The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Taft, California was built on oil money, and saw its famous unstoppable oil gusher (still the largest spill in American history) as a boon rather than a disaster. Locals worry this year's centennial celebration may be overshadowed by the BP spill.

July 30 - The Wall St. Journal

Culver City, California has put together a map illustrating the locations of all the public art pieces around the town, including Joshua Callaghan's "Almost Invisible Boxes" - utility boxes painted to disappear into the scenery.

July 30 - LAist

July 1 marked the $2 premium, commuter toll on the Bay Bridge, as well as new first-time charges for car pools on all Bay Bridges, and increased tolls ($5) on seven state-owned bridges. Congestion on Bay Bridge reduced by half during morning peak.

July 30 - ABC News via KGO-TV

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Report published on Wednesday found that the last decade has been the hottest on record, and clearly points to the conclusion that our planet is warming.

July 30 - The New York Times

The Miami City Commission has controversially approved a pair of 50-story electronic signs to be built atop a parking garage next to the City's Arsht Performing Arts Center.

July 30 - Miami Herald

The latest planning exhibition at the Center for Architecture has a "certain 1970s openness, a live-and-let-live philosophy, a crunchy impression enhanced by the bicycles hanging in the Center’s double-height display window," says Alexandra Lange.

July 30 - The Architect's Newspaper

Safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable public transport options could be integral in addressing inequality in Latin America.

July 30 - TheCityFix

BLOG POST

<p> A few days ago, I was in a Chicago neighborhood called Lincoln Square, on Lincoln Avenue just south of Lawrence Avenue.  Lincoln Avenue looks like many posh urban neighborhoods- narrow, walkable streets inhabited by gelato-eating, prosperous-looking people.  Even on a weeknight, the shops and streets of Lincoln Square betrayed no evidence of a recession.* </p>

July 29 - Michael Lewyn

Non-profit TerraformOne held a design contest for ideas for creating productive green spaces in cities. Winners include plans to put seniors to work as farmers and a global system of levees.

July 29 - ASLA's The Dirt blog

BLOG POST

<p> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'">Canadian city planners and urbanists have been active in the discussion and debate over the last few weeks, regarding the Federal government&#39;s decision to change the mandatory long form census to a voluntary approach. As un-sexy as the census might seem to many (I myself never thought I&#39;d be writing a post about the census), the national media has been all over this, giving extensive coverage to the numerous experts and professional organizations who have been unanimously critical of this move, and the effects it will have on the planning and management of cities and communities.

July 29 - Brent Toderian

The London bus network carries over twice the number of people as the underground network. "But with Britain's new coalition government preparing comprehensive budget cuts, the future of London's transport network is uncertain."

July 29 - The Global Urbanist

The Riverside County Planning Commission is considering opening up more areas to churches, but local wineries are fighting the move, saying that the alcohol business and church don't mix.

July 29 - The Press-Enterprise

The Public Buildings Service, which is responsible for charging and collecting rent on 9,600 public buildings across the 50 states, has been asked to go green by retrofitting and smartening its aging buildings.

July 29 - Fast Company

In Lewiston, Maine, planners are reforming old zoning laws governing "boarding houses", an old-fashioned term that refers to lodging where meals are provided. By allowing "lodging houses" instead in those zones, more affordable housing can exist.

July 29 - The Sun Journal

Yonah Freemark looks at the plan for a new streetcar line on St. Louis' Loop, and concludes that the project is a valuable addition to the city more for the economic boost it will bring than the increased mobility it will bring.

July 29 - the transport politic

Chinese urban sprawl has the potential to be transformed into urban sustainability.

July 29 - TheCityFix

An artist collective staged a tongue-in-cheek interactive game in Brooklyn last month they called "Gentrification: The Game," putting developers against locals and with a generous helping of hipsters.

July 29 - The Toronto Star

The Times chose to investigate claims by transit agencies of high, on-time performance of LIRR, Metro-North, and NJ Transit by doing their own analysis and found major discrepancies. The article also indicates the infrastructure problems responsible.

July 29 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

Melissa Lafsky at The Infrastructurist poses the question. With raising the gas tax a political impossibility, how can we repair our ailing infrastructure? A lot more toll roads, says Lafsky.

July 28 - The Infrastructurist

Blueprint America reports from suburban Atlanta, where getting to the other side of the road is nothing to take for granted.

July 28 - PBS - Blueprint America