The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Lots of Work Left for San Francisco's Affordable Housing Goals

San Francisco's State of the City address provided an opportunity to check in on the progress of the affordable housing agenda of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.

January 19 - SFGate

An 'Energy Hub' Boomtown—In Philadelphia?

The Marcellus Shale boom has inspired some in Philadelphia to imagine their city as the "next Houston"—if it can attract the businesses and infrastructure to bring oil and gas in for the benefit of a homegrown manufacturing economy.

January 19 - Philadelphia

Plunging Fuel Prices Could Bring Plunging Fuel Taxes

It was considered a given by many analysts that global oil prices would only increase as world oil demand outstripped supply, so switching to percentage-based fuel taxes from per-gallon taxes made sense, until OPEC chose not to restrict their output.

January 19 - The Courier-Journal

Construction-Defects Law Troubles Developers in Colorado

Aldo Svaldi reports on the beginnings of a condo boom in Denver, which faces risks of legal setbacks in the "litigious environment" created by Colorado's controversial construction-defects law.

January 19 - The Denver Post

'Showers on Wheels' and Other Design Interventions to Help the Homeless

Recent years have produced no dearth of design interventions to improve quality of life for wealthy urban dwellers, but some recent efforts in San Francisco are targeted to help the city's homeless population.

January 19 - New York Times


Michigan Economic Development Ideas Include Innovation Districts

Stakeholders in Michigan have bought in to the innovation district concept.

January 19 - Crain's Detroit Business

Economic Recovery Harder to Find at the County Level

You've probably read the news that the country has recovered all the jobs lost in the Great Recession. A new report that analyzes four measures of economic health at the county level reveals a much bleaker picture of the economic recovery.

January 19 - Governing


Manhattan FAR

Outcry Over Manhattan's Latest 'Supertall' Developments

An article in The Guardian argues the side of New Yorkers opposed to a new round of high-rise development proposed for Manhattan.

January 18 - The Guardian Cities

South Dakota Governor Proposes Perpetual Gas Tax Increase

Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who pledged not to raise taxes during his first term, proposed in his state of the state to increase the state gas tax two cents on July 1, and then two cents a year thereafter, to fund state and local roads and bridge repairs.

January 18 - Capital Journal

Can the 2024 Olympics Help Boston Plan for a Better 2124?

Can the Olympic bid provide an impetus for long-range planning for the Boston metropolitan area?

January 18 - CommonWealth

Making Transportation Options Safer for Women

A post by the World Band surveys efforts around the world to mainstream gender on public transport—an effort challenged substantially by continued risks to the safety of women.

January 18 - The World Bank

Is Housing 'Baggage' Holding America Back?

Throwing money at our housing problems is clearly not the answer, but are there ideas from markets in Europe that might work for us?

January 18 - Rooflines

The Evolution of Austin—Found on Sixth Street

A Dallas Morning News column illustrates the evolution of Austin by exploring the changes in the neighborhoods along the city's famous Sixth Street corridor.

January 17 - The Dallas Morning News

Architecture for Humanity Closes—Cites Lack of Funding

A sad day for the mission of using design to benefit the most vulnerable among us, Architecture for Humanity closed its doors earlier this month.

January 17 - San Francisco Chronicle

Qualcomm Stadium

Debunking Myths about NFL Stadium Construction

Political leaders in San Diego have spent years characterizing the city's NFL team as a regional asset, requiring a new stadium to keep in place. A column debunks some of the logic behind how and why behind some of that reasoning.

January 17 - Voice of San Diego

Conservative Columnist Promotes $1 Gas Tax Alternative

Charles Krauthammer offers his own brand of gas tax hike that differs from others mentioned recently. One, it's much bigger. Two, revenues won't be used for transportation. It would be revenue neutral; all funds would be returned to taxpayers.

January 17 - The Washington Post

Lessons for the Real World in SimCity 4's Homeless Problem

Emanuel Maiberg discusses an ongoing crisis in a simulated version of reality familiar to many planners—i.e., the homelessness problem in SimCity 4.

January 17 - Motherboard

Metro Map

Pop Quiz: Can You Name Cities from their Transit Maps?

What better way to wind down from a long week thinking about cities and maps and transportation than by taking a quiz to show off your knowledge of cities and maps and transportation?

January 16 - The Washington Post

Welcome

More Evidence of the 'Neighborhood Effect'

Two recent studies find evidence of a powerful "neighborhood effect" for economic mobility—especially on the incomes of blue collar and service workers as compared to knowledge and creative workers.

January 16 - CityLab

Critic: Development Proposal to Close for Comfort to Philadelphia's Rodin Museum

Architecture Critic Inga Saffron decries the development proposal making progress through the approval process in Philadelphia—a large, glassy residential building that would encroach on the tiny serenity of the Rodin Museum.

January 16 - Philadelphia Inquirer

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