The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The long-awaited "Taxi of Tomorrow", which was specifically designed for use in New York City by Nissan, got a workout on the city's streets this week in advance of the fleet's arrival in October.

June 6 - The New York Times

One of Los Angeles's most congested corridors may have gotten a bit more congested this week - for autos that is - as the first segment of an eventual 12.5 miles of bus only lanes opened along Wilshire Boulevard.

June 6 - Los Angeles Times

Poverty is now more widespread in America's suburbs than its cities. But the suburbs of some cities are experiencing more dramatic increases than others. 24/7 Wall St. examines the top 10 sources of suburban poverty.

June 6 - 24/7 Wall St.

A federal court has ruled that a proposed highway expansion said to be the largest single transportation project in Wisconsin history must consider regional impacts (on sprawl and transit-dependent populations) in its environmental analysis.

June 6 - NRDC Switchboard

According to Jim Titus, two federal government agencies will withdraw their claims that bike helmets are "85% effective".

June 6 - Greater Greater Washington

On Wednesday, a four-story building that was being demolished in downtown Philadelphia collapsed on top of a neighboring store, killing one person and injuring several people. According to Inga Saffron, the city bears some responsibility.

June 6 - philly.com

While new data from the FBI shows that violent crime is on the rise across the U.S. after five years of large declines, John Roman and Laura Pacifici argue that the modest increases don't necessarily predict the reversal of long-term trends.

June 5 - Urban Institute: MetroTrends Blog

Emily Badger looks at the latest "ParkScore" rankings released by the Trust for Public Land (TPL). Using advanced GIS, TPL ranks America's fifty largest cities by evaluating factors including park access, size, services and investment.

June 5 - The Atlantic Cities

The American Prairie Foundation is piecing together 500,000 acres of privately owned land across the Great Plains to join with three million acres of public land in forming one of the world’s largest wildlife reserves.

June 5 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Much to the chagrin of those who partake in the city's congested commute, cars dominate as Atlantans' prime means of mobility. The city's wildly ambitious BeltLine project seeks to change this, but can it be built fast enough to have an impact?

June 5 - ASLA The Dirt

While some state struggle to raise the gas tax by even a few cents a gallon, indexing the excise tax to inflation avoids these costly battles. Kentucky approved such legislation over 10 years ago. On July 1, the gas tax will increase by 2.4 cents.

June 5 - The Courier-Journal

Zachary Edelson speculates on the ways in which Google Glass, and other augmented reality elements, will change the way we experience architecture and our environments.

June 5 - Architizer

Kelly Bennett writes on the connections between authentic places, abandonment, and a new wave of placemaking.

June 5 - Citiography

The nationwide rebound in housing prices has been treated as welcome news. But should we be celebrating the growing presence of large investment firms in our communities, often at the expense of the ordinary buyer?

June 5 - The New York Times

What's the most productive way to utilize the fertile land that sits above California's vast Monterey Shale oil reserve? The environmental impacts of fracking on California's farmland could derail what promises to be an enormous oil boom.

June 5 - The New York Times

Since it appeared online over the weekend, a humorously odd 5-minute diatribe by Wall Street Journal editorial board member Dorothy Rabinowitz has spread like wildfire. J.K. Trotter considers the possible sources of her anti-bicycle vitriol.

June 5 - The Atlantic Wire

This week, Mayor Bloomberg announced the launch of NYC's comprehensive effort to assist homeowners effected by Superstorm Sandy. The NYC Build It Back program will offer avenues for homeowners to restore, rebuild, relocate, or get reimbursed.

June 4 - Crain's Business New York

Jay Corbalis profiles NoMa (short for “North of Massachusetts Avenue”), Washington D.C.'s fastest growing neighborhood, where a building boom has been propelled by an innovative transit funding partnership between the public and private sectors.

June 4 - Smart Growth America

While conceding that suburbia, and home construction patterns, will change in the coming decades, a new report from Joel Kotkin argues that the "dream" of suburban American homeownership is alive and well and poised to remain relevant.

June 4 - New Geography

Toronto is undergoing a 'remarkable transformation', says Charles Birnbaum, and unlike most large scale redevelopment efforts, landscape architecture is leading the way. With abundant photos Birnbaum surveys the new works framing the city's growth.

June 4 - Huffington Post