The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The Rise of the Global City
In 1991, author and sociologist Saskia Sassen predicted that cities would make a comeback in her book The Global City. Now that her prediction has come true, Christina Larson talks to Sassen about what makes a "global city."
Could Your Next Tomato Come From A Former Best Buy?
Gene Fredericks wants to turn empty big box stores into hydroponic and aquaponic growing centers using the latest technologies.
Why is Transit So Expensive to Build?
Glen Bottoms at The American Conservative attempts to answer the question.
The Bus Thief Who Just Can't Stop
Darius McCollum, 45, of New York, loves transit. He loves it so much, he has a habit of taking New York City subways and buses for a spin, and has been arrested about two dozen times for doing just that.
Curbing Corruption
Rick Cole, City Manager of Ventura, California, says the recent scandal over inflated city staff salaries in Bell could have been easily avoided with a few simple precautions.
Small Towns and Rural Areas Can Be Livable
Do urban areas have the monopoly on livability? Transportation 4 America says no, and presents 12 case studies to prove it.
Redefining a Planning Department
The L.A. Department of City Planning is experiencing radical changes in leadership, planning process, and organizational structure. The leaders--past, present, and, future--of planning in L.A. gathered in August to discuss a vision for the future.
Architecture for People
Reporting from the Venice Architecture Biennale, Justin McGuirk says that this year reflects a focus on the user experience of buildings.
Why Are There So Many Empty Lots?
Kids from Walt Whitman Middle School in Brooklyn wanted to know why there were so many empty lots around their school. The Center for Urban Pedagogy worked with the kids to understand why, and created a video document from what they found.
New York Passes Smart Growth Bill
Governor David Paterson signed The Smart Growth Public Policy Infrastructure Policy Act on Monday, which directs the state to invest in infrastructure in dense communities rather than sprawling ones.
Suburban Living With Urban Amenities
Bill Fulton visits his family in Rockville, Maryland, and discovers that a young family looking for suburban space can find it within walking distance of the library, the Metro stop, and mixed-use development.
Bikesharing Coming Soon to D.C.
Capitol Bikeshare will launch in September with over a thousand bikes. ReadsetDC goes behind the scenes to see the bikes and infrastructure as it is assembled.
The Big Digs of the 21st Century
Jerry Soverinsky picks the most ambitious transportation projects of the century so far, from a tunnel in Turkey to an ice road in Canada.
The Scuffle Over "Livability"
Representative Earl Blumenauer talks about the recent defeat of livability programs in the Transportation Appropriations Bill.
Flooding Devastates Pakistan's Infrastructure
With 62,000 square miles of the country flooded and affected by monsoons, Pakistan's infrastructure is expected to be set back for years.
Growing Pains in Livable Singapore
Singapore, one of the world's most livable cities, is facing a population boom that some say will give the city a crowded and unpleasant future. Recent weather-related destruction highlight some of its growing pains.
Bus Riders Union Blasts L.A.'s 30/10 Plan
A proposal in L.A. to use recently approved funding to push 30 years of transportation projects into the next decade has elicited a protest from the city's Bus Riders Union.
The Light Rail Diet
A new study from The Journal of Preventative Medicine says that drivers in Charlotte, North Carolina who switched to riding the Lynx Light Rail lost an average of 6 1/2 pounds.
Community-Supported Businesses on the Rise
Stacy Mitchell reports on the growing trend of micro-financing, where small business people turn to the local community to get the funding they need to open restaurants or small shops.
BLOG POST
Plans, Places, and Processes: Do You Need to Travel to Understand Them?
<span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: medium 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: #000000; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px" class="Apple-style-span"> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span>In recent blogs I have written about places and plans in many different locales and through time. Students often ask, “do I need to visit places to know about them”?
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.
