The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

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Do You Read These Planning Magazines?

I'm frequently asked for recommendations for good planning magazines. As editors of Planetizen, we come across a staggeringly impressive and diverse array of web-based content. But sometimes there is nothing quite like browsing a good magazine in y

June 29 - Chris Steins

Green Buildings Can Be Noisy

Post-occupancy studies lead by UC Berkeley Center for the Built Environment show that many green strategies result in less satisfactory acoustics.

June 29 - ArchiTech

Successful Bike Sharing Program Now Needs Bikable Streets

In this editorial, the Denver Post applauds the early success of the city's new bike-sharing program (launched on Earth Day) but notes that what's missing is urban street infrastructure for cyclists though there are plenty of recreational trails.

June 29 - The Denver Post

Lifting Parking Requirements

As part of its series looking at improving transportation in the U.S., <em>Slate</em> delves into the intricacies of parking requirements and how they impact transportation and traffic in cities.

June 29 - Slate

Redesign To Cut Traffic in Tysons Corner

A recently approved plan to redesign Tysons Corner, Virginia, to be more transit- and pedestrian-friendly would help reduce traffic, according to this column from <em>The Washington Post</em>.

June 29 - The Washington Post


Suburbia Isn't The Problem

John Jensen at the Seattle Transit blog makes a persuasive argument that the suburbs themselves aren't the problem - depedency on the automobile is.

June 29 - Seattle Transit Blog

Paris Plans for Power From Hydroliennes Beneath The Seine

This week, Paris City Hall is launching an appeal to find power companies able to install eight 'hydroliennes' underneath the Seine's celebrated bridges. French power company EDF has already declared the plan interesting.

June 29 - The Guardian


Are College Graduates Worth It?

Vincent Valk looks at the dogged pursuit by cities for new college graduates, and asks if that strategy really pays off in the end.

June 28 - Next American City

Jan Gehl's Ten Principals For Liveability

Kaid Benfield introduces Jan Gehl and Walter Hook's principals to promote "environmentally sustainable and socially equitable transportation worldwide."

June 28 - Sustainable Cities Colletive

Baltimore Points The Way Forward For Urban Renewal

Neal Peirce describes how Baltimore's first mixed income neighborhood since WWII is taking shape on the east side just north of the Johns Hopkins campus.

June 28 - Citiwire

FEATURE

Placemaking for Pot Smoking

Potential legalization of marijuana presents California cities the chance to do a different type of 'greening.' Josh Stephens reports on the land use challenges of regulating California's most lucrative crop.

June 28 - Josh Stephens

Southern States Lagging in Energy Efficiency

The South eats up more resources than the rest of the U.S., says reporter Elizabeth Daigneau. With 36% of the U.S. population, the South uses 44% of the nation's energy consumption.

June 28 - Governing Magazine

Court Allows Use of Eminent Domain in University Expansion

New York's Court of Appeals overturned an earlier decision that prevented Columbia University from using eminent domain to build an extension of their campus.

June 28 - The Architect's Newspaper

Homes Shrink As Lower-Priced Homes Sales Surge

More first-time, energy-conscious, urban home buyers with smaller households have contributed to a noticeable reduction in home size as shown in 2008-2009 housing Census data. Concurrently, lower-priced home sales outpaced more expensive homes.

June 28 - The Philadelphia Inquirer Via Austin American Statesman

Illegal NYC Commuter Vans Could Become Legitimate

Private transit in the form of livery vans are now sanctioned as part of a year long pilot pushed by Mayor Bloomberg that will compete with public bus and taxi for areas not well-served by the city's extensive, but hard-hit transit network.

June 28 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

Battle Over Closure of Paris Expressways

A political battle is brewing in Paris, where the city's mayor wants to close off sections of roadway along the River Seine, a move that President Nicholas Sarkozy is against.

June 28 - The New York Times

An Indianapolis Aerotropolis

Planners in Indianapolis have revealed plans for an "aerotropolis" to develop around the city's international airport.

June 28 - Herald-Times

Wal-Mart Gains Foothold In Lucrative Urban Market

Wal-Mart is succeeding in convincing Chicago politicians that it will create sustainable "employment and revenue for the city." The predominantly suburban-based supercenter chain is trying to move into denser urban areas.

June 28 - New York Times

Affordable Housing Makes Life - Well, Affordable

Households that are given affordable housing have more money to spend, which can bring more money into the economy, according to a new study from the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy.

June 27 - Crain's

Retailers No Longer Asking for Help

Mall operators across the country were getting requests for rent relief during the economic downturn, but in a sign of possible recovery, the requests have mostly dried up.

June 27 - Retail Traffic Magazine

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