The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Urban runoff and contaminated water are creating major ecological damage, even in the United States. One design competition has the goal of rethinking how we handle this crucial resource.

September 14 - Metropolis

When the link between transit operators and real estate developers was severed in the early 20th century, transit became both unprofitable and unresponsive to market demand, and land value-lowering MTA cuts are just one example, says Stephen Smith.

September 14 - Market Urbanism

What happens when a major retailer pulls out of a waterfront redevelopment project?

September 14 - Artvoice Buffalo NY

BLOG POST

<span><span style="font-size: x-small">When you buy a house, you might think that you are in control of that house and its value.  But in reality, your house’s value depends on a wide variety of factors beyond your control, such as the perceived desirability of your neighbors, local highway and transit policies, and trends in national and regional housing markets.  Your home may be your castle in a physical sense- but its value is heavily affected by what goes on outside the residential setting.<br /> <br /> In her new book The Unbounded Home, University of Chicago law professor Lee Fennell addresses the implications of this reality and of homeowners’ attempts to reassert control over property values through restrictive covenants and zoning.<br />

September 14 - Michael Lewyn

Officials in Australia have announced plans to recast downtown Sydney as a pedestrian-friendly central business district.

September 14 - ABC

A new website created by the Center for Neighborhood Technology calculates how much an average household in your neighborhood would spend on transportation, with results for cars and public transit.

September 14 - Governing Magazine

Geoff Manaugh looks at a vintage "mobile cinema" used by the UK's Ministry of Technology in the 1960s to promote modern production techniques. The restored vehicle is taking its 22 seats on the road to show vintage films.

September 14 - BLDGBLG

Calfornia's Dept. of Housing and Community Development recently dubbed a number of developments as "catalyst projects." Paul Shigley says they're well chosen, but money would have worked better than medals.

September 13 - California Planning & Development Report

The Church of the Assumption, a mid-19th century building, is slated to be demolished. The Philadelphia Historical Commission is allowing the demolition after the non-profit that owns the site claimed it was financially incapable of the repairs.

September 13 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

With bike riding and commuting soaring in NYC, the question of where to store bikes - at home, is becoming more important. Bike storage is now a hot amenity in many Brooklyn and Manhattan apartments - so much that monthly fees may apply.

September 13 - Crain's N.Y. Business.com

The planning process for new wind turbines in Eastern Idaho is becoming an "increasingly contentious process," as residents complain that they don't want the structures interfering with their views.

September 13 - Post Register

Ron Ringen has logged more than 1,400 animals for a roadkill project. "I'm almost a fanatic with it," he said. "You get hooked."

September 13 - The New York Times

FEATURE

When Queen Elizabeth II -- now 84 -- passes on, Prince Charles will finally become king. With a history of active engagement in the built environment, will King Charles become a silent monarch, as some have claimed? David Sucher hopes not.

September 13 - David Sucher

The City of London - the financial district comprised of one square mile of London's Roman boundary has erected a new shopping center that planners hope will stimulate the area's development as a competitor to the busier West End.

September 13 - The Guardian

In the wake of several calamitous rail accidents, the Obama administration announced it would create a new federal agency to enforce safety standards on U.S. transit agencies. A new committee is now deciding just how that power will be wielded.

September 13 - The Washington Post

Personal rapid transit (PRT) has faced some challenges, says Curtis Johnson, not the least of which is the U.S.'s lack of "moonshot-mojo".

September 13 - Citiwire.net

So what exactly is "sustainability"? Well, then, how about "civic engagement"? "smart growth”? Bill Barnes of the National League of Cities says that planning is overrun by verbiage with vague definitions, to the detriment of the process.

September 13 - Nation's Cities Weekly

This past Friday, demolition began on a segment of Baltimore's infamous "Highway to Nowhere" to expand parking for the local commuter rail service (MARC). A side benefit: reuniting communities separated since the 1970s.

September 13 - Office of Govenor Martin O'Malley Press Release

Unlike at other beach resorts, the New Smyrna Beach traffic accidents happen on the beach itself. Sea turtles receive protection from the traffic allowed on the beach, but not children. On Sept. 5, a 4-year was run over fatally, the 2nd this year.

September 12 - The New York Times - U.S.

"With cities worldwide busy repurposing their industrial districts and docklands as upmarket housing and waterfront retail centres, the suburbs need to find a new competitive edge," writes Sarah Murray.

September 12 - Financial Times