The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
BLOG POST
The True Cost of Driving and Travel Behavior
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"> </span>Over the past few years a variety of documents ranging from contemporary media to more serious research efforts have addressed the cost of auto ownership and use.<span> </span>These estimates are often used to address two important transportation issues, the household benefits of using transit in lieu of auto ownership and/or the consideration of household location decisions in the context of the total cost of housing and transportation.<span> </span>Two often referenced sources of research on these issues are the Center for Neighborhood Technology’s (CNT) initiatives in developing a housing and transportatio
Where to Find the World's Best Parks
Writing for <em>Frommer's</em>, Charis Atlas Heelan identifies the "The World's 10 Best Cities for Parks."
Creating Urban Life Out of Decay
Peter Aspden celebrates the symbolism communicated in the transformation of the detritus of industry into loci for cultural regeneration, as represented by the Tate Modern and its planned expansion.
An Ode to Central Park, and Urban Humility
A new anthology of musings by celebrated writers on Central Park has Frank Bruni thinking about the role of the park in the city, and the humility of urban life.
Urban Farms in Need of Farmers
Nate Berg explores how the excitement of establishing urban farms and gardens tends to evaporate when the hard work sets in. He profiles one entrepreneur who's trying to fill the gap in dedication and knowledge.
Bicycles Bring Booming Business
Tanya Snyder examines the various ways in which bicyclists bring increased business and added value to their local communities.
Hope, and a Dose of Fear, Surround L.A. Transit Expansion
The opening of L.A.'s newest rail line on Saturday, nearly two years behind schedule and almost $300 million over budget, brought hope, and a dash of fear, for the city's residents, reports Ari Bloomekatz.
A Tower Rises in Manhattan
David W. Dunlap reports on the progress of 1 World Trade Center -- once known as the Freedom Tower -- which is expected to become New York's tallest building today.
World Fails Clean Energy Report Card
A newly released report by the International Energy Agency hands out dismal grades to the nations of the world for their efforts in developing clean energy technologies. Brad Plumer shares the results.
Sowing the Seeds of a Local Food Boom
Ariel Schwartz reports on the efforts of a Silicon Valley-based "food incubator" that aims to bring a lean start-up approach to scaling up the local food movement.
Can LivingSocial Help Establish D.C. as a Tech Hub?
Ken Archer opines on whether proposed tax incentives being offered by D.C. to retain the corporate offices of website LivingSocial are a smart trade-off amongst a backdrop of sparse public resources.
BLOG POST
Traffic deaths and safety: who's really the safest?
<p class="MsoNormal"> William Lucy of the University of Virginia has written extensively on the question of whether outer suburbs are safer than cities or inner suburbs; he argues, based on traffic fatality data, that outer suburbs are certainly less safe than inner suburbs, and maybe even less safe than cities. (1) </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> However, Lucy’s analysis is not particularly fine-grained: it analyzes data county-by-county, rather than town-by-town. What’s wrong with this? Often, suburban cities within a county are quite diverse: some share the characteristics of inner suburbs (e.g. some public transit) while others look more like exurbs. So I wondered whether there is any significant 'safety gap" between inner and outer suburbs. </p>
Cleveland's Historic Migration
For the first time in modern history, Cleveland's inner city is growing faster than its outer city and county, reports Robert L. Smith.
Do Cars = Freedom?
Forget for a minute what the answer to that question may be, and focus first on why the two ideas are associated with each other. As Dave Reid explains, it's no accident, but rather the result of a relentless marketing scheme by the auto industry.
Next Transportation Bill In The Works, Finally!
SAFETEA-LU, the 2005 surface transportation funding bill, expired two years and seven months ago. Nine extensions later, the House and Senate will sit down and work out its successor in a conference committee after the House passed a tenth extension.
D.C.'s Proposed Palace Courts Controversy
Justin Jouvenal tells of plans for a 25,424-square-foot mansion modeled on the Palace of Versailles, to be built in a Washington D.C. suburb, that's causing a collision between "new and old ideas about the way Washington expresses its success."
Can Manhattan Keep Up With Its Own Financial Industry?
Edward L. Glaeser looks back on the boom towns of yore and warns that, without a little balance, the dominance of finance in New York could spell trouble.
How Public Protest Kept the Car From Taking Over Copenhagen and Amsterdam
Sarah Goodyear offers a brief history of urban development in postwar Europe, and tells of just how close the bicycle capitals of the West came to putting cars before people.
Inspiration for Placemakers from the Silver Screen
Planning to rent a movie this weekend? Before you do, check out the list of "Ten Great Movies for Placemakers" gathered by the folks at the Project for Public Spaces.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.
