The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Obama's Urban Issues Team
Barack Obama has announced the three members of the "urban issues" arm of his incoming cabinet. <em>Grist</em>'s Ryan Avent takes a look at Shaun Donovan, Ray LaHood and Adolfo Carrion and what they may mean for urban policy.
Stepping Up Security for the Inauguration
Security considerations are already making a huge impact in Washington D.C. as the Capitol readies for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
Creating Sustainability in Oregon
The master plan for Salem, Oregon's Pringle Creek Community is ambitious, says Jim Fitzsimons, incorporating mixed-use, sustainable development with the community-enhancing aspects of old city neighborhoods.
Friday Funny: Rats Prefer Manhattan
Rats choose Manhattan because if its logical street grid, according to new research by a team of zoologists and geographers at Tel Aviv University, who are using rats to test wayfinding in cities.
New Orleans Riverfront Redevelopment Approved
Plans to redevelop a section of the Mississippi Riverfront in New Orleans have been approved and construction could begin by the end of 2009.
Record Foreclosures in 2008
The latest figures show that one out of every 54 households were in foreclosure in 2008; analysts expect millions more foreclosures in the coming year.
Cars Are Here To Stay, Transit Is Not The Answer
UC Davis Professor Daniel Sperling, a transportation expert and member of CA's ARB has co-written "Two Billion Cars: Driving Toward Sustainability". In this radio interview, Sperling describes cleaner auto technologies but dismisses transit's role.
Hoover's Legacy: Bad Zoning Codes
As Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover championed the Standard Zoning Enabling Act. Rick Cole argues it is time to leave Hoover's legacy behind.
Architecture's 'Bilbao Era' Could Be Over
The age of iconic architecture may be ending. The recession is a major factor, but much of the shift may be due to changing perceptions about what architecture is supposed to do for a place, according to critic Robert Campbell.
New Highways 'A Catastrophic Choice'
Alex Steffen of WorldChanging looks at the Obama administration's moves towards funding more highways, the appointment of Ray LaHood, and argues that we can do much better.
New York's Plan to Avoid Blight
New York City has announced plans to use $24 million in federal financing to repair and resell more than 100 foreclosed homes in the city.
Will Massachusetts Form A Transportation Super Agency?
In an effort to save billions of dollars, the State of Massachusetts may merge the MBTA, the Highway Department, and the Turnpike Authority into what is being called the Massachusetts Surface Transportation Authority.
NIMBY's Warm to WalMart
According to a new survey conducted by The Saint Consulting Group, opposition to WalMart developments has fallen while malls, casinos and landfills have increased.
'Distinctive Destinations' for 2009
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has released their annual dozen 'distinctive destinations', vacation spots that rank high in authenticity, beauty, and of course, preservation. Franklin, Tennessee is one of the lesser-known locales.
Economic Stimulus Needs to be More Than "Big Digs"
The image of tens of thousands of people being put to work on massive public works projects may be a thing of the past, some economists argue.
Putting a Furnace Under the Economy
If we're looking for a way to kick-start a green economy, we could do worse than investing in American-made, high-efficiency furnaces, argues Paul Loeb.
Heathrow to Get Third Runway
Plans to build a controversial new runway at London's Heathrow International Airport have been approved.
Wind Turbine Bridge Stirs Imaginations
A proposed bridge going over the Columbia River in the Portland-Vancouver area may be able to power itself with wind turbines integrated right onto the design.
Recycling Becomes an Economic Liability
Due to consumers cutting back, the global market for recyclables has collapsed and even begun to cost some cities' recycling programs.
Mapped History of Manhattan's Waterways
Interactive maps of Manhattan from 1865 and 2008 are overlayed in this piece from <em>The New York Moon</em> that discusses the history of the island's waterways.
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
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.
