The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
New Jersey Bills Called Threat to Planning and Environmental Protection
Environmental groups in New Jersey have warned that state legislators are planning to bring forth a series of bills that could negatively affect local planning powers and state environmental controls.
BLOG POST
"Dreams From My Father," A Planner's Perspective
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri">I recently read President Obama’s autobiography, “Dreams From My Father.” It is well written and insightful. Obama uses personal stories to explore issues of identity, race, class, politics, power, and what it means to be ‘United Statesian.’ <span> </span>Let me share some observations about transportation and land use planning issues mentioned in the book.</span> </p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri"><img src="http://bayareashows.today.com/files/2008/06/dreams_from_my_father.jpg" alt="Dreams from my Father" title="Dreams from my Father" width="182" height="305" /> </span> </p>
FEATURE
Time for HUD to Rethink Rental
HUD needs to rethink its emphasis on home ownership and refocus on rentals, argues John Kromer of the Fels Institute of Government.
PlaNYC Charging Ahead
Though its flagship congestion pricing proposal was nixed by the state legislature, New York City's PlaNYC environmental plan is moving forward. Neal Peirce takes a look at its progress.
Living Past the Tipping Points
A new report in the journal <em>Nature</em> suggests that there are seven thresholds for determining planetary health -- and we're already past three of them.
Poltical Courage & Raising The Gas Tax
Another column by New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman on the need to raise the gas tax - in this one, he compares the U.S. to Europe and concludes that the former are 'wimps' for not having the courage to raise gas or carbon taxes.
Condo Conundrum
Like many other cities, there are condos a-plenty in Seattle. Developers are trying almost anything to get them sold. But the majority remain empty, leaving developers scratching their heads about what to do.
'An Explosion of Creativity' in Grand Rapids
The ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan resulted in 1,262 artists temporarily installing their pieces in 159 venues around downtown. The public picks the winner.
The History of San Francisco's Urban Form
Some call it a city of neighborhoods. This piece from the <em>San Francisco Chronicle</em> looks at the history of the urban form of San Francisco and why it looks the way it does today.
Habitat For Humanity Sees Gold In Vacant Housing
Used to pouring resources into building new homes, Habitat for Humanity sees opportunity in the vast number of vacancies caused by the mortgage crisis.
Eight Smart City Innovations
This series of infographics and posts from <em>Good</em> looks at innovations within a variety of world cities that improve city organization and operation -- from traffic to energy production to water conservation.
Urban Sports Creating New Life in Civic Spaces
Urban sports like bike polo and urban golf are taking off in Germany, and are beginning to bring life back to formerly uninhabited concrete spaces.
Making Roofs Cooler in New York City
Under a new service program called NYC Cool Roofs, volunteers are painting New York's rooftops white to try to lower urban temperatures and save energy.
Russia Rolls Out New High Speed Rail
Siemens has retrofitted trains for cold Russian winters; they are being rolled out now between Moscow and St. Petersburg and could be a model for American HSR.
Friday Funny - Zoning on the Menu
I'll have a Conditional Use Permit, on the rocks, with a twist...
Is a Digital Neighbor as Good as the Real Thing?
Can Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace replace the neighborhood bar, cafe, or hangout? Mary Newsom says no.
Janette Sadik-Khan in Action
Forbes profiles transportation commissioner extraordinaire Janette Sadik-Kahn, interviewed in the middle of the new public space on Broadway that she championed.
Westward, No?
Westward migration in the U.S. seems to be slowing, as jobs dry up overcrowding begins pushing people away.
Green Roof Benefits Quantified
A new study has shown that the environmental benefits of green roofs are even greater than previously thought.
Reborn Green
<em>The New York Times</em> takes a look at Greensburg, Kansas, the tornado-ravaged town that rebuilt itself to high environmental standards.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
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.
