The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
FEATURE
The Place Making Dividend
Edward T. MacMahon of ULI explains why cities and towns with unique character have an economic advantage over the sameness of chain stores and malls, and why people should fight to preserve and create a sense of place.
Futuristic Ideas for Smarter Cities
This piece from the <em>Guardian</em> lists a handful of ideas that could shape the future of cities and city design.
Israel's Urban Outlier
Capitalism and bourgeois values built the city of Tel Aviv, which stands today as an outlier in Israel, according to this article.
Status Quo Sprawl Lives On in Fresno
The approval of a massive shopping center in Fresno, California, highlights the city's inability to move beyond its sprawl-centric tendencies, according to this piece from <em>The Fresno Bee</em>.
A Decade of Population Shifts in the U.S.
The first piece of data from the 2010 U.S. Census has been released, showing state-by-state population information. <em>The Urbanophile</em> offers three maps that document how the country has changed since the last Census in 2000.
Shrinking Cities Means Shuttered Churches
The Archdiocese of Detroit is working with city planners and local demographers as they develop their plans for Catholic parish closures.
Big Signs May Top Downtown Seattle Buildings
Seattle is considering a new policy that will allow companies to place large signs atop buildings downtown. It's part of an effort to lure companies downtown, but many locals are outraged.
U.S. Demand For Gasoline Has Peaked
As improbable as it sounds, the U.S. hit 'peak gas demand' in 2006 at 9 million barrels per day. By 2030, experts predict it will be 20% lower. The decline is attributed to driving less, more efficient vehicles, and the addition of ethanol to gas.
A Planned Community for Artists
Artists are flocking to a town in Turkey that promises "authentic village life." The architect behind the plan says that the project has attracted creatives who "miss natural and pure human relations."
Postal Service as Mobile Urban Data Collector
The U.S. Postal Service operates a massive fleet of trucks and vans throughout the country. Michael Ravnitzky argues that this fleet could be easily modified to collect data about the places the vehicles go.
Mapping Seattle's Bikeability
Comparing Seattle to Portland, transportation planner Adam Parast used GIS data to show the most bikeable parts of the city.
BLOG POST
Digging Holes
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Calibri">Once upon a time there was a transportation planner driving thru the sunbelt.<span> </span>He pulled into a truck stop and while fueling his vehicle he noticed a couple of workers working on the shoulder down the road.<span> </span>One man appeared to be digging holes about three feet across and three feet deep along the side of the road.<span> </span></span></span> </p>
Township vs. Billionaire
A township of 3,000 people is waging war on a proposal from a billionaire energy magnate that would turn a beloved stretch of Lake Michigan coastline into condos, a hotel, and a golf course.The battle persists, even as town funding has become scarce.
For Women Only: Safety by Segregation
Women's safety on public transit is increasingly in focus worldwide. Many systems have turned to designating separate areas for women, but what happens after they get off?
New Census Figures Put U.S. Population at 308,745,538
NPR reports how it will affect the electoral college, noting those that will gain House seats (south and west; mostly red) and the losers (north and mid-west; LA the exception; mostly blue). The Times reports on the importance of minorities.
Biggest Environmental News of the Year
<em>Grist</em> runs down the ten most important environmental news stories of the year.
High Line, Part Two
The next section of New York City's elevated linear park known as the High Line is expected to open next spring. <em>The New York Times</em> offers a preview.
The Walkable City of Death
San Francisco, one of the nation's most walkable cities, has one of the country's highest rates of pedestrian deaths.
A Prefab Prototype for Kenyan Villages
A Kansas City design team hopes its model for a prefabricated village can bring "simple, high-quality vernacular architecture" to the country's rural communities.
To Helmet, or Not to Helmet
That is the question being debated among cyclists as a growing anti-helmet movement becomes more vocal.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
