The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
From Bust to Boom: Bankrupt City's Home Prices Skyrocket
Before Detroit's bankruptcy, Stockton held the ominous title of largest city in the U.S. to go bankrupt. Unlike Detroit, it was largely tied to the foreclosure crisis. Home prices have jumped 30% in the last year. What caused the turnaround?
Can Bill Gates Provide America's Next 800 Years of Electricity?
He's transformed the personal computer, health outcomes in the developing world, and education opportunities in the U.S. For Bill Gates's next act, the Microsoft founder is trying to turn atomic trash into treasure.
Will Portland Lose its Status as America's Bike Commuting Champion?
While bike commuting is gaining nationwide, it's actually dropping in Portland which has held the enviable title of tops in bike commuting for large cities since 2005. Minneapolis and Seattle, #2 and #3 respectively, are gaining, warns BikePortland.
Why Transit Is Only Marginally Important to Transit-Oriented Development
In addition to some interesting findings regarding the relative benefits of investment in bus rapid transit, a new report from ITDP reached some fascinating conclusions concerning the factors most important to maximizing transit investment.
Will Anyone Hire Santiago Calatrava After this Exposé?
While many of Santiago Calatrava's anatomically-inspired designs are lauded, in Valencia - the architect's birthplace and the city where he's built the most - Calatrava is reviled for cost overruns, exorbitant fees, and inexplicable design errors.
Not So Fast Feds, Say D.C. Planners, We Want Major Changes to Height Limits
In D.C.'s ongoing height limit saga, the other shoe has dropped. Just two weeks after the federal government recommended minimal changes to the limits, their partner in the study - D.C.'s Office of Planning - has come to a very different conclusion.
Why Affordable Housing is an Environmental Issue
Improving our cities and suburbs is just as important to environmental sustainability as regulating pollution or conserving undeveloped land, argues Kaid Benfield.
In Five Short Years, High-Speed Rail Revolutionizes Chinese Transport
Five years after it opened, it looks like China's bet on high-speed rail is paying off. The system has increased mobility and worker productivity and stimulated development in areas near stations. The country will continue to expand the system.
Copenhagenizing Moscow
A new report by Danish firm Gehl Architects presents recommendations for transforming car-cluttered Moscow. A compact city center along with a strong desire for change are potential building blocks for a human-friendly and sustainable city.
Can Chicago Ride Its Rails to Economic Growth?
Chicago's position as a central hub for manufacturing and shipping helped establish the city as the economic powerhouse of the Midwest. A new report recommends the city update that infrastructure to grow the region's economy.
Finally, California Has a Safe-Passing Law!
Good news for all cyclists riding on Calif. roadways came from Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday when he attached his signature to a bill making it law that drivers give bicyclists at least 3 feet of space when passing from behind - only took him 5 years!
Are Planners Responsible for America's Obesity Epidemic?
Many factors have contributed to America's obesity crisis, but the design of the built environment has had an undeniable role. A new study shows that living in a smart growth community can increase physical activity among children.
10 Cities Most at Risk From Natural Disasters
Natural disasters affect millions of people each year, and cost between $60 billion and $100 billion worldwide. Here are the 10 global cities most at risk.
Smart Meters Spill Your Secrets and Utilities Respond
The millions of smart meters and grid sensors in operation across North America are providing a flood of information that utilities are still struggling to process. But changes in operations are already emerging, and potential uses grow by the day.
Cut Emissions to Save Lives, If Not the Planet
Even if our warming planet wasn't threatened with environmental catastrophe, the case for reducing fossil-fuel use is an easy one to make. A new study shows that reduced air pollution from cutting emissions would save millions of lives by 2100.
Innovative Solutions for Preserving Affordable Rental Housing
As of 2010, the U.S. had a shortfall of 5.1 million housing units affordable to low-income renters. As the demand for such housing increases, preserving affordable units that exist is a much more cost effective solution than constructing new ones.
Along New York's Waterfront, An Opportunity Without Peer
New York's lengthy waterfront was once dotted with an extensive array of piers, reaching like tentacles from the city's shores into the surrounding harbor and rivers. As the city again embraces its waterfront, those that remain are getting new life.
Battle Over Controversial S.F. Condos Goes to the Voters
Competing ballot measures in San Francisco's upcoming election will help decide whether a developer will be allowed to build a mid-rise luxury condo project along the city's waterfront. The Board of Supervisors approved the project last year.
Studying the Moments Before Collisions to Help Prevent Them
An unprecedented study is tracking the behavior of drivers in the U.S. using cameras and sensors to observe how they interact with their vehicle and the road. Researchers hope to better understand the causes for collisions, and how to prevent them.
Planner Turned Mayor Hopes to Turn Around Struggling SoCal City
Many planners might dream of how they'd change their communities if they were able to run things. In Compton, just south of Los Angeles, new mayor Aja Brown is hoping utilize her planning experience to help turn around the struggling city.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
