sustainability Toolbar' Released for Google Sketchup
Integrated Environmental Solutions is releasing a free plug-in for Google's SketchUp software that allows users to run sustainability performance simulations.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
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.
