The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Crematories produce a lot of waste heat. Is it sacrilegious to recycle that excess heat to warm a swimming pool, as is the plan in Redditch, England?

May 24 - Miller-McCune

So says Maria Choca Urban of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, which recently released a plan for retrieving Cleveland, Ohio from the dustbin.

May 24 - Cleveland Plain Dealer

Yes, people walk around more, less obesity, etc. But a report shows that city kids are less frequently allowed outside to play for safety concerns.

May 24 - New Geography

Even amid a stalled economy, new data from the FBI reports that big cities, those with a population of at least one million, are seeing huge declines in crime.

May 24 - The Atlantic

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NY's "Chief Digital Officer" Rachel Sterne presented plans to use enhance technology that connects citizens with their government.

May 24 - SeeClickFix Blog

Jan Willem Tulp created a stunning visualization showing the relationship between number of vacant homes in U.S. counties and the total number of homes in that county.

May 24 - Datavisualization.ch

Sally Augustin stumbled upon a curved park bench at the heart of a public space, and found herself drawn into the brilliance of its curves.

May 24 - Metropolis Magazine

A new report from the Cato Institute says that tax-increment financing (TIFs) costs taxpayers $10 billion a year and the practice is growing by the minute.

May 24 - The Antiplanner

Is Park Place next? In Atlantic City, the newly-created Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) has taken control of the city's casino district.

May 24 - The Architect's Newspaper

As part of a series of articles on the future of transportation in the U.S., the Wall St. Journal says the time may finally have arrived for the retro-futurism of the monorail.

May 23 - The Wall St. Journal

Landscape architect James Corner, whose eponymous firm designed the High Line, turns its attention to Seattle. Last week, Corner presented his plans for reorienting the city towards the waterfront.

May 23 - The Seattle Times

The highest gas prices since the summer of 2008 have the two political parties taking separate approaches toward the oil industry - each showing how effective they are at killing each other's plans.

May 23 - The New York Times - Editorial

Climate scientists have warned Chicago's planners that the City will be significantly warmer and wetter by the end of theentury. And from street trees to building standards, that message is infiltrating Chicago's planning and design.

May 23 - A City Prepares for a Warm Long-Term Forecast

A look at the pedestrian scramble in the Shibuya District of Tokyo, Japan.

May 23 - Los Angeles Times

Bill Fulton writes about the shift from permanent, full-time jobs to "1099 jobs": hourly, contract work that is becoming more and more common. If 1099 jobs take over the economy, how can economic developers do <em>their</em> job?

May 23 - Governing Magazine

FEATURE

Deteriorating commercial strips are commonplace in today's auto-oriented suburbs. Errin Welty outlines her strategy for turning stagnating strips into vibrant shopping districts.

May 23 - Errin Welty

Can drivers be scared into being more careful around pedestrians? A new scare tactic is in the works for the common WALK/DON'T WALK traffic light.

May 23 - Fast Company

An intermodal rail station planned for Northeastern Pennsylvania is identified by local unions as an excellent business opportunity for short-haul freight.

May 23 - The Standard Speaker

Old Urbanist argues that zoning has never effectively preserved property values, but has done exactly the opposite by not allowing more valuable uses to replace less valuable ones.

May 23 - Old Urbanist

The Actual Cafe in Oakland, California proudly opened an extension of their space last Wednesday into a parking space, creating a parklet for customers. Later that evening, someone stole the whole thing.

May 23 - Oakland Local