The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The eminent domain case of Kelo vs. New London is seeing new relevance in cities across the country, as empty malls are being classified by locals as blight.

August 18 - Retail Traffic

Writing in <em>Foreign Policy</em>, Joel Kotkin argues that increasing urbanization and density are not inevitable realities.

August 18 - Foreign Policy

As the U.S. eases itself into a national system of high speed trains, other nations seem to be decades ahead, especially Spain.

August 17 - Miller-McCune

Canadian cities like Montreal and Vancouver are riding the green train, aiming to transform themselves into some of the greenest cities in the world.

August 17 - The Canadian Press via Yahoo!

Five years after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the Brookings Institution offers an analysis of the city's recovery. This op-ed looks at the report, which finds the city improving, but with many areas needing increased focus.

August 17 - New Orleans Times-Picayune

BLOG POST

I wasn&#39;t even in Los Angeles yesterday, and for once I&#39;m glad. Everything from my Facebook feed to the morning headlines told me that traffic on the Westside yesterday afternoon was so awful that only a parade of obscenities accompanied by words like &quot;cluster&quot; and &quot;show&quot; would have sufficed to describe it. Hardened locals were driven nearly to tears behind the wheels of their unmoving cars.  <br /><br />The president was in town. <br />

August 17 - Josh Stephens

BLOG POST

<span><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->As planners, we are accustomed to (and expect) some types of urban development proposals to attract controversy. Whether the opposition is to new roads, higher-density housing or undesirable land uses such as industries or prisons, such controversies are becoming far more common as environmental, economic and social issues become more pronounced and widely understood. In most cases, we generally assume that we can make use of a suite of engagement strategies to engage stakeholders and try to resolve typical development conflicts. </span>

August 17 - Michael Dudley

Victorian-style model towns from the age of Ebenezer Howard are seeing a revival in emerging urban areas, according to this piece from <em>The Guardian</em>.

August 17 - The Guardian

China's mega-dam, the Three Gorges, is facing some growing pains as recent storms have put the structure to the test.

August 17 - Los Angeles Times

A new online tool shows people how accessible their homes, neighborhoods, and businesses are to public transit.

August 17 - USA Today

The addition of a 10-mile carpool lane to one of Los Angeles' busiest freeways is creating a huge stress on the region's transportation system.

August 17 - The New York Times

A neighborhood-based soccer league has just wrapped its first season in Detroit, where communities and neighborhoods are developing closer bonds through the beautiful game.

August 17 - Model D

The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED building rating system has helped grow the ranks of green buildings, but some say it ignores the human health impact of those buildings.

August 17 - Yale Environment 360

After decades of decline in their populations, young creative types are fueling the rebirth of Rust Belt cities.

August 17 - The New York Times

This piece from <em>Next American City</em> looks at a variety of urban planning-focused events being hosted by cultural institutions, and how those events help to include the regular citizen in the process of planning.

August 16 - Next American City

Clean energy jobs aren't just about slapping solar panels on building, according to this op-ed. Building the green economy relies on building our own understanding of the interplay of natural systems.

August 16 - Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel

Cities in Metropolitan Atlanta are rallying against a regional sales tax increase aimed at raising money for the area's transportation needs.

August 16 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The White House has distributed less than a third of the nearly $230 billion set aside for big infrastructure projects, prompting criticism from Republicans.

August 16 - The Wall Street Journal

An interesting post appeared on the Public Servant Blog a few days ago. The list includes Amsterdam, Eugene, Oregon; Ponce Center City, Puerto Rico; and the city of Philadelphia among others.

August 16 - Public Servant Blog

This op-ed from <em>The New York Times</em> looks at the economics of free parking, and argues that many of those spaces should have a price tag.

August 16 - The New York Times