The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The current norm of commuting, which happens all at once and too often by car, is placing too much stress on our infrastructure, our resources and even our emotional health. Melissa Lafsky reports how the structure of our workdays could be changed.

August 7 - Infrastructurist

Alison Arieff asks, "At what point did the house become more about the future tenant than the current resident?"

August 7 - The New York Times

Michael LoGrande, recently approved as the next Planning Director for the city of L.A., is a city hall insider with a reputation as an expeditor. Former interim Planning Director Mark Winogrond questions the process by which LoGrande was selected.

August 7 - The Planning Report

BLOG POST

Can planners effectively use on-line meeting technology to host public participation workshops? The City of Los Angeles&#39; Department of City Planning recently decided to find out for itself by experimenting with a &quot;webinar&quot; format for two kickoff workshops highlighting the City&#39;s 2010 draft citywide Bicycle Plan. <p> A webinar is a web conference, where participants can access a virtual meeting using a computer and Internet connection. Participants access a website to see the presente&#39;s computer screen and also listen to the presenter through the computer&#39;s speakers or using a telephone. </p>

August 6 - Ken Bernstein

A family elder tells tales of the old ways when the family was "not enticed by the frappucinos at the Starbucks that just opened," and there were park-and-rides as far as the eye could see.

August 6 - The Onion

Backed by funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Michigan has invested heavily in setting up factories to make batteries for electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt.

August 6 - The New York Times

An all-star panel of architects, developers and journalists convened to offer advice to L.A.'s new planning director.

August 6 - California Planning & Development Report

Within 6 to 8 months, Texas-based S2C Global Systems will begin exporting pure Alaskan mountain water all the way to India. The water will then be distributed via tanker to markets in south and west Asia and the Middle East.

August 6 - Circle of Blue

The City of Oakland, California has produced a series of videos to help explain what zoning is and what the city's zoning update will do. The city's zoning code hasn't been comprehensively updated since 1965.

August 6 - City of Oakland

With the exception of Charles Bronson’s architect-turned-vigilante in Death Wish, "to be an architect in a Hollywood film is to inform the audience of certain characteristics: sensitivity, vulnerability and an innate romanticism."

August 6 - Buildng Design

Bicycle sales are up 25% in the U.K., and bike infrastructure is keeping pace. Commuters are biking farther and more often, and even bicycle sporting events are seeing greater participation.

August 6 - The Independent UK

The gas tax is being spread too thin on a broad range of transportation projects, according to the <em>Reason Foundation</em>. They say the gas-tax should be directed towards its original recipient: highways.

August 6 - Reason

An online map developed by the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center documents change in New York City, and shows what development and construction is to come over the next eight years.

August 6 - The Architect's Newspaper

An environmental impact study will be launched to look at a possible 9.3-mile light rail line in Detroit. <em>Time</em>'s blog questions whether it's really such a smart move to build the line.

August 6 - Time

OMA proposes to redesign a whole continent along energy saving lines. Called Roadmap 2050, it is a plan that "combines the belief that drastic intervention is required to mitigate climate change, with a desire to give meaning and power to the E.U."

August 5 - The Guardian

New transit facilities attract lots of foot traffic, but while the facility is being built the construction clutter drives potential customers away. A new program in Minneapolis attempts to preserve local businesses through the debris.

August 5 - Next American City

In a recent speech, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown called the people who spoke out against a Bass Pro Shop "obstructionists." One of those obstructionists speaks out about the city's economic development processes, which he calls

August 5 - The Buffalo News

Chief Zoning Administrator Michael LoGrande has been promoted to director just a few short weeks after his predecessor, Gail Goldberg announced her resignation.

August 5 - The Architect's Newspaper

Carbon dioxide is one of the most widespread greenhouse gases produced by humans. Trees can absorb it, but release it when they die. Scientists are looking to build artificial trees to do the job permanently.

August 5 - National Geographic

A town in New York has been using satellite imagery from Google Earth to identify illegally-built pools.

August 5 - Associated Press