The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Fast Lanes for Pedestrians?
The sidewalks of Portland are so busy that the city is developing plans to create 6'-8' Pedestrian Zones—basically, fast lanes for moving pedestrians separate from other street activities.
Expanding or Shrinking Your House at Will
The Klip House is a series of modular, prefab units that can be clipped together much like the binding on a ski boot, allowing homeowners to lease or own the home parts they need for their stage in life, then upgrade or downgrade when necessary.
New Scorecard From NY DOT: Driving in Decline, Safety Improvements Work
New York City's second annual Sustainable Streets Index adds a wealth of data in support of green transportation and street safety.
Recession, Rhetoric Threatening Public Services
Les Leopold warns that the recession and budget shortfalls at the state and local level are combining with intense "anti-government" rhetoric to justify the gutting and privatizing of public services.
HUD Findings Support Housing the Homeless
The results from HUD's first study on the costs of services to the homeless finds that securing and subsidizing rental housing for the homeless is more cost-effective than emergency homeless shelters.
Sadik-Kahn Comes to Car-centric L.A.
NY DOT head Janette Sadik-Kahn spoke in Los Angeles earlier this week to a adoring crowd, with advice on how to make room for bikes and pedestrians.
Do Housing Tax Credits Create Jobs?
With Gov. Schwarzenegger promising $200 million in tax credits to homebuyers, Paul Shigley says it's worth looking closely at the promises that such credits create new jobs and bolster the economy.
Most Photographed Cities
Cornell computer scientists used a supercomputer to analyze nearly 35 million Flickr photographs and determine which cities and landmarks were the most photographed. New York, London and San Francisco come out on top.
TOD Plans Approved in White Flint
Montgomery County officials have approved plans to build an extensive new transit-oriented neighborhood at the area around the White Flint Metro stop in North Bethesda, Maryland. The plan is one of the largest in the D.C. area since the 1950s.
Underpass Finds New Life As Park
The land underneath a Toronto highway overpass will be converted into a neighborhood park. Officials hope it will spark the revival of one of the city's underused waterfront neighborhoods.
Traffic Survey Paints Picture of New York City Congestion
Through a survey of New York City taxis with GPS tracking devices, the city has created a database of speeds and routes that gives them a clear picture of the state of traffic in the city.
How New York Crowned the Car
Detroit may have been the Motor City, but New York City was where the car became king, according to a new book and exhibit which look at the history of the automobile in New York in the early 1900s.
Land Use Success and Failure in Two Florida Towns
This post from <em>NRDC</em>'s Kaid benfield compares the two Florida cities of Lehigh Acres and Venice, where land use decisions created one city doomed to fail and another that's on a fast rise.
Moving from Sustainability to "Transition"
In response to the threats of peak oil and climate change, thousands of people around the world are engaging in local "Transition" initiatives to promote resilience and "reskilling" to prepare for the expected "energy descent."
Gertrude Kerbis, Pioneering Female Architect
Architect Gertrude Kerbis worked for sixty years designing buildings in Chicago alongside more famous architects like Walter Gropius and Mies Van der Rohe. Preservation Magazine talks to her about her struggles as a woman in a male-dominated field.
Census Undercount Areas Mapped
<em>Urban Omnibus</em> takes a look at a new website that maps out places in the U.S. with low return rates for Census surveys.
Detroit Mayor Makes Big Plans in State of City Speech
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing recently delivered his first "state of the city" speech since taking office, and included a broad list of proposals that could bring about a widespread revisioning of the struggling city.
Portland's New Complex Aims At Curing Homelessness
The city of Portland is moving ahead with a $47 million shelter and services project known as the Resource Access Center. It's the largest efforts underway to solve the city's notorious homelessness problem.
Florida's Fast Train Connects to Slow Buses
The NYT examines problems with Florida's high speed rail line that received $1.25 billion in HSR stimulus funds. In addition to weak transit connections at both ends, the 84-mile route has five stops, increasing the total trip time.
Tech Tools Have Revolutionary Potential for Cities
<em>Governing</em>'s Stephen Goldsmith looks at the trend of smart phone applications related to city governance and civic improvement. He sees huge potential in these early stages of a trend that's likely to experience exponential growth.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
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.
