The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

While a number of mega retail developers crashed and burned during the recession, some smaller developers have thrived.

November 6 - Retail Traffic Magazine

In 1968, the Bureau of Indian Affairs put a freeze on development in an area of Arizona that the Navajo and Hopi both claimed until the tribes could settle. It wasn't until 2006 that an agreement was reached.

November 5 - Los Angeles Times

A new study from ULI details the transportation costs for households around the San Francisco Bay Area, and finds that SFers spend on average $500 less each month than suburban dwellers in the area.

November 5 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Growth is at a standstill in most western boomtowns, but not in well-planned, thriving South Jordan, UT. An expedited permitting process and good planning are given credit as catalysts for growth.

November 5 - Desert News

Richard Moe, longtime president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has announced his retirement. His tenure brought about a major change in the way the group interacts with the federal government to preserve the nation's historic sites.

November 5 - The Washington Post

BLOG POST

<pre> <span style="font-size: x-small">Over t</span><span><span style="font-size: x-small">he next few months, Congress will continue to debate health insurance reform, and in particular, whether to create a &quot;public option&quot;- </span></span><span><span style="font-size: x-small">a government-financed insurance company which would compete with private health insurers.  Opponents of the public option fear that the government package might drive private insurers out of business. Are such concerns legitimate? American transportation history may give ammunition to both supporters and opponents of the public option. </span></span> </pre> <pre>

November 5 - Michael Lewyn

It's no surprise when voters in the college town of Davis, California, say no to a housing development. But it is a surprise when Modesto says "whoa" to growth, and when development-averse Santa Barbara and Ventura reject new controls.

November 5 - California Planning & Development Report

Developer Bart Blatstein reimagined an old brewery in the outskirts of Philadelphia into an adapted Italian piazza. Locals worried it would be be too theme park-y, but community leaders are pleased with the results.

November 5 - The New York Times

A group of cyclists in Los Angeles is hoping to move forward in talks with the city to establish car-free days, based on the ciclovia street closures originated in Colombia.

November 5 - Los Angeles Times

Maryland's 1997 landmark smart growth, hailed as one of the most innovative policies in the nation, has turned out to have failed in what it hoped to accomplish - preserve open space and cluster urban growth, according to a just-released report.

November 5 - Washington Post

Sculptor and designer Christopher Fennell takes scrapped school buses and repurposes them into bus shelters.

November 5 - The Design Blog

Changes to a 75-year old rule, which says nonvotes must count as 'no' votes in labor elections, could make it easier for workers to organize in the railroad and airline industries.

November 5 - The Wall Street Journal

FEATURE

November 5 - Peter Williams

In his forward to James McCommons' new book, <em>Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service,</em> James Howard Kunstler lays out the case for investing in a revival of passenger rail.

November 4 - AlterNet

Golf courses use dangerous pesticides and hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to maintain their manicured look. Many people would like to change that. But some golf courses says you can have your cake and tee off, too.

November 4 - Good

Billionaire Warren Buffett took full ownership of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad yesterday, calling his move "a bet on the country." Some say it's a bet on coal and against clean energy.

November 4 - Streetsblog

It is now official: the new Massachusetts Department of Transportation will be the singular transportation and transit agency for the entire state. With the swearing in of its five-member board, the agency can begin its work.

November 4 - The Boston Herald

Puerto Rico seems to be at the head of the pack in terms of jobs created by the federal stimulus bill. But the news isn't all sunny from the island territory, as the governor moves to slash thousands of public sector jobs.

November 4 - Christian Science Monitor

A new Gallup poll asks respondents whether they'd expect a lost wallet to be returned. The results indicate that trust in neighbors and well-being go hand-in-hand.

November 4 - Gallup

Homeless people may avoid seeking help or services because there is a lack of space secure their belongings in shelters. The death of a homeless woman in Vancouver last winter highlights the severity of the problem.

November 4 - The Globe and Mail