The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A Grist writer and environmentalist takes a trip to the Talladega Superspeedway to try to understand what the petroleum-wasting is really all about.

October 12 - Grist

The problem with white roofs is that while they keep apartments and the atmosphere cool, come winter people want that heat to absorb. A new high-tech roofing material switches from white to black when needed.

October 12 - Fast Company

Richard Florida takes a look at a recent report showing connecting solo commuters with location and comes up with an interesting demographic breakdown.

October 11 - Atlantic Monthly

<em>National Journal</em> asks its panel of transportation experts how planners should promote livable communities.

October 11 - National Journal

The availability of information in the city is creating a new opportunity for adaptive and interactive urban spaces. As Carlo Ratti of MIT's SENSEable City Lab discusses, the key is people.

October 11 - Wired UK

Rio de Janeiro has been named the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Now, the city has to start making its Olympic promises come true.

October 11 - USA Today

Raleigh planner Dan Douglas has some bold proposals for the city, including nine new public squares, green roofs, and a new Grand Central Station-style transit hub.

October 11 - The Independent Weekly

A ban on new fast food restaurants in South Los Angeles which was put in place last year has been found to play little role in reducing obesity in the area, according to a new report from the Rand Corporation.

October 10 - Los Angeles Times

This article from <em>Wired UK</em> looks at a handful of emerging transportation concept technologies that are altering the form of the city.

October 10 - Wired UK

As the city of New Orleans rebuilds its flooded and destroyed neighborhoods, a new design from architect Thom Mayne seeks to counteract the flood-prone area by simply floating.

October 10 - NPR

Avi Friedman has some ideas of how to make housing more affordable. He says that the focus is too much on the mortgage and subsidies side and not enough on lower building costs.

October 10 - Northwest Hub

As part of GOOD's Top 100 Ideas of 2009, author Jacob Gordon celebrates the fact that other standards of efficiency are gaining traction abroad and in the US.

October 10 - Good

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October 9 - Rick Abelson

Enci Box's personal account of how gender, safety, and living car-free intersect in her daily transportation decisions.

October 9 - LA Streetsblog

A study conducted by J.D.Power and Associates shows that young people are leading a shift in perception about desire for cars.

October 9 - Los Angeles Times

Planners from Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno met this week to discuss plans for high-speed rail between their cities, since they've been left off the map of potential corridors to be funded by the stimulus package.

October 9 - The Arizona Republic

In a series of open houses to debate whether its building height restrictions should be changed, former Vancouver city planner Larry Beasley debated with architect Richard Henriquez.

October 9 - Metro Vancouver

This article examines the unique success of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, of Northern Virginia, where retail and new apartments have thrived, despite the economy.

October 9 - The New York Times

Guy Julier, designer and professor, talks about a number of design issues related to cities, including a detailed look at the pitfalls of waterfront development.

October 9 - ProDesign

This interview with Adam Friedman of the New York Industrial Retention Network, illuminates reasons for retaining manufacturing in NYC, such as sustainability and job creation.

October 9 - Urban Omnibus