The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Idaho's Growth Consistently Leads Nation

<p>Years of successful growth show little sign of stopping in Idaho, the nation's fastest-growing economy since 2003.</p>

September 27 - USA Today

An Aging Population Leaves Future Of Cities Uncertain In Japan

<p>Japan's population is aging, and could drop by more than one-quarter of its size within 50 years. Many are calling on the government to plan for the diminishing population, and for how it will affect many of the country's cities and suburbs.</p>

September 27 - The Washington Post

NOLA Demolitions Exacerbate Housing Discrimination

<p>Mass demolitions of apartments and housing discrimination are adding to African-Americans' post-Katrina recovery woes.</p>

September 27 - Common Dreams

German Mag-Lev Line Edges Closer To Reality

<p>In Germany, the governor of Bavaria has announced that financing has been secured for a 23-mile mag-lev train from downtown Munich to its international airport. But others say the funding is less-than secure.</p>

September 27 - Der Spiegel

Senate Approves Water Bill, But Veto Looms

<p>A major water bill that would authorize future spending on infrastructure projects -- especially in Louisiana -- is drawing heat and threats of a presidential veto because it does little to reform the highly-criticized Army Corps of Engineers.</p>

September 27 - The New York Times


To Park Or Preserve?

<p>A plan to demolish a historic nightclub to make way for a 20-space parking lot in Toronto is "lunacy", writes Christopher Hume.</p>

September 27 - The Toronto Star

BLOG POST

A Guide to Taser-Free Public Meetings

<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">We all saw it on the Internet—the fellow at a public meeting being hauled away from the microphone before getting wrestled to the floor and tasered during a Q&amp;A with John Kerry. Fortunately, silencing argumentative speakers with a taser is not a common occurrence at most public meetings. While I might confess that there have been meetings where, in retrospect, one might have secretly wished one was armed with a stun gun, facilitators generally try to avoid confrontation. Yet there’s no denying that sometimes people show up at public meetings looking for a fight, begging for outrage, and hoping to irritate and inflame.

September 27 - Barbara Faga


PM Brown Boosts Eco-Town Efforts

<p>New British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced plans to double the development of carbon-conscious "eco-towns" in an effort to reduce the country's emissions and expand its strained housing stock.</p>

September 27 - BBC

Forget Dubai, Abu Dhabi's Got The Plan

<p>With an environmentally-conscious plan and ambitions to lure some of the world's most well-respected institutions, the emirate of Abu Dhabi is on a forward-thinking path and should be watched more closely than its extravagant counterpart, Dubai.</p>

September 27 - Arabian Business

Suburban Boston Lashes Out Against McMansions

<p>Residents and planners are just about fed up with McMansions in the Bsoton suburb of Wellesley, and they are looking to impose strict regulations on housing size and give a residential board oversight on proposed houses.</p>

September 27 - The Boston Globe

Why Idaho Shouldn't Pay Per Mile

<p>This editorial from the <em>Idaho Statesman</em> says that a proposal to switch from a per-gallon gas tax to a per-mile taxing system is flawed.</p>

September 26 - The Idaho Statesman

Will Amsterdam Turn Off The Red Light?

<p>In a move to clean up the world-renowned district of ill-repute, a $35 million dollar buyout will cut more than one third of the prostitution rooms in Amsterdam's famed Red Light district.</p>

September 26 - Time

Could Planning Decisions Form A New Climate Change Policy?

<p>Land use, housing location, and the "everyday decisions" of planners are the backbone of a new way of looking at climate change policy, according to this article from the <em>Los Angeles Times</em>.</p>

September 26 - The Los Angeles Times

Schools To Be Built Near Freeways Despite Health Threat

<p>Recent studies have shown that locating homes and schools near freeways increases the rate of asthma and other diseases in children, but the Los Angeles Unified School District has plans for 7 more school within 500 feet of freeways.</p>

September 26 - The Los Angeles Times

Transit Village's Promises May Be Too Ambitious

<p>This editorial from Boulder, Colorado's <em>Daily Camera</em> takes a critical look at the projected demographic shifts that some say would be created by a proposed transit village in the city.</p>

September 26 - Boulder Daily Camera

Feds Push BRT As Portland Seeks Streetcar Expansion

<p>Portland, Oregon's plans to expand its streetcar system are meeting some resistance from the federal government, which has identified bus rapid transit as its pubic transit investment of choice.</p>

September 26 - The Oregonian

Assembly-Line Schools Cater To Growth

<p>Fast-paced growth in Loudoun County, Virginia, has created the need for more schools. In the past 11 years 37 have been built, boasting the precision and efficiency of an assembly line. But is faster better?</p>

September 26 - The Washington Post

Ugly Architecture: Does It Have An Alibi?

This commentary from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer looks at the idea that buildings can make us happy, and asks why we put up with buildings that make us unhappy.

September 26 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Sacramento's Core Fills In

<p>After years of trying to get more properties built for sale downtown, new urban infill projects are springing up in Sacramento's core.</p>

September 26 - The Sacramento Bee

Struggling Paris Suburb Still Waits For Help

<p>Clichy-sous-Bois, the Paris suburb that ignited angry rioting amongst France's young minorities in 2005, is still waiting on the government to provide for its struggling populace.</p>

September 26 - Bloomberg

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.