The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Reconnecting America issues a guide to state, regional, and local programs that provide money for development connected to transit.

January 21 - New Urban Network

The Governor's Highway Safety Association released a report citing an uptick in pedestrian fatalities in the first half of 2010 and speculates on all sorts of reasons for this except poor road design.

January 21 - Greater Greater Washington

Joel Kotkin argues that most U.S. cities that were struggling in the '60s and '70s have forged a comeback and should no longer need the sort of redevelopment and federal attention they've been given.

January 21 - New Geography

Nick Aster takes a ride on the world's first fully operational trackless "Personal Rapid Transit" system.

January 21 - Earth & Industry

In the 1960s and 70s, Chinatowns were threatened by highway development in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. None of the proposed highways was built, thanks to concerted efforts by the Chinese communities.

January 21 - Price Tags

Banned for its combination of caffeine and alcohol, the makers of Four Loko were faced with a problem: what to do with their leftover stocks. A Virginia company is recycling the controversial hootch into ethanol for cars.

January 21 - Popular Science

According to this article in Area Development Online, developing a brownfield is a no-brainer: infrastructure is in place, governments have redevelopment funds to support it, and "the PR flip is huge."

January 21 - Area Development Online

The Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Colorado State has indentified five particular species of plant that work well in semi-arid climates for green roofs.

January 21 - Energy Daily

Many European cities are reversing decades-long trends of accommodating automobiles and are eliminating parking and putting tougher regulations in place, according to a new report.

January 21 - New Urban News Network

The Texas Transportation Institute just released its 2010 Urban Mobility Report, which is a standard reference in the road-building industry -- and is seriously flawed, says Joe Cortright.

January 20 - CEOs For Cities

Renewable energy is still only 2.3% of the U.S. energy production. David Biello asks, can renewables be ramped up in time to combat global warming?

January 20 - Yale Environment 360

Volvo is taking things a step closer to the "driverless car" idea with their "road train" concept: cars can "hook up" to a lead car or bus with a professional driver and ride along in their stream until they need to disembark.

January 20 - Grist

As New Yorkers prepare for city-mandated, publicly-accessible 'report cards' on their buildings' energy use, they're finding fault with the LEED rating system for its lack of attention to actual energy measurement.

January 20 - Crain's New York Business

The City of Vancouver is moving forward with plans to re-zone downtown's Eastside neighborhood for extended height limits, but there are a growing number of voices speaking out against it, including planners.

January 20 - Vancouver Sun

FEATURE

In an excerpt from his new book, Bill Fulton suggests that it's time for America's cities to focus on prosperity, not population.

January 20 - Bill Fulton

Rising sea waters are eroding the coast of California. The City of Ventura faces reality, and moves a wasting bike path inland.

January 20 - The Los Angeles Times

Redevelopment agency officials throughout California are moving rapidly to prevent a threatened takeover by the state (to reduce deficit) by signing deals on projects potentially prematurely. LA just turned $1 billion in 275 projects to the city.

January 20 - Los Angeles Times

Work begins at the Union Depot, restoring the historic building into a transportation hub for light rail, buses, taxis and bikes and pedestrians.

January 20 - Star Tribune

While the company town model hasn't been taken seriously in the West in decades, they're cropping up today in countries like China and India.

January 20 - The Economist

Arlington, Virginia is using housing and redevelopment to repair the superblock-dominated street grid of Crystal City.

January 20 - Under One Roof