The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
DC Announces Four New Cycletracks
After the success of the protected bike lane, or "cycletrack" on 15th Street NW, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has begun discussing plans for four additional protected lanes around Northwest DC.
Controversy Over Condos in Buffalo
A 12-story condominium proposed for Crystal Beach in Fort Erie, Ontario brought protesters out in droves, but despite the fact that objections outweighed approvals by 2-1, the city council approved the project.
Portland, Maine: Preserve Fishing, or Allow Condos?
The Portland waterfront is zoned to exclude anything but marine uses, but with a slump in the fishing industry property owners are pushing for the freedom to build for other uses along the water.
West Oakland: Upscaling Neighborhood, or Reviving Industrial Hub?
West Oakland's days as an industrial center are long gone, but city officials have a vision of rebuilding it as a clean energy mecca. Problem is, many locals have their own vision of upscaling the neighborhood with local eateries and condos.
Zoning for Food Trucks
Food trucks are hot in Los Angeles, but local restaurateurs are understandably upset by the surprise competition. Mobile vendors have banded together and established a "gourmet food lot" downtown as a sort of solution.
Putting Good Energy with the Bad
Facing resistance when siting green energy projects like wind turbines, energy companies are considering brownfields like the Leviathan Mine in California's Alpine County.
22 Model Cities
WebUrbanist collects pictures of city miniatures built by planning departments, for tourist attractions, or by obsessives who go into painstaking detail to recreate Chicago, Moscow, or Tokyo.
Census a Challenge in Abandoned Neighborhoods
Cincinnati's Tract 16 is the neighborhood deemed hardest to count in Ohio by census takers. As the Enquirer puts it, "high numbers of abandoned buildings, low literacy rates and urban poverty make it a people-counting quagmire."
Multi-Family Housing to Cure Loneliness
The Swedish, apparently, long for community. Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture has proposed a redesign for an abandoned sanitarium, turning it into a green, multi-family community.
Small Town Engages Citizens Over the Internet
The City of Manor, Texas uses its website to poll its 6500 residents on local issues, and rewards participation with more influence on what gets decided.
Mall of America Weathering Recession Surprisingly Well
Foot traffic is up 3.5%, and even sales are up a little at Minnesota's megamall. Retail Traffic Magazine gleans some lessons from the Mall's success.
Seducing Riders Onto Transit
At a recent transportation conference, Dr. Leo Kroon of the Netherlands Railway says their strategy is not to force people to use the train but to 'seduce' them with the latest innovations.
Architect Banned From Brooklyn For Deceiving Planning Dept.
A judge has banned Brookyln architect Robert M. Scarano Jr from submitting building plans to the city after many of his buildings allegedly were built taller or larger than the plans portrayed.
Restoring an Olmsted Park in the Heart of Buffalo
Civic advocates in Buffalo, bolstered by upcoming NYSDOT study and a Mayor intent on change, consider ways to remove a blighted highway that cuts through the heart of the city and an Olmsted-designed park.
Two Bike Sharing Systems Open in Mumbai
Mumbai has instituted two citywide bike sharing programs. <em>The City Fix</em> takes an inside look.
Federal Government Redefines Poverty
The federal government is rewriting the way it defines poverty. As a result, city poverty levels are expected to see major shifts.
Designing Happiness into Cities
This piece from <em>Shareable</em> looks at the urban work of Enrique Penalosa and how it emphasizes the importance of happiness in cities.
The Complexity of Carbon Reduction in Planning
Warren Karlenzig delves into the unique challenges of reducing carbon in cities, where efforts may be misplaced. Should your city focus on green building, traffic emissions or water treatment?
Virginia Supreme Court Voids Part of Chesterfield County's Subdivision Ordinance
While the basis of last week's ruling is a 7-acre property, the decision temporarily opens the door for all agriculturally zoned properties in the county to be subdivided into 1-acre parcels.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
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