The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

While the HSR Authority hopes to get at least half of the $8 billion ARRA funding, it has yet to market any of the $10 billion in bonds passed by the voters because of its budget problems. Criticism abounds.

April 13 - Sacramento Bee

The recession is causing San Francisco to tighten its belt. Budget cuts are falling heavily on the city's health and human services.

April 13 - The Christian Science Monitor

William Hudnet, former mayor of Indianapolis, now with ULI, spoke at a gathering in Sacramento on the inevitable wave of urban infill, less auto-dependent development to come due to state climate protection laws AB 32 and SB 375, and regional plans.

April 13 - The Sacramento Bee

Empty homes are littered in cities across the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one out of every nine U.S. homes is unoccupied.

April 13 - USA Today

A streetcar system and commuter rail line are now officially part of a regional plan for the Fort Worth area.

April 13 - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

This article from <em>USA Today</em> looks at the growth of green alleys in the U.S.

April 13 - USA Today

Officials from three counties in the Portland region are trying to work together to decide where to locate regional urban reserves of land for future development and rural reserves for preservation.

April 13 - Lake Oswego Review

BLOG POST

<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Arial"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Arial"><em>Politicians and planners be warned: you will now be judged according to your ability to improve walking, cycling and public transit services.</em></span>  </span> </p>

April 12 - Todd Litman

The Saudi Arabian economy is still prospering, and development is booming. This piece looks at the Kingdom as an opportunity for developers and planners looking for work in tough times.

April 12 - Building

Though typically a strong and steady market, falling condo sales indicate that the housing slump has moved into Manhattan.

April 12 - The New York Times

San Francisco's got a number of temporary street closures planned this year. Though the prospect of these pedestrian-friendly events is seen as a good sign for the city, this piece argues that their emphasis on corporate sponsorship taints the value.

April 12 - San Francisco Bay Guardian

Providence, Rhode Island, is rebranding itself as the "Creative Capital." This op-ed argues the city doesn't need a brand, rather it needs to return to the aesthetic values that made it beautiful and successful in the '90s.

April 12 - The Providence Journal

Developers in Florida have announced plans to build a new 17,000 acre city that will run entirely on solar power.

April 12 - The Miami Herald

Christopher Hume tours Dubai, and though he finds some redeeming qualities, the overall impression is that the fantastical city is a "ruin-in-waiting".

April 11 - The Toronto Star

The city council of Vancouver is supporting the creation of 550 temporary homes, including some prefab, to house the area's homeless.

April 11 - The Vancouver Sun

Members of a citizen group in Bull Mountain, an incorporated area in Washington County, Oregon, are at odds with an agreement that would allow cities to provide all urban services and dictate urban growth boundaries.

April 11 - The Times

How is Kansas City to make itself sustainable? This blog offers 13 strategies, one posted a day, from experts in different fields.

April 11 - One KC Voice

This column argues that legislation to build a new stadium for Washington D.C.'s professional soccer team is also a move to jumpstart development around many of the area's transit stations.

April 11 - The Gazette

FEATURE

Mike Lanza, an entrepreneur in Palo Alto, CA, is using his front yard as a place for his friends and neighbors to gather and play. Julia Galef from the Project for Public Spaces brings us this story.

April 10 - Julia Galef

Dogs in Moscow have learned to ride the subway to and from "work".

April 10 - English Russia