The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Transforming Seattle's Bell Street Into a Park

Seattle is reclaiming it's right of way to create a pedestrian street. Landscape architects SvR Design Co. and Hewitt presented two different concepts for the park, one that is "measured" and one that "meanders."

February 24 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Opening Up City Data

<em>Next American City</em> columnist Christian Madera looks at new efforts to get local government to make municipal data available and accessible, and some of the ways reluctant cities can be convinced to open up.

February 24 - Next American City

Challenges for the Emerging Mega-City of Lagos

This analysis from Nigeria's <em>Daily Independent</em> looks at the challenges facing Lagos, the country's biggest city, as it grows into a global mega-city.

February 24 - Daily Independent

Small and Illegal Places Pose Challenge for Census Takers

Census takers in New York City will face the tough challenge of tracking down people living in often illegally-built and hard to find small rooms and apartments.

February 24 - The New York Times

Building Cities Out of Pictures

Researchers are working on technology to help create 3D models of buildings and places by using large collections of digital photos.

February 24 - The New York Times


The Most and Least Affordable Places for Homebuyers

This article looks at the five metro areas with the most affordable housing options, and the five with the least affordable options.

February 24 - CNN Money

As Dealerships Empty Out, Cities Look at Options for Reuse

As the auto industry evolves, the vast car lots that sprung up in many California towns over the past few decades are falling out of use. Cities are looking at new ways to reuse these spaces.

February 24 - Los Angeles Times


'Unexpectedly Green' Slums

This article from <em>The Prospect</em> looks at slums and squatter cities. Author Stewart Brand, editor of the Whole Earth Catalog, calls them "unexpectedly green".

February 24 - Prospect

Indonesia Considers New Capital as Jakarta Sinks

As sea levels rise and flooding threatens the foundations on which the city was built, the Indonesian capital of Jakarta is literally sinking into the sea. Now the president is pushing a plan to find a new home for the country's capital.

February 23 - Agence France Presse

The Historic Costs of Going Green

Preservationists say a new California law that requires new construction to meet stringent green building standards could encourage demolition of historically significant buildings.

February 23 - NPR

Where the (Concrete) Sidewalk Ends

When you think of sidewalks, you most likely think of concrete. Though it makes up the vast majority of sidewalks, concrete isn't the only game in town.

February 23 - The Infrastructurist

Goodbye, Cabrini-Green

The Cabrini-Green Housing Projects in Chicago, Illinois were some of the worst examples of the public housing towers era. This stop motion video captures the demolition of one of the last buildings left in the redevelopment process.

February 23 - Cabrini-Green.com

The Gold Medal for Planning Goes To...

Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded for town planning were at the 1928 and 1932 Olympics, along with architecture, sculpture, painting, music and literature.

February 23 - The New York Times

The Death and Gentrification of Great American Cities

Sharon Zukin's new book takes a different look at the urbanity championed in Jane Jacobs' seminal book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities", arguing that gentrification is tearing up the authenticity of places.

February 23 - The New York Times

Learning From Bug Cities

As architects and planners seek to create sustainable buildings and cities, some scientists suggest looking at the intricate home-building of insects.

February 23 - New Scientist

The Potential of Intelligent Transportation

This post from <em>Wired</em>'s <em>Autopia</em> blog looks at the history and potential of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).

February 23 - Wired

The Migratory Patterns of Americans are Changing

The American Enterprise Institute looks closely at how migration patterns have changed state-by-state through the last couple of years of recession.

February 23 - The American Enterprise Institute

EPA Plots Plan to Restore Great Lakes

With heavily polluted waters and eroding shorelines, the Great Lakes are undergoing a rapid deterioration in health. The Environmental Protection Agency has unveiled a 5-year plan to restore the lakes.

February 23 - Los Angeles Times

Metro's Woes

Washington, D.C.'s transit system is in hot water, facing several safety investigations, a decline in ridership, and historic budget deficits.

February 22 - The Washington Post

With Financing Frozen, Construction Workers Feeling the Pinch

Construction unions are reporting that 30% of their members are still unemployed or between jobs. Public projects are raising hopes, but as one carpenter's union spokesperson puts it, "The private sector is dead."

February 22 - Time

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