The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Last year, developer KB Homes began putting an Energy Performance Guide (EPG) label on every home they build. Is this an idea who's time has come?

August 29 - Builder Magazine

Franklin, Massachusetts tied for last place in WalkScore's ranking of walkability in the state. Taryn Plumb says the city isn't taking the ranking in stride.

August 29 - The Boston Globe

The Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota has prepared a comprehensive report on the shortcomings of the fuel tax and how to transition to what they call a mileage-based user fee, a form of a vehicle-miles-traveled fee.

August 29 - University of Minnesota: ITS Institute

The village of Shamen, China lacks running water, and scarcity has created a lack of awareness of water health issues. A complex new bathhouse aims to curb health problems and create a gathering place in the process.

August 29 - Fast Company

What if gambling was legal all over the United States? Neal Peirce reviews Sam Skolnik’s new book, "High Stakes: The Rising Cost of America’s Gambling Addiction" and looks at what might be the result of bills pending in CA and MA.

August 29 - Citiwire.net

As consumer real estate debt surpasses $9 trillion, TIME magazine examines four radical proposals that top policymakers and economists think will help turn things around.

August 28 - Time

In preparation for Hurricane Irene, the MTA is shutting down buses, subways, and commuter rail in the New York City metro area. Transit operated till noon on August 27, then will begin the 8-hour process to store the vehicles and prepare for Irene.

August 28 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

Residents of the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco fear that redevelopment threatens to gentrify the area in a way that pushes out low- and middle-income black residents.

August 28 - High Country News

In Frankfurt's main shopping district, the Zeilgalerie shopping mall brightens up the night with thousands of programmable LEDs built into its new facade.

August 28 - The Architect's Newspaper

In Antelope Valley, Calif., questionable code enforcement practices encroach the Fifth Amendment taking clause while the obfuscation of facts by public officials mars the transparent aspect of the planning process.

August 27 - Boing Boing

Developers in Frederick, ND are aiming to build "green" homes that middle income buyers can afford. The homes are sporting features such as, solar panels, geothermal heating and high-tech computer systems that are typically found in high end homes.

August 27 - The Washington Post

The CA Air Board reaffirmed their decision to stick with the cap and trade approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions rather than an alternative mechanism such as a carbon fee - a decision that did not please the environmental justice litigants.

August 27 - Los Angeles Times

Alyse Nelson takes a look at a handful of alleys that were transformed from crusty dumping grounds into beautiful urban spaces.

August 27 - SightlineDaily

Joining Yelp, Net-A-Porter, and Apple, tech companies find a new hub in Union Square (aka "Silicon Square").

August 27 - The Wall Street Journal

BLOG POST

<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt">Much of the inefficiency surrounding our use and misuse of water derive from entrenched habits formed during previous eras of presumed inexhaustibility of water supplies.  Our wastewater treatment approach has traditionally relied on an infrastructure of centralized municipal water plants where tertiary effluent is recycled.<span>  </span>These plants consume considerable energy and cost to restore all of the water they process. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt"> </span> </p>

August 26 - Rick Abelson

CBS News compiles in a photo slideshow of dating site OkCupid's list of the top 10 cities with the highest percentage of "casual sex seekers."

August 26 - CBS News

Architect Michael Arad design "Reflecting Absence" was chosen from 5,200 others. After navigating constant criticism and design hurdles, "Reflecting Absence," the memorial to victims of September 11, 2001, is 16 days from it's unveiling.

August 26 - Los Angeles Times

Saqib Rahim asks, "If Denver is committed to transit, how much parking should it build?"

August 26 - The New York Times

Graffiti artists from around the world were invited to transform the brutalist post-war architecture of Bristol, England's Nelson Street.

August 26 - Tim Maughan Books

The total number of cars around the world exceeded the billion-unit mark in 2010, according to a study by Wards Auto. This figure has essentially doubled since 1986 when the 500-million-unit mark was crossed.

August 26 - AutoBlog