The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The Chicago Sun-Times look at the transportation future of the Chicago area and sees a return to a time when trains were the main mode of transportation and people walked and bicycled more.

October 6 - Chicago Sun-Times

In a new report with the Cato Institute, Randal O'Toole takes off the gloves and lays the blame for the housing crisis squarely on urban planners.

October 6 - The Cato Institute

BLOG POST

This morning, Mayor Mike Bloomberg unveiled New York City&#39;s long-awaited Big Apps contest. Big Apps seeks to promote the Internet industry in the Big Apple (it&#39;s sponsored by the New York City Economic Development Corporation) and make local government more transparent.<p>I&#39;ve been following the evolution of open data initiatives at the municipal level for about a year now, and was really hoping that New York was going to set the bar for future efforts across the country. It doesn&#39;t. In fact it&#39;s hard to understand why some notable local tech superstars like investors <a href="http://www.avc.com/">Fred Wilson</a> and <a href="http://www.betaworks.com">John Borthwick</a> would sign on to such a lame effort.</p>

October 6 - Anthony Townsend

This audio report form WLRN in Florida looks at the frustrated bicycling community that mobilized to create the city's bicycling master plan, up for approval this week.

October 6 - WLRN

A profile of Kevin Klinkenberg, Kansas City urban planner and architect, talking about his love for the city and the work he's done to make it a better place.

October 6 - The Pitch (Kansas City)

John Norquist is today the president of CNU, but from 1988-94 he was Mayor of Milwaukee. His legacy is apparent today in the city, says blogger Urban Engagement.

October 6 - Urban Engagement blog

BLOG POST

<p> The fall is high season for school visits from prospective students. I am a great believer in doing this remotely—while some greenhouse gases are generated by a Google search it is far less than a plane ride to a distant campus. I suggest visiting schools only after you have been admitted (and not even then if you don’t have a really crucial question that can only be answered on site). However, if you can’t bring yourself to even apply to a school in a place you’ve never visited, and promise to buy carbon set asides, a tour may be worth it. The following tips can help you make the most of the school. </p>

October 6 - Ann Forsyth

Margaret Wente is surprised to learn from reading David Owen's <em>Green Metropolis</em> that her new city lifestyle is super-green, thanks to the advantages of density.

October 6 - The Globe and Mail

A report by the MetLife Mature Market Institute says that seniors are moving away from suburbs and to more walkable, urban areas.

October 6 - San Jose Mercury News

A new report from the USDA says that baby boomers will be flooding out of metropolitan areas and into the countryside over the next ten years.

October 6 - The Oregonian

The L.A. City Planning Commission president and architect, Bill Roschen, talks about how the commission is implementing clear and consistent policies toward their goal of "Doing Real Planning" in Los Angeles.

October 6 - The Planning Report

Rio de Janeiro has been selected as the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics. This analysis from <em>NPR</em> looks at why the Brazilian city was the obvious choice.

October 5 - NPR

Streetsblog asked readers from around the country to submit photos of bikes in action around the country. The result is a slide show that brings the nation's burgeoning bicycle culture to life.

October 5 - Streetsblog

The California Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that funding for bus and train service could not be taken for other uses.

October 5 - San Jose Mercury News

Campbell Soup Company is taking a leading role in redeveloping the rough Gateway neighborhood of Camden, NJ.

October 5 - Next American City

Last week, the Ohio Turnpike debuted its E-Z Pass toll system -- with disastrous results, says TollRoadsNews.

October 5 - TOLLROADSnews

Derided by some, praised by others, Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) is gaining ground, with new systems scheduled to open in London, Abu Dhabi, and South Korea.

October 5 - Boston Globe

Time Magazine takes a look at the growing problem of vacant storefronts across the U.S., and what some intrepid souls are doing about it.

October 5 - Time Magazine

Passing the 50-year threshold means that buildings can be considered for historic preservation. Starting in 2010, that means the architecture of the 1960s is coming up for consideration. The Los Angeles Conservancy is gearing up with a new website.

October 5 - The Los Angeles Times

The American Society of Landscape Architects interviews Sandra James, City and Greenways Planner with the City of Vancouver, about her city's innovative practices.

October 5 - ASLA's The Dirt blog