The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Tracking Trash with M.I.T.
M.I.T.'s Senseable City Laboratory launched a project to track the journey of garbage and recyclables, using small electronic sensors, in Seattle and New York City, in part to highlight the high cost of waste to the environment and cities.
Will Western Cities Face a "Reverse Katrina"?
Dusty "red snow" in the Rockies, plunging water levels in Lake Mead and California's forest fires are all signs that the West is drying up, writes Chip Ward.
Andrés Duany Calls For Revamping Public Process
Among other issues tackled by the noted New Urbanist during a recent speech, Duany said that the current form of public engagement is broken because it engages only the immediate neighbors.
Personal Rapid Transit for Google?
Advanced Transit Systems is pitching the city of Mountain View on using the PRT system developed for Heathrow Airport to connect the downtown train station, NASA Ames and Shoreline businesses like Google.
Toronto Condo Will Provide Carsharing Instead Of Parking
A 42-storey condo building to be built in Toronto will include parking for nine car-share vehicles and 315 bicycles but no on-site parking spaces for residents’ private automobiles.
Sustainability is a Lifestyle, Not an Accessory
Witold Rybczynski bemoans the green movement's emphasis on sustainability measure that treat environmental action as a process of accessorizing rather than changing lifestyles.
Forbes' '10 Fastest Dying Cities' Fight Back
Last year, Forbes Magazine named the 10 Fastest Dying Cities in the U.S. Eight of those cities decided to come together and fight back.
BLOG POST
Accessibility-Based Planning
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri">Should society encourage parents to <a href="/node/40737">drive children to school</a> rather than walk or bicycle? Should our transportation policies favor driving over walking, cycling, ridesharing, public transit and telecommuting? Probably not. There is no logical reason to favor automobile travel over other forms of accessibility, and there are lots of good reasons to favor efficient modes, so for example, schools spend at least as much to accommodate a walking or cycling trip as an automobile trip, and transportation agencies and employers spend at least as much to improve ridesharing and public transit commuting as automobile commuting.
Debate Over Letting Kids Walk To School
<cite>The New York Times</cite> goes over the debate over whether it is acceptable to let children walk to school nowadays. The topic has many parents expressing mixed feelings about the issue.
Judge Rules Against Efforts to Stall California's High Speed Rail
A judge has overruled challenges from two northern California cities over the siting of the state's proposed high speed rail line. Environmental studies can now move forward.
Cheapskate Cities
This map from <em>Mint</em> looks at American cities that have spent the least so far in 2009, and those that are also cutting back budgets.
Sustainability Solutions in the City
This piece from the <em>Guardian</em> looks at a handful of projects and ideas that are emphasizing the importance of sustainable metropolitan areas in an age of diminishing resources and environmental devastation.
DC Goes NU
New Urban News looks at the growing influence of New Urbanists and their ideas in Washington, from the appointment of former CNU director Shelley Poticha to a HUD position to the new Livable Communities Act proposed by Sen. Christopher Dodd.
FEATURE
SPECIAL REPORT: A Lobbying Free-For-All
Thousands of special interest groups are competing to influence the new transportation bill. Reporter Matthew Lewis sheds light on the most significant players, in an extensive report from the Center for Public Integrity.
Jeff Speck reviews the NY Street Design Manual
<em>Suburban Nation</em> co-author Jeff Speck cracks the new New York Street Design Manual and finds a lot of useful material and some that falls short.
Controversial Rezoning in Harlem, A Year Later
Controversy surrounded the 125th St. Rezoning, which locals thought would cause rampant gentrification. One year later, little has changed.
Kaid Benfield's Favorite Park
Kaid Benfield, who came in at #42 in our Top 100 Urban Thinkers poll recently, talks about what makes the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris his favorite in the world.
Stimulus Spreading Work to Otherwise Barren Field of Architecture
Work has been hard to find for many architects over the last year. But for architects doing federal work, the story is a bit different.
The Hawaiian Energy Islands
The islands of Hawaii are proving to be a laboratory for renewable energy projects, playing host to a variety of pilot projects that could end up paving the way for the rest of the country's transition to an energy menu with more renewable options.
Study Shows TND Encourages Walking
Orenco Station in Portland, OR shows that traditional neighborhood development (TND) can decrease car use and encourage walking, according to a new study.
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.
