The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Real-Time Subway Monitoring
In a trial run starting in December, monitors in one New York City subway station will display the exact location of every train on the line, giving riders a more accurate idea about how long they'll have to wait for the next train.
BLOG POST
Business Not As Usual
<p> <span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana"><span style="font-size: 7pt">Out in the bar, the world as we know it was coming to an end. In the backroom, meanwhile, smart people were trying to figure out the future of suburbia.</span></span> </p> <p> <span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana"><span style="font-size: 7pt">The bar was in the lobby of a classic desert resort in Arizona. On the TV, CNN was delivering headlines of imminent doom. It was the last days of September, and the foundations of American finance were cracking under the strains of default and distrust. </span></span> </p>
Income Gap in American Cities As Bad As African Cities
Income inequality in U.S. cities rivals that of many African cities, which struggle with deep divides between the haves and the have-nots, according to a recent report from the United Nations.
World's Underground Waters Mapped
UNESCO has released a detailed map of the world's aquifers, a move the organization hopes will enable more intelligent use of natural resources.
New Road Signage Directs Motorists To 'Move Over' For Cyclists
A single bike activist, tired of being honked at by motorists as they passed her in a narrow lane, lobbied her small city for a sign directing motorists to "change lanes to pass", and got it. Motorists have since ceased honking and changed lanes.
Post-Katrina Housing Goes Ikea
Following the Ikea model, home builder John Sawyer is bringing a new -- and cheaper -- process to affordable housing in New Orleans.
New Study: More Parking=More Driving
A new U of PA study, 'Guaranteed Parking, Guaranteed Driving' compares two NYC neighborhoods, showing decisively that providing off-street parking is a sure way to guarantee more driving.
How to Make San Francisco More Sustainable
As part of its series on creating a sustainable future, the <em>San Francisco Bay Guardian</em> has outlined a list of steps for improving land use in the city, and argues that current plans from the mayor won't be enough.
CEQA's Automobile 'Level of Service' Must Go
The San Francisco County Transportation Authority is calling for the elimination of auto levels of service (LOS) as a criteria under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Distribution of Waste
Dow Jones Architects of London are proposing to create "waste towers", designed to compress waste locally before transporting to landfills outside the city.
Fix America's Infrastructure, Fix the Economy
The next president must commit to fixing our infrastructure, says Dave Demerjian of Wired. Such an investment will create jobs, strengthen our economy and make America more competitive.
A Conversation With NYC DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan
The Open Planning Project's Executive Director Mark Gorton talks with Janette Sadik-Khan about how her agency is redefining public space in New York City.
Three Oil Producing Nations Impacted By Oil Price Plunge
Plunging oil prices are hitting three oil-producing countries the hardest: Venezuela, Iran, and Russia. This article looks at each of them and evaluates how they will fare if oil prices do not rise, including their relationships to the U.S.
Homeless at the Mall
A reporter goes undercover as a homeless person to find out what happens when the indigent pay a visit to L.A.'s first corporate-controlled public park.
Social Inequity a 'Time Bomb' for U.S. Cities
The annual UN State of the World's Cities report contains a dire warning for American cities: racial divisions and social inequities are at alarming levels.
Reusing Empty Big Boxes
Sometimes big box retailers get too big for the boxes they're in. So they move. What's left behind are huge empty buildings -- and opportunities for re-use.
BLOG POST
Energy Crisis Solved
<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman"> </span>Technology innovation – that’s all we need to solve the energy crisis!<span> </span>Unleash American ingenuity and we’ll be able to cope with higher energy costs.<span> </span>The Windmillmobile, should go a long way toward reducing petroleum consumption.<span> </span>It seems to work fine unless there is a strong tailwind.<span> </span>The engineers are still working on the sensor to fold down the windmill for garages and overpasses.<span> </span><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p> </span></span>
'Can Hard Times Be Good for Architecture?'
Critic Christopher Hawthorne argues that a difficult market could lead architecture away from a fascination with large, iconic buildings to a focus on the 'connective tissue' of cities.
Kansas City Pins Light Rail Plans on Sales Tax Hikes
In metropolitan Kansas City, two sales tax initiatives on the ballot in efforts to raise money for the region's long-planned light rail system.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
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.
