The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Buffett and Beyond
This article takes a look at the past and future of rail in America, with an emphasis on one surprise success story.
The "Nightmare" of Hebron
Sarah Lazare and Clare Bayard visit Israeli-controlled Hebron and find the city marred by barbed wire, barriers and homes and shops sealed with concrete and metal.
The Park Prescription
One doctor has begun advising her patients to simply take a walk in the park to improve their overall health. And as she describes in this article, she's not alone.
Small Cities Struggle Through Recession
Smaller cities are showing signs of struggle, as the amount of college-educated residents continues to drop. Coupled with the economic recession, smaller cities seems to be taking a harder economic hit than their larger counterparts.
Large Homebuilders Handed Millions in Tax Breaks
Large homebuilders, including Pulte Homes and Hovnanian Enterprises, will recieve hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars under the recently passed Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009.
Suburban Utopias?
This article from the <em>Guardian</em> argues that despite years of derision, suburbia is gaining a more positive reputation as "utopia in a big way".
LA, Orange Counties Collide on Freeways
As traffic congestion has worsened, so has the philosophical divide between LA and Orange counties in terms of how to address it.
Iraq, Tourist Destination?
With its rich history and wealth of artifacts, palaces, and natural beauty, some wonder if tourism could help Iraq to recover.
LA's Newest Rail Meets Skepticism
The Gold Line extension served 75,000 riders for its grand opening, but ridership dropped by over two-thirds for its first weekday operations.
England's Most Dreadful Railway Stations
As Transport Secretary Lord Adonis tours railway stations most in need of help, the BBC News Magazine asks, "what makes a bad railway station?"
Architecture From Algae
UCLA's cityLAB sponsored a competition to envision new ways public works projects could be used to improve the country's infrastructure. The winning idea: algae-based urban parks connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Mapping: Not Just For Geographers Anymore
Citizen volunteers are democratizing the field of online mapping, spreading out to document neighborhoods and streets worldwide.
Whither American Infrastructure?
Bob Herbert wonders why the United States appears to have forgotten about the importance of its built infrastructure, and imagines what the future could hold.
Small Town Relents in Epic Airport Battle
Bensenville, Illinois has been fighting an O'Hare airport expansion tooth and nail for decades. A new mayor signaled a change of heart (and a $16 million settlement).
Is Starchitecture Over?
The Nottingham Contemporary, a stark new museum building in London, exhibits none of the architectural excess of the past several years in contemporary architecture, says critic Tom Dyckhoff.
Minneapolis-St. Paul Residents Get A New Commute
$320 million dollars and 13 years after construction began, the Northstar commuter rail began running today between Big Lake and Minneapolis.
A Look Back at the Urban Impact of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz
As termed-out Mayor Manny Diaz leaves office in Miami, <em>The Miami Herald</em>'s Andres Viglucci takes a look back at the impact Diaz had on the city's growth.
The Most Musical Cities in North America
This chart from the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto looks at North America's musical epicenters -- cities where the most music is produced.
Transit Expansion is Streetlife Expansion in L.A.
An extension of one of L.A.'s light rail lines opened this past weekend. <em>Los Angeles Times</em> architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne offers a hopeful prediction that the extension will inspire an improvement in streetlife.
BLOG POST
Learning from TTI
<p> This week, I finally got around to looking at the latest (2009) Texas Transportation Institute study on traffic congestion. (1) </p> <p> Two facts struck me as interesting. First, the great congestion surge of the past decade or two is over. In most large metropolitan areas, congestion (measured as hours lost to congestion per traveler) peaked around 2005, and actually declined in 2005-07. For example, in Atlanta, hours lost to congestion peaked at 61, and decreased to 57 by 2007. Congestion increased in only three of the fourteen largest regions (Washington, Detroit and Houston)- and in each of these by only one hour per traveler. </p>
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
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.
