The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Do bike helmet laws prevent injuries for children, or do they just discourage children from riding bikes?

January 1 - The Incidental Economist

Politico takes a critical look at the streetcar trend in American cities—which had some high profile setbacks during 2014—with an eye toward the legacy of the Obama Administration.

January 1 - Politico

The Boston Globe reports on a year of massive investments, as well as sweeping changes in leadership, taking place in the offices of the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

January 1 - The Boston Globe

An urban renewal project in Turkey yielded an unexpected archaeological bonanza: a 5,000-year-old, underground city.

January 1 - Hurriyet Daily News

Sam Roberts tells the story of commuting in New York City, starting from the very beginning, the maiden voyage of the first ferry from Brooklyn to Manhattan.

January 1 - New York Times

"From cycletracks to helmet laws, 2014 has been a big year for bikes," according to Next City before looking back at what made 2014 such a big year for bikers.

December 31 - Next City

CityLab gathered the best of its weekly #CityReads compendium for a list of the year's best articles about urban experiences.

December 31 - CityLab

Earlier in December, Seattle's Sound Transit Board approved a Long Range Plan as a part of its final meeting of the year.

December 31 - The Urbanist

Jon Christensen and Mark Gold survey the environmental accomplishments of the Los Angeles region as well as the state of California over the course of the past year.

December 31 - LA Observed

Miami is in a race against time to build defenses against climate change and rising sea levels—resilience projects that require property tax revenue generated from luxury developments built in the areas most at risk.

December 31 - The Washington Post

A post on Gizmodo traces the long and evolving history of defensive fortifications and how they influenced how cities were built and how people lived.

December 31 - Gizmodo

Two companies have teamed up to provide solar-powered, electric vehicle charging with battery storage in 68 apartment buildings in San Francisco. They will rent spaces for charging by tenants. Roofs will also be rented and covered with solar panels.

December 31 - San Francisco Chronicle

The effect of low gas prices on motor vehicle selection by consumers could set back President Barack Obama's climate legacy, which includes obtaining fuel economy standards of 54.5 mpg by 2025.

December 31 - The Wall Street Journal

82 percent of public transportation users last summer report having an automobile in their household.

December 31 - American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

FEATURE

A deeper look at the traffic data on Planetizen reveals trends from the planning and urban design conversation of 2014.

December 31 - James Brasuell

A scathing op-ed by Joanne Cleaver provides a laundry list of public spaces and parks in Chicago spoiled, in her opinion, by heavy use from the canine companions of residents.

December 30 - Chicago Tribune

After an initial failure of public approval, St. Petersburg went back to the drawing board to design new plans for an off-shore park on the historic St. Petersburg Pier.

December 30 - CityLab

Finding the existing frameworks for describing "global cities" to be highly divergent, Aaron Renn suggests his own and requests feedback to continue improving the scheme.

December 30 - The Urbanophile

Josh Stephens writes in CP&DR that the recently burned Da Vinci apartment complex will have successors that also turn their backs on surrounding streets—but cities can and should do the difficult, slow work of fostering more inclusive design.

December 30 - California Planning & Development Report

Urbanful examines four cities making the most of scare public spaces by reactivating their alleys with programming and pedestrian-friendly designs.

December 30 - Urbanful