The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Sustainability is going federal through a new collaboration between HUD, EPA and DOT. Anthony Flint takes a look at the new coordinated effort and some of the challenges it faces.

February 17 - Citiwire

With its ambitious and extravagant plans, Dubai has fallen hard amid the economic bust. Nearby Qatar, on the other hand, is poised to weather the economic storm a little better.

February 17 - Time

New research from the Natural Resources Defense Council shows that the chance of foreclosure is higher in places with limited access to public transit.

February 17 - Chicago Sun-Times

Richard Florida wades through the newly released results of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which looks at emotional and physical health in 52 of America's biggest metropolitan areas.

February 17 - The Atlantic

New York follows a trend happening in cities across the country, taking out parking meters in favor of central pay stations and turning some old meters into bike parking.

February 17 - New York Post

Architectural historian Keith Eggener draws a fascinating connection between the film <em>Death Wish</em> and architecture -- and also links the movie's main character with Robert Moses.

February 17 - Places

This piece from <em>Fast Company</em> looks at the legacy that will remain in Vancouver after the Olympics are over.

February 17 - Fast Company

The younger generation of Americans will continue to rent rather than buy, predicts the Urban Land Institute.

February 16 - Examiner LA

The Olympic Village in Vancouver's Southeast False Creek has earned a platinum rating in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system.

February 16 - CTV

Inspired by the home-grown Park(ing) Day parking spot conversion event, the city of San Francisco is launching a pilot project to convert street parking in its North Beach neighborhood to outdoor dining areas and public spaces.

February 16 - San Francisco Chronicle

Chicago's suburbs are growing taller, adding density and height like never before. Blair Kamin argues that these small towns are facing an identity crisis, stuck uncomfortably between city and suburb.

February 16 - Cityscapes (Blair Kamin)

Lisa Rouchon of The Globe and Mail says that Vancouver's Olympic Village might not be a cure-all for the city's problems, but it is a well-planned vision for the future.

February 16 - The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

Boulder Colorado has tried peer pressure, free weatherization services, and intense publicity, but so far, voluntary efforts to increase energy efficiency have yielded mediocre results.

February 16 - Wall Street Journal

The rough economy has made code officers negotiators between irked neighbors and entrepreneurs trying to make a living in their living rooms.

February 16 - Wall Street Journal

National City, CA has only 2 acres of public parks per 1000 residents, as opposed to the national average of 10 acres. A new plan proposes to transform a 44-acre golf course into an innovative new central park.

February 16 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

San Francisco, Portland, and San Diego lead the charge to ensure everything from power grids to building codes are prepared for arrival of electric cars.

February 16 - New York Times

Pleasantville, NY may be affluent and amenity-rich, but it isn't immune to the economic downturn. Now some suggest the town should sacrifice character for economic opportunity.

February 16 - New York Times

With the threat of its sale bringing the prospect of hilltop housing development behind the city's most well-known icon, the hills near the Hollywood sign in L.A. have spurred local activists to drape a new anti-development message over the sign.

February 15 - The New York Times

Vancouver lost its Triple A credit rating after being forced to bail out its Olympic Athletes Village when the hedge fund that had backed it went under -- just one of the unpredicted events that made this a Recession Olympics.

February 15 - Financial Times

BLOG POST

<p> As managing editor of Planetizen, I&#39;d like to make a quick note on today&#39;s op-ed, <a href="/node/42927">Resisting Dickensian Gloom</a> by Tony Recsei. Mr Recsei asked for a chance to respond to <a href="/node/42679">a recent criticism of his work</a> by Planetizen regular Michael Dudley. It is our policy at Planetizen to allow points of view that are critical of the status quo in urban planning, so I agreed to run the piece. I did ask Mr. Recsei to tone down some of the more personal attacks on smart growthers so that his points could be presented more clearly to our audience, and I believe he has done that. </p>

February 15 - Tim Halbur