The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Calling it a violation of public spaces, a new report from a civil liberties group in the UK has criticized the banning of public drinking in more than 600 places in England and Wales.

August 21 - Telegraph

Solar power will get a big boost from two facilities planned for California, which will together be capable of generating 800 megawatts of power.

August 21 - The New York Times

A master-planned community in Baltimore is up in arms over plans to replace the community's iconic country club parkspace with a senior housing center.

August 21 - The New York Times

BLOG POST

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Calibri">With the Olympics nicely coinciding with my vacation, I think I’ve watched more coverage of the games than the average human should.<span> </span>Prior to the start of the games, I followed with interest the story of how Beijing was re-fashioning itself to host the games.<span> </span>Much has been written on this subject from the loss of the city’s “<a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2196883/">hutongs</a>” to the “<a href="http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2008/08/behind-beijings.html">distorted</a>” messages conveyed by the starchitecture.<span> </span>Some have referred to Beijing as a “Houston on steroids.”<span> </span></span></span>

August 20 - Scott Page

In Fullerton, CA, a dense new mixed-use building is facing criticism from neighbors and residents. 'All of a sudden we get one of these mixed-use buildings, [and] it's like a fort got dropped out of the sky,' says one neighbor.

August 20 - The Los Angeles Times

Broad redevelopment plans have been approved for Seattle Center, the public gathering place first built in 1962 for the World's Fair.

August 20 - The Seattle Times

The non-profit group Nuestras Raíces in Holyoke, Mass. has found urban agriculture a powerful community glue, providing increased food security and economic opportunity to the Puerto Rican population there.

August 20 - The Atlantic

This video from the Wall St. Journal Online gives a first-hand look at the current bicycle culture in Beijing, and the variety of bike types available.

August 20 - Wall St. Journal

As the country prepares for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, officials in Cape Town, South Africa, are considering plans for a citywide bus rapid transit system. BRT pioneer Enrique Penalosa was recently in town to stump for transit.

August 20 - The Independent Online

A California bill that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by controlling land use may be one of the most important land use bills in years, according to Bill Fulton. But if it passes, the progress it makes could be short lived.

August 20 - California Planning and Development Report

New research from the University of Cincinnati shows that nearly a third of U.S. schools are located within a quarter-mile of major highways, posing a significant air pollution threat to students.

August 20 - University Of Cincinnati

Denver is generally ready for the Democratic National Convention, but city officials have taken heat for security preparations.

August 20 - NPR

Scenic resort towns are increasingly attracting older residents, creating a population boom that far surpasses growth rates in many cities and urban areas.

August 20 - NPR

Using the term 'oil supply crunch' as opposed to 'peak oil', this British report indicates that the oil crisis will hit by 2013, with prices jumping to $200/barrel. It states that the problem is not insufficient oil but obstacles to its extraction.

August 20 - BBC News

BLOG POST

<p> <img src="/files/u2/20080820-sparkline-example.png" alt=" " title=" " hspace="20" vspace="20" width="291" height="29" align="right" /> </p> <p> An introduction to free tools for creating interactive information graphics. </p> <p> As professionals shaping the built and natural environment, we have to process and communicate complicated concepts and data to peers and the public. We often use visuals such as maps, charts, graphs, and diagrams to illustrate a concept or explore data.  Such visual representations are called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_graphics">information graphics</a> or <span style="font-style: italic">infographics</span>. </p>

August 20 - Abhijeet Chavan

Vancouver Magazine takes a look at the many ways people create their own housing solutions outside the norm, from mortgage sharing to garage renovations to illegal units.

August 19 - Vancouver Magazine

'Quiet' cars on trains -- where cell phones and loud headphones are banned -- are widely popular. So why aren't more transit agencies making designated quiet cars?

August 19 - The New York Sun

The Feds won't agree to a $1 congestion peak bridge toll, so SF planners have proposed peak hour parking fees on corridors leading to the Golden Gate Bridge to satisfy the Urban Partnership Agreement terms to retain the $158 million grant.

August 19 - The San Francisco Chronicle

With America facing a $1.6 trillion infrastructure deficit, Joanna Guldi of the Commonweal Institute laments for the era the "infrastructure state."

August 19 - AlterNet

Jay Walljasper reflects on the historical meaning of American independence, and how today's meaning is leading people away from working towards the common good.

August 19 - On The Commons