The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Town Battles Native American Developments

Fess Parker, TV's 'Davy Crockett,' and the Chumash Indians hope to turn Santa Ynez into a vacation paradise. Locals fear a loss of community as the Chumash can ignore zoning through federal law.

June 9 - Newsday

Unusual Incentives To Promote Smart Commuting

Food and fun promote alternatives to one car, one person.

June 9 - Michigan Land Use Institute

How To Save Your University Planning Program

Graduate planning programs across the nation are in danger of being cut to save funding.

June 9 - Planning Magazine

Energy Costs Strain Nation's Poorest

According to a new study, nearly half of households at 50% the federal poverty level reported skipping food or medicine just to pay for their residential energy consumption.

June 9 - Yahoo! Newswire

New York Teens Focus On Urban Redevelopment

Using a grant from Rehabilitation Through Photography, a year-long elective at one New York City school concentrated on redeveloping 5.5 acres of Flushing, Queens.

June 9 - Newsday


BLOG POST

Today's UV Index

The US Environmetal Protection Agency has launched their daily <a href="http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html">Ultra Violet Index</a> website, where you can search for your zip code's daily UV Index rating.<br /> <br /> Tomorrow's Los Angeles UV Index rating is 9: "Try to avoid the sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Otherwise, seek shade, cover up, wear a hat and sunglasses, and use sunscreen. " <br /> <br /> The UV Index is computed using forecasted ozone levels, a computer model that relates ozone levels to UV incidence (incoming radiation level) on the ground, forecasted cloud amounts, and the elevation of the forecast cities.

June 8 - Chris Steins

ASLA Medals And Firm Award Recipients Announced

Peter E. Walker is selected for the American Society of Landscape Architects's highest honor. Urban Land Institute will receive the Landscape Architecture Medal of Excellence.

June 8 - American Society Of Landscape Architects


Norfolk Takes Back Its Heart

A success story in an old Navy town.

June 8 - Planning Magazine

If You Build It, They Come. Then What?

Six Virginia newspapers jointly explore the state's roads in a three-part series.

June 8 - Richmond Times-Dispatch

BLOG POST

Measuring Effectiveness Of E-Government

The <a href="http://www.grants.gov/">Grants.gov</a> initiative is seen as a model e-government project but it has had <br /> <a href="http://www.gcn.com/23_13/news/26113-1.html">trouble attracting users</a> according to an article in Government Computer News. The website enables citizens to apply for grants online. <br /> <br /> <img src="http://www.planetizen.com/tech/files//20040608-grantsgov_01.gif" alt="Grants.gov Logo" align="right" width="200" height="75" /><br /> <blockquote>"[The Office of Management and Budget] officials are working to define utilization -- how e-government projects are used after they’ve been fully implemented -- and plan how the projects will reach the marks they set. Project managers must decide who their customers are and how they’ll measure use of the service...<br /> <br /> [Officials] have identified several obstacles to finding users: informing them about the portal, making it easy for them to use and getting other agencies to participate....<br /> </blockquote>

June 8 - Abhijeet Chavan

Atlantis Found?

Satellite photos from southern Spain appear to match the dimensions of the not-so-mythical city of Atlantis.

June 8 - BBC News

Indiana Farmland At Risk

Federal funds for farmland preservation go untouched while development continues to transform rural areas.

June 8 - The Indianapolis Star

Limiting The Power Of Homeowner Associations

Californai legislators are seeking to limit the too-often abused power of homeowners associations to seize properties without going to court.

June 8 - The Los Angeles Times

Growing The Middle Class

Miami's split personality points to an underlying problem.

June 8 - The Brookings Institution

Citistates Report: Boston Unbound

Boston has all of the right ingredients to become on of the most rewarding places on earth to live -- if the city can get over it's 'assumed superiority'.

June 8 - The Boston Foundation

The New Green Urbanism

Green architecture is catching on in America.

June 8 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

A Tour Of Immaculate Suburbia

Follow 'Patio Dad' and 'Realtor Mom' into their blissful mini-McMansion with a review of David Brook's new book, "On Paradise Drive."

June 8 - The Christian Science Monitor

Washington's Metro: Deficits By Design

Finance structure challenges Washington's Metro.

June 7 - The Brookings Institution

Does Where We Live And Work Make Us Fat?

Experts are eyeing city planning as the next front in the war on obesity.

June 7 - WebMD

Baltimore's Walking Commuters

Walking to work has become an increasingly popular urban phenomenon for 7% of Baltimore's commuters.

June 7 - The Baltimore Sun

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.