The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
An Apartment to Fit A Family? Forget It
Architect Roger K. Lewis writes in The Washington Post that it is nearly impossible for a family with school-age children to find a suitable apartment in the city, even if that is the way they'd prefer to live.
Californian Official Fights Proposed Death Row Project
Bids are open for a new Death Row facility in California, but local lawmakers opposed to the project say that companies shouldn't even waste their time bidding on a project that won't be built.
Will Atlanta Grow No More?
Citing three examples of growing pains in Metro Atlanta, this piece wonders whether the region is incapable of efficiently growing any further.
Recreating European-Style Cafe Life in America
In Portland, patterns of urban use are emerging that are similar to the European-style neighborhood bar as a community gathering place.
Best Apps for Building and Construction
Houston Neal from Software Advice picks the best apps for construction, from carpentry and electrical calculators to design tools like REVIT and Google SketchUp.
The Legacy of L.A.'s Former Planning Director
Gail Goldberg recently left the helm of the City of Los Angeles' City Planning Department. <em>AIA Los Angeles</em> takes a look back at her four-year tenure and the positive impacts she made.
Parks Are A Wise Investment In Tough Times
At a time when families across the country are facing fewer choices for fun, ambitious park projects like those in St. Louis, Detroit and Houston are "bringing urban centers back to life," according to JoAnn Greco.
Landmark Mall to Become Mixed-Use Village
Randhurst Mall was the first enclosed mall in the Chicago Area. Today, developers are replacing the mall with an open-air, mixed-use project with a traditional Main Street-style design.
Ten Master-Planned Communities That Bucked the Trend
Builder Magazine looks at ten master-planned developments that sold well in a market that has dwindled through the recession.
Could General Stores Reduce Car Trips in The Suburbs?
Belinda Lanks details architect Frank Ruchala's scheme to bring general stores back into America's residential areas. He believes "a general store could work just as well in a (suburban) subdivision as it did in small villages a hundred years ago."
Mapping Toronto's Class Divide
Richard Florida plots the geography of class on a map of Toronto to show the deep economic divisions at work in an almost "completely post industrial," city.
Kowloon Cultural District Takes Shape in Hong Kong
Office of Metropolitan Architecture, Foster + Partners, and Rocco Design Architects have each submitted plans for Kowloon's new cultural district to be built on reclaimed land.
The Question of Interstate 69
<em>Next American City</em> reviews a new book by Matt Dellinger about Interstate 69, the as-yet-unbuilt highway that could create a direct link between the Mexican and Canadian borders.
The Tangibility and Viability of L.A.'s 30/10 Plan
The Brookings Institution's Robert Puentes reports back on a recent discussion about Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's 30/10 plan -- the idea to cram 30 years worth of transit investments into 10.
Cities Scramble to Prepare for Electric Vehicles
Electric cars sap a lot of electricity out of the grid, and many vehicles charging at once can cause unprepared cities to blackout.
How Philistinism and Contempt For Urban Planning Scarred England's Crowded Cities
England is now the second most densely populated place in Europe, after Malta. New data shows the UK as a whole has roughly the same density as Germany. This indicates a concentration of population in particular places and underpopulation elsewhere.
Military's Newest Enemy: Wind Turbines
The U.S. Defense Department has become one of the largest hurdles for wind power projects, arguing that large wind turbines can cause interference with the military's communications technology.
Seeking That Neighborly Feeling
The new HafenCity district under construction in Hamburg, Germany, is one of the largest urban developments underway today. Some worry that its newness and bigness aren't prime conditions for harboring neighborliness.
Can This Desert Oasis Project Actually Be Green?
This piece from <em>Fast Company Design</em> looks at plans for an eco-conscious-yet-inappropriately lush desert development being planned in Oman, and wonders whether a project so out of place will actually work.
Potential Neighbor Threatens Empire State Building's Dominance
A proposed tower that would be just blocks from the Empire State Building in New York City has some historians and property owners on the defensive.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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.
