The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

With severe budget shortfalls, Philadelphia has turned to its citizens to see where the city should make cuts and what citizens are willing to pay to save.

March 5 - Reuters

Slums have garnered some positive attention lately, from academics (Teddy Cruz) to royalty (Prince Charles). This article looks at just what it is we can learn from them, as well as the challenges that face legitimizing the world's shantytowns.

March 5 - The Boston Globe

In this fourth and final installment on Bus Rapid Transit, Streetsblog and Walter Hook discuss how to make BRT work along 1st or 2nd Avenue--two ready-made BRT corridors.

March 5 - Streetsblog

One blogger makes the case for walkable urbanism, in the context of the social and physical well-being of adolescents specifically.

March 5 - Greater Greater Washington

The Highway Act of 1956 that resulted in the construction of America's Interstate Highway system has gathered a lot of praise recently as a model economy-boosting public works project. But based on the problems it's caused, that praise should stop.

March 5 - Financial Times

Austin joins cities across the U.S. and elsewhere in shifting away from individually-metered spaces and towards pay stations in an effort to increase revenue and efficiencies.

March 5 - Austin American-Statesman

Thousands of homes in development are being halted and thousands more vacant new homes are being foreclosed across California, leading to crime, looting and squatting.

March 5 - Los Angeles Times

This article provides a general breakdown of how state governments plan to use the first installment of transportation spending money from the stimulus. The leeway states have in how to spend has sparked debates among legislators.

March 5 - The New York Times

This piece from <em>Construction Week</em> looks at the environmentally-conscious Xeritown proposed in Dubai and the methods it will take to conserve and create energy.

March 5 - Construction Week

Prisons around the country are looking less and less like the typical concrete box; Washington state has 34 LEED-certified prisons, some of which offer "green work" programs.

March 5 - The New York Times

That's just one of the interesting tidbits in this celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Plan of Chicago and Daniel Burnham in The New Yorker.

March 4 - The New Yorker

Homebuilders may oppose a building moratorium at a time like this, but Pennsylvania Rep. Robert Freeman (D-Northampton) has not let up on his efforts to enact one to give communities a break from development and to discourage sprawl.

March 4 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Americans caught up in the foreclosure crisis can now apply for relief from the Obama Administration's new "loan modification plan."

March 4 - CNN Money

The mayors of Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington have come to an agreement about the size of a new bridge that will connect the two cities -- but on the condition that a bistate commission be set up to control congestion through tolling.

March 4 - The Oregonian

The Christian Science Monitor editorializes in support of the VMT fee replacing the gas tax just as the latest federal transportation financing commission report recommends, as Oregon Governor Kulongoski hopes to do, and as some will do in Europe.

March 4 - The Christian Science Monitor

A new study shows that green buildings are far more expensive than they are made out to be, and that it may take longer than advertised for energy savings to cancel out costs.

March 4 - The New York Times

The author of this article expresses their concern for a potential Daniel Burnham memorial that does little to represent his ideas--or good planning.

March 4 - Chicago Tribune

Treehugger interviews urban designer, New Urbanist, and rail advocate Andy Kunz about the stimulus package and how it will benefit high speed rail in America.

March 4 - Treehugger

Bill Rees, creator of the ecological footprint concept, warns that economic growth needs to slow down greatly if we want to maintain a civilized life on Earth.

March 4 - Vancouver Magazine

Legislation written by State Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) would require parking reform in the "Donald Shoup" mold in almost every city in California.

March 4 - Los Angeles Streetsblog