The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Building A Bio-Med Hub in Cleveland
<em>Fast Company</em>'s annual list of innovative cities takes a look at Cleveland, which has struggled with population loss but emphasized its identity as a center for health care industries.
LaHood's Bicycle Ambitions for the U.S.
The future of American transportation could be a bit more multi-modal, if Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood gets his way. <em>NPR</em> takes a look at LaHood's plans to get bikes back onto the nation's transportation menu.
Making Suburbia Sustainable
Peter Cock argues that Australia's suburbs can and should be transformed into more self-sufficient communities.
Rail Cuts Chinese Trip From 11 Hours to 90 Minutes
A new high speed rail link has opened in China, connecting the cities of Fuzhou and Xiamen. The new rail line will cut travel time between the two cities from nearly 11 hours to just 90 minutes.
Seeking a Federal Bailout as City Jobs Dry Up
Democrats in congress are trying to divert some federal bailout money to cities and counties, where job losses are crippling municipal services.
Concern for Properties Beyond Tysons Corner Metro Villages
Plans to build dense urban villages around the new Metro stations in Tysons Corner have some landowners on the fringes feeling left out.
The Emerging Arts Center of Texas
<em>Fast Company</em>'s annual list of innovative cities highlights Dallas as an emerging hub of culture.
A Precarious Playground
A new Parisian park would cause American parents to go apoplectic, with a precarious slopes and a lack of rubber bumpers. It is the latest incarnation of the "adventure playground, says Alexander Trevi of Pruned.
Bike Fever in the U.S.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is bully for bicycle infrastructure.
Light Rail and High-Speed Rail Conflated and Confused
In Tampa, voters can't seem to untangle an upcoming one-cent sales tax to fund light rail with the Obama administration's recent $1.25 billion award for high-speed rail, though the funding is completely separate.
The Failure of the Public Process, San Francisco-Style
David Prowler, a former San Francisco planning commissioner, says that the public process of the city fails to engage the people of the community.
BLOG POST
Waiting for a miracle
<p> I was reading Wendell Cox's recent attack on the Center for Neighborhood Technology's affordability calculations, and was struck by one thing he wrote:<em>“transportation costs will be reduced in the future by the far more fuel efficient vehicles being required by Washington.”* </em> </p> <p> In other words, don't worry about Americans being impoverished by the cost of a car for every man, woman, and 16-year old in the House: the technological miracle of fuel efficiency will save us. </p>
People's Needs and Placemaking
Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP, proposes a new way of looking at placemaking through the lens of the 4 basic human needs (a framework from the field of psychology).
Liverpool is Thriving
"It's the fabric, stupid," says writer Stephen Bayley, referring to Liverpool's return to the world stage thanks to a combination of great historic bones and a new influx of exciting architecture.
The Risky Business of Airports
Airports are important investments for cities, but are also highly risky because they rely heavily on the whims of the airline business. Alex Marshall looks at how some of the underrepresented airports are coping.
Riverfront Easement Provokes Debate
In Red Wing, Minnesota, the city is seeking to turn 200-acres of marshes and forests into a permanent conservation easement. A citizen group has complained that locking down the land forever is a bad idea.
How Should Obama Tackle Detroit?
This TIME article looks at possible federal approaches to assist Detroit, from new alternative energy factories to urban agriculture initiatives.
Brightening Up The Landscape
A paint company is sponsoring a project to brighten up dull communities by painting them with bright colors.
Electrify Or Die
That's the verdict from a report released April 22 by officials of Caltrain, the nearly 150-year-old commuter line connecting San Francisco, San Jose, and Peninsula suburbs. In turn, the key to electrification is cooperation with the CA HSR Authority
Mayors Say Abolish States
At a recent talk, former mayors Manny Diaz and Greg Nickels (of Miami and Seattle, respectively) talked about the frustration mayors face in having to go to the state to receive funding.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
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.
