The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Vacant big box superstores can be hard to reuse, but some communities are adapting them creatively

July 10 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

As demographics change, builders change housing products to focus on rapidly increasing one and two-person 'non-nuclear' families.

July 10 - Wall St. Journal

Despite billions in aid, low-income buyers have been priced out of the housing market and middle-class status.

July 10 - The Los Angeles Times

BLOG POST

I recently downloaded and played around with a neat 3D modeling tool called <a href="http://www.sketchup.com">Sketchup</a>. @Last Software's SketchUp is a 3D modeling package intended to be used by architects and designers who need to quickly outline 3D ideas, but don't care for the difficulty of a CAD program, or the advanced features of a high-end 3D modeler. <br /> <br /> SketchUp's toolset is fairly simple, offering a Photoshop-like, two-column tool palette. SketchUp has also a very helpful grid guidance system, with multiple colors to guide you through the 3D orientation plans.

July 9 - Ken Snyder

BLOG POST

On the subject of interesting uses for Geographic Information Systems (GIS), I ran across this fascinating site, <a href="http://www.streetgangs.com/maps/">Maps and Territories of Gangs in Los Angeles County</a>, while doing some background reading for a new course I'll be teaching at USC on technology and planning. <br /> <br /> <img src="http://www.streetgangs.com/maps/territory/territory_05.jpg" align="right" alt="Territory Map" />The author, <a href="http://www.streetgangs.com/contact.html">Alex Alonso</a>, who is himself apparently a PhD candidate in USC's <a href="http://www.usc.edu/dept/geography/">Geography department</a>

July 9 - Chris Steins

Springfied officials want to quit the regional planning process for the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area due to its "mind-numbing complexities".

July 9 - The Register-Guard

New York City and Los Angeles once represented the extremes of American culture. Now they've become equally bland, writes Patrick Moore.

July 9 - The Los Angeles Times

BLOG POST

Good story today in the New York Times on parks, new and old, in Manhattan (here's the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/09/arts/09DUNL.html?pagewanted=1">link</a>, reg. req'd). <br /> <br /> City parks -- urban ecology -- is problematic for me. I'm not totally convinced that cities should have parks (yes, yes, you're yelling at me now: Central Park! Olmstead and Vaux! The Emerald Necklace! Golden Gate Park! Griffith Park! Just relax for a minute, cowboy).<br /> <br /> Among many smart people, <a href="http://architecture.mit.edu/people/profiles/prspirn.html">Anne Whiston Spirn</a>

July 9 - Anonymous

Due to new high-rise projects along the Rhine, UNESCO says the 'visual impact' of the church is under attack. Mayor Fritz Schramma rejected the decision, claiming the right to development in his downtown.

July 9 - Deutsche Welle

Alex McDowell was asked by Steven Spielberg to build the set for the movie, "The Terminal", and built a 'fantasy terminal' in just eight months.

July 9 - Wall St. Journal

How do you convince suburb-dwellers that light rail can be safe and enjoyable?

July 9 - The Sacramento Bee

An article in Journal of Public Transportation examines the potential success of smart bike programs in the United States.

July 9 - Journal Of Public Transportation

Alfredo Triff analyzes the theories of Andres Duany and Neil Smith regarding gentrification.

July 9 - Miami New Times

Can a new growth vision for Southern California save the region from itself?

July 9 - The Los Angeles Times

Is the nation on the cusp of a new kind of migration to the rural countryside?

July 9 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

What happens when you combine the most demanding industrial land use on earth next door to senior housing?

July 9 - The Los Angeles Times

One of the most cherished freedoms in the German psyche is under attack from politicians concerned about high gas prices and increasing accident rates.

July 8 - Deutsche Welle

A new report from the Urban Institute examines the hidden life of urban parks in creating stronger neighborhoods.

July 8 - Urban Institute

In a historic agreement, home builders from Mexico and the U.S. team up to provide more quality affordable housing.

July 8 - National Association of Home Builders

Patrick M. Condon presents a fascinating report about the differences between planning, the growth of sprawl, and transportation investment in Canadian vs. US cities.

July 8 - Funder's Network For Smart Growth And Livable Comm