The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Coastal Communities Swallowed

Thousands of Louisiana residents are being forced to retreat from their rapidly disappearing coastal communities.

December 10 - OnEarth

Calthorpe's Saltworks: Is it Smart Growth?

The Redwood City Saltworks development designed by Peter Calthorpe has taken a lot of flack from environmentalists -- and rightfully so, says John Parman, in particular for its susceptibility to potentially rising bay waters from global warming.

December 9 - The Architect's Newspaper

Linking Infrastructure and Environmental Concerns

In a part of Staten Island largely developed before formal sewer systems were in place, the effort to address both logistics and environmental issues offers lessons for other urban areas.

December 9 - Urban Omnibus

Opening Government Easier Said Than Done

Federal government entities are supposed to be "opening" their data, publishing it online for any and all to see. While the goal is good, the reality of meeting the requirement is creating problems.

December 9 - Next American City

Adios Automobile!

TheCityFix looks at the future of the automobile in cities and the possibilities of moving people in to alternative modes in times when car ownership rates are still exploding.

December 9 - TheCityFix


FEATURE

Cycling Super Highways

Rachel Smith of AECOM says that seven-meter wide cycling "super highways" are the X-factor to transform our cities, our lifestyles and our health and revolutionize the way we travel.

December 9 - Rachel Smith

New Prospect Park West Bike Lane Increases Road Capacity

New data show that a controversial bike lane in Brooklyn has allowed more people to use the street to get to work despite taking away one motor vehicle lane. And while dangerous speeding is down, so are travel times.

December 9 - Streetsblog


BLOG POST

10 Urban Planning Songs

While there may not be popular songs specifically mentioning urban planning, there are many songs about cities and the impact of planning decisions. Here are my 10 of favorites.

December 9 - Abhijeet Chavan

NIMBYs and Politicians Are Behind Your Bad Cellphone Reception

In San Francisco, Bernal Hill residents with dubious claims of health risks from microwave antennas have persuaded their supervisor to kill a wireless service providers plan to add to an already existing antenna, says Todd Lappin.

December 9 - Bernalwood

U.S. Court Of Appeals Rules 'Sprawl Fee' Lawful

A U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld a 2008 District Court ruling allowing a regional air quality district to manage land use for the improvement of air quality. CA's Central Valley Air Dist. now has a lawful Indirect Source Review or sprawl fee rule.

December 9 - AP via The Fresno Bee

S.F. Attracting Tech Industry from Silicon Valley

More tech workers are choosing the city over the suburbs. Now companies themselves are beginning to follow suit, reports Jon Swartz.

December 9 - USA Today

BLOG POST

Highways And Labor Markets II

<span><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><em>One accurate measurement can be more insightful than a thousand expert opinions.</em> </span></span></span> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small">In a recent blog titled, </span><a href="http://www.newgeography.com/content/001865-livability-and-all-that"><strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small">Livability and All That</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small">, highway expert Alan Pisarski argues that highway-oriented transport systems are necessary for efficient consumer and labor markets.

December 9 - Todd Litman

New Orleans Biomedical Campus Ignites Preservation Battle

Mark Guarino investigates the controversial construction of an expansive new development in the historic Lower Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans.

December 9 - The Christian Science Monitor

Assessing Florida's HSR Plan

The proposed 84-mile high-speed rail line connecting Lakewood, Orlando and Tamps would be the first of its kind in the country. But is it smart planning? Edward Russell reports.

December 9 - Next American City

More Immigrants Moving to Midsize Cities

According to new research, immigrant homeownership is shifting from large cities like New York and Los Angeles to smaller ones like Las Vegas and Minneapolis.

December 8 - Miller-McCune

Will the Downturn Spur New American Dream?

Tara Lohan at Alternet suggests that the economic downturn is contributing to a cultural shift in terms of our aspirations for housing and neighborhood locations.

December 8 - AlterNet

Park Funding Problems? Privatize

More parks in the U.S. should fight funding issues through privatization, writes John Stossel.

December 8 - Reason

Rio's Slums to See Massive Redesign

Ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, officials in Rio de Janeiro are taking on a massive upgrade project in the city's slums.

December 8 - Guardian

BLOG POST

Planner to Politician: The Inspiring Story of Ann Cheng

<p> Back in 2006, when I was working at <a href="http://www.reconnectingamerica.org" title="Reconnecting America">Reconnecting America</a> (A non-profit that promotes and studies transit-oriented development), I ended up crossing paths with a dedicated and intelligent woman named Ann Cheng. In her late-20s, she was working for an organization known as the Transportation and Land Use Coalition (they&#39;ve since gone with the more attractive moniker <a href="http://transformca.org/">TransForm</a>).  </p>

December 8 - Tim Halbur

Cities Putting Public Spaces Up for Sponsorship

Hundreds of public spaces -- from public parks to subway stations -- are open for bids from sponsors for naming rights.

December 8 - The Wall Street Journal

Post News
Comprehensive Bikeway Design Workshop

Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University

Early Bird Deadline – save on your tuition fee!🚨

Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.