The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Redesigning the "Fascist" Park in Front of the White House
The National Capital Planning Commission invites the public to weigh-in on five proposals for improvements to the Ellipse, the large public park between White House and the National Mall.
A Big Plan in Many Small Parts
Philadelphia is embarking on a long-term planning effort -- one in a string of many efforts over the past few decades. But this effort is different, compiling many small-scale plans for the city's future.
Yacht Race to Bring New Cruise Terminal to San Francisco
As San Francisco prepares to host the America's Cup yacht race in 2013, one of the key building areas for the event is also being fast-tracked as the site of a new cruise terminal.
High Rise Boomlet Bringing Good and Bad to Chicago
High rise apartment construction is set to take off again in Chicago, though it's unclear for how long and whether the resulting projects will have a positive lasting impact on the city.
Versatile Urban Design: China’s Roadblock Toward Energy Sustainability
Studying neighborhoods in Jinan, China, MIT urban studies and planning Professor Dennis Frenchman told MITnews that the country’s biggest challenge is its homogenous urban design.
China's Superhighway on Kenyan Soil
Three Chinese companies are building a 31-mile highway to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. It's a move locals see as an effort to gain favor with the Kenyan government.
'The Johnny Appleseed of Walk-able Communities'
Walkability guru Dan Burden's long-preached message of pedestrian-focused planning is increasingly becoming policy in cities across the country.
The Top 10 Cities Leading the Way on Climate Change
Predictable cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland are in the Top 10, but cities like San Diego and San Jose also hold prominent spots on the list.
Western Australia's Capital Envisions its Transformation
Recently released Capital City Planning Framework for Perth outlines a mixed-use city that is both livable and welcoming to outsiders.
Preservation and Development Coexist in Hollywood
The Millennium Hollywood, a proposed mixed used development near Sunset Boulevard and Vine Avenue, is expected to increase the density in the area while preserving the nearby Capitol Records building.
A Neighborhood of Stairs
The La Independencia neighborhood in Medellin, Colombia sprawls up a hillside, leaving the inhabitants to walk up to 10 flights of stairs every day. An ambitious development program is considering building an outdoor network of escalators.
Reviving the Real Estate Market with Parks
The idea of tuning toxic or polluted sites into parks has been creating new green spaces in cities throughout the country. It's also re-starting the real estate market.
Seattle Considers Car Fee to Fund Transit
Facing $60 million in deficits over the next year, transportation officials in metropolitan Seattle are pushing a plan to ask voters to approve an increase in the price of registering cars in the area to create a transportation fund.
Londoners Expect Olympics to Bring Transportation Legacy
A new survey of Londoners shows that improved transportation is seen as the most likely long-term benefit from hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics.
New Bridge and Park Reconnects Detroit Neighborhood
A new pedestrian bridge over a freeway has reconnected a Detroit neighborhood with new accessibility and a new park.
America's Hidden, Distributed Infrastructural Dependencies
The WikiLeaks release revealed the locations of a set of infrastructural sites operated by the United States all across the world. This piece from <em>Domus</em> looks at the geographical and geopolitical implications of this network.
Which is Greener: Urban Farms or Urban Density?
Edward Glaeser adds "large-scale metropolitan farming" to a list -- which also includes historic preservation -- of barriers to densifying urban development patterns. His argument is that the latter is the greener of the two.
Higher Vacancy Rates in Walkable Neighborhoods
In comparing data collected during the 2010 Census, walkable neighborhoods are shown to have greater vacancy rates than the cities they're in.
The History and the Flaws of the Cul-de-Sac
This episode of <em>99% Invisible</em> looks into the history of the cul-de-sac, and why its design flaws overpower its benefits.
Reviewing Recent Books on Cities
In reviewing a handful of new books looking at cities and how they work, this piece from The New Yorker glosses over the current thinking behind the urban conversation and wonders if city celebration has gone too far.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
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.
