The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Historic Barns Disappearing
A 2007 agricultural census found 33,762 barns in Ohio, but commentator Alan Miller says that those barns are quickly disappearing, ravaged by neglect or picked apart for salvage. Miller says something must be done to save this heritage.
S.F. Needs Cash Fast for Central Subway
Federal funds come with a price - in order to hold on to $972m awarded to the Central Subway project, San Francisco's MUNI needs to come up with at least $137m by February.
Turning Yellow Cabs Green
Cities in the C40 climate leadership group from across the globe are looking into improving taxi services, citing them as key to mobility in urban centers.
Why People Love Their Communities
Appreciation of diversity, social offerings, and aesthetics trump jobs, economy, and safety according to a new survey by Gallup/Knight.
The Not-Quite-20-Minute Neighborhood
Portland wants to create a series of "20-minute neighborhoods" -- places where people can walk, within 20 minutes, to most of the places they need to go and the services they need. Some neighborhoods are already there, but others have a ways to go.
The Wisdom and Future of Short-Run Transit
By looking at three Los Angeles examples of very short rail lines, writer Alissa Walker suggests that seemingly pointless but fun transit systems could be the best way to use transit to improve urban areas.
Unconventional Oil To Play Increasing Important Role
Conventional oil supplies peaked at about 70 million barrels a day in 2006 according to the IEA, and will hold steady until 2035. However demand, primarily from China, will require an increase of 20% in oil to be filled by 'unconventional' supplies.
Livability Means Being Poor and Eating Only Iceberg Lettuce
Robert Steuteville comments on a recent article by Alan Pisarski that he says "regurgitates many of the heavy-handed arguments of the pro-sprawl, pro-highway crowd" in reaction to the Obama Administration's livability agenda.
Florida DOT Says No to Ped-Friendly Streets
Brickell Avenue in Miami is in one of the most densely populated areas in Florida. FDOT is slated to begin a major resurfacing project here, but refuses to consider additional crosswalks or bike infrastructure, ignoring pressure from locals.
Frederick Law Olmsted's Other Career
A new essay by Thomas Fisher details Frederick Law Olmsted's lesser known work in the realm of public health and sanitation.
Putting Poverty in its Places
The likelihood of being poor and what it’s like to be poor are different in different types of places, and which policies might work to reduce poverty also varies by type of place, says Bill Barnes.
Rough Tracks Ahead For High Speed Rail In Congress
Transportation consultant Ken Orski looks at post-election results in OH, WI, and FL as consistent with Newsweek's Robert J. Samuelson's pre-election column calling for an end to what he sees as wasteful and inappropriate high speed rail investment.
FEATURE
Storytelling in Architecture
Architect William A. Browne, Jr., FAIA, LEED AP, explains how he and his firm use narrative when designing buildings and spaces.
Five Materials Improving Sustainability In Construction
Joe Peach explains the technology behind five materials that will dramatically increase sustainability in the building industry. Among the list are wool bricks which are stronger, greater insulators and don't require firing to set.
Will California Be The Saudi Arabia Of Solar Power?
Federal incentives have set off a rush to get solar power plants permitted for the California deserts. Plants approved before January could cover a combined 53 square square miles. Clean energy fans are happy. Desert tortoises, not so much.
New L.A. Planning Codes Could Create 'Transit Sprawl'
A new group of activists in Los Angeles is warning that recently approved changes to the city's planning code could make it easier for transit-related projects to be approved even if they are not in alignment with neighborhood planning documents.
White Elephant Stadia Plague South Africa
Just months after the completion of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, expensive stadia built for the event sit empty and unused.
Three Types of Cyclists
A study of cyclists in Ashland, Oregon has found three distinct types of bike riders, the majority of which are interesting in riding, but concerned about safety issues.
BLOG POST
Who's Driving This Public Transit System?
<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman">Virtually every modern economy is mixed: governments produce some goods and services and private companies produce others. Governments generally provide those goods and services that are either considered essential and should be available to everybody regardless of ability to pay, or that require strategic coordination, including police protection, basic education, transportation infrastructure, parks, and public health services.</span> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman">Transportation facilities and services are among these basic government functions.
SF's Congestion Pricing Plan Advances
Three possibilities for tolling San Francisco's downtown have been advanced by the Board of Supervisors; two involve tolling the 'Southern Gateway', the only entrance to the peninsula city that is untolled. However, Prop 26 could doom the plan.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.
