The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Lawsuit Seeks to Overturn California's Prop. 13
A group of lawyers in California has filed a lawsuit to overturn the two-thirds legislative voting requirement of Proposition 13, the law that limits increases in the state's taxes -- but not property taxes.
Biggest Transportation Failures of 2011
Atlantic Cities offers a review of ten of the worst urban transportation failures to take place in American cities in 2011.
Private and Public Converge in Toronto's 'Information Pillars'
New street furniture is being installed in Toronto, but locals are already sick of it. They're called "information pillars" and are supposed to offer helpful directions and info to pedestrians, but critics complain that they're mostly advertisements.
Redevelopment Will Come Back in California -- But Will It Be Reformed?
The State Supreme Court struck down redevelopment. Now it's up to the political players in California to strike a deal to bring it back. Can they do it? And what will the state's price be?
California Supreme Court Rules to Eliminate Redevelopment Agencies
The court's decision is likely to have far-reaching effects on how cities in California finance and facilitate urban redevelopment.
CA HSR Plan B: Amtrak
If high-speed rail fails, 130 miles of track will have to go to Amtrak. But critics say that the backup plan comes with no guarantee that Amtrak would even have to use the tracks and is, therefore, a useless backup plan.
Did China's Real Estate Bubble Just Burst?
Steep and sudden price reductions are being felt in real estate markets in Shanghai and across China. Indicators suggest that the 'biggest bubble of the century' may have just burst.
Vernon's Fight Against Disincorporation May Bankrupt the City
The city of Vernon, California, fought hard recently to avoid disincorporation. The price of that fight has drained the city's coffers, and now some say it's too deep in the hole to function properly.
Multigenerational Housing Rises in Nevada
Major homebuilders in Las Vegas are offering new housing layouts that include extra rooms and separate small side houses for extended families, meeting a rising demand seen in shifting demographics.
Intercity Bus Growth Provides New Traffic for Turnpikes
Growth in traffic on intercity buses offers an important new source of revenue for long distance turnpikes and interstate toll bridges. A new breed of curbside bus carriers are seeing rapid growth.
Shrinkage in Phoenix? Call it 'Smart Decline'
Shrinkage -- the term long associated with rust belt cities like Detroit and Cleveland that saw their heydays 60 years ago and have been in decline since -- is now being applied to Phoenix and other fast-growing areas of the Southwest and Sun Belt.
Madrid Park Reconnects Once Divided Neighborhoods
Madrid Río, a six-mile long park in the heart of Madrid, replaces the blight left over from a highway that once disconnected neighborhoods and reclaims a neglected waterfront.
Can the 'Wikipedia of Maps' Challenge Google?
Google starts charging for its maps, and an open source alternative -- with support from Microsoft -- begins to challenge Google's dominance.
Security-Dictated Design for Kabul's Newest Luxury Hotel
Adjacent to the U.S. Embassy, a five-star Marriott hotel designed to withstand bombings may serve as a "security bubble" once opened in February 2013.
Does Gentrification Need to be a Bad Word?
Gentrification has come to signify wealthier residents pushing lower-income residents out of a community, but gentrification also has some "undeniable upsides". Ward 8 in Washington D.C. offers a glimpse into how gentrification can aid a community.
Banned Billboards A Success in Brazil
Five years after Gilberto Kassab, the mayor of São Paulo, Brazil passed the "Clean City Law", banning all visual pollution around the city, both citizens and businesses are thankful.
Spain's Six-Mile Madrid Rio Park Replaces Freeway
The NYT chief art critic, Michael Kimmelman, reviews Madrid's almost complete six-mile long park, Madrid Rio, that is having a transformative effect on the city. The park was made possible by the under-grounding of the M-30 ring road.
Interview With (ex) Republican Congressman Fighting Climate Change
NPR's Guy Raz re-interviews South Carolina Congressman Bob Inglis, one of only two Republicans not re-elected. Interviewed last year after losing his primary due to the Tea Party, NPR wanted an update on his activities and views on climate change.
Branding Buildings in NYC
What's in a name? For some of New York City's buildings, a brand that reflects history, mood, and even geography. Joanne Kaufman takes us through the naming process for some of the city's newest buildings, and what they might mean to buyers.
An Invitation to Sprawl?
New legislation by the Maharashtra State Governments would allow private land owners to apply for city boundary expansions as a tool to ease congestion.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
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.
