The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Cohousing Catches On
Cohousing, which is cooperatively-managed but independently-owned housing, is gaining popularity in the Northwest. A new cohousing project in Portland just opened its doors last weekend.
Engineers Sue Metrolink Over Surveillance
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have filed a lawsuit against Metrolink, saying surveillance cameras, which were installed after a deadly crash, are an "invasion of privacy."
Zero-Waste Going Mainstream?
The New York Times examines a handful of places in the US embracing zero-waste policies, how they're doing it, and what challenges lie ahead.
Schwarzenegger to Receive Park Protection Award
Without even a hint of sarcasm, the National Park Trust is planning to give an award to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for protection of public lands.
FEATURE
From Contrast to Continuity: A New Preservation Philosophy
With the emergence of new traditional design patterns among contemporary architects, the standards and rules that have defined historic preservation are becoming obsolete. Steven W. Semes calls on planners and designers to create a new ethic of harmonious intervention into historic settings.
Concentrated Power in Tiny City of Industry
With only 100 voters and a mayor with strong financial ties to the city, Industry, CA is "disturbingly insular," says the LA Times. And with a proposed $800 million stadium in the works, Industry's concentrated power is called into question.
Transit and Ultracapacitors
Ultracapacitor batteries are a poor fit for domestic cars, but are a unique fit for transit. Michael Graham Richard looks at how this technology is working on electric buses in China.
Japan's Transit-Oriented Graveyards
Japan is running out of places to store the remains of its dead, so what better place than in the city, near transit stations in high-tech, high-rise facilities?
'Local' is the New 'Green'
Global corporations like Frito Lay and Barnes and Noble are attempting to co-opt the word 'local' into their branding.
Not a Drop to Drink
Lima's poorest residents are using nets to capture the moisture from the fog that shrouds the city. They don't have access to running water and often pay a high price to get it.
Stretching Architectural Boundaries
Huffington Post highlights 11 astonishing architectural proposals from around the world [slideshow].
If Only Dallas Had Streetcars
Clayton McCleskey makes the case for why Dallas ought to be a little more like Zurich.
PAYD FAIL
California has finally begun to encourage insurance companies to offer "pay as you drive" (PAYD) insurance policies. The Natural Resources Defense Council says it's a half baked policy.
Transit Cheats Plague San Francisco's MUNI
Ever wonder how many people hop on those cable-cars in San Fran without paying the fare? Well, it turns out that transit cheats cost MUNI, San Francisco's transit agency, an estimated, $19 million a year.
Foreclosed Homeowners Turning to Homeless Shelters
A new report shows a dramatic trend in homelessness: increasing numbers of former homeowners left with nowhere to live after foreclosure are turning to homeless shelters.
Good Parks Make Good Cities
That's Lynden Miller's motto, an artist and garden designer with a new book, <em>Parks, Plants, and People: Beautifying the Urban Landscape.</em> The Wall St. Journal has a profile.
Make Small Plans
In contrast to the classic Burnham plea, Andrew M. Manshel says that planning big often misses the essential nature of the urban experience.
The Complex Legacy of Julius Shulman
With a recent documentary, Julius Shulman is back in the spotlight. But the uncritical view of Shulman's legacy leaves a lot out, says Christopher Hawthorne.
Academia and Activism
A profile of Alvaro Huerta, the son of Mexican immigrants who is combining his urban planning studies with social activism.
New Topographics
A photography show in 1975 is credited with changing the way artists looked at landscape, shifting towards looking at the built environment with a less romantic viewpoint. The original show is back on tour and opens at the LA County Museum of Art.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
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.
