The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
California Planners Discover Saving The World From Climate Change Is Hard!
At last year's statewide conference, California planners were excited about saving the world from climate change. Now they discover it's hard work!
Can Washington Rescue Main Street and Wall Street?
Some economists are arguing that the proposed federal bailout of Wall Street will do little for the economy unless it includes provisions to reinvest in infrastructure and refinance mortgages.
Health Care Beyond the Hospital
Gail Christopher is hoping that the next president might take the health care conversation out of the hospitals and into the streets.
Bringing Energy Efficiency to Section 8 Housing
Seven very low-income housing complexes in New Mexico have been renovated to be more energy efficient. The work was made possible by a nonprofit partnership that works in part to put money back in low-income residents' pockets.
A Living Museum in Golden Gate Park
Renzo Piano's new Academy of Sciences building in San Francisco is bursting with green technology and alive with plants.
After Andrew, Homestead Bounces Back
Once nearly obliterated by Hurricane Andrew, Homestead, FL, is now a thriving city with a bigger and more diverse population than ever. This article takes a look at how it got there and how it plans to further reinvent itself.
Trying to Keep Youth in Changing Alaskan Fishing Towns
For coastal fishing communities in Alaska, tighter rules on fishing mean that there are fewer jobs. This is especially evident for younger populations, who find few reasons to stay in town. Researchers are looking at ways to increase retention.
House Hunting on Two Wheels
Real estate agents at Pedal to Properties, a Colorado-based company, gives house tours by bike.
Suburbs The New Ground Zero For Homelessness
Homelessness is on the rise in metropolitan Vancouver, but the numbers are most significant in the suburbs.
In Wake of Hurricane, New Beachfront Property Faces Seizure
An obscure law in Texas outlawing buildings on public beachfront could be invoked to seize hundreds of properties. Hurricane Ike has pushed the tide line closer to many homes, making them subject to the law even if they weren't damaged.
As Immigration Slows, White Population Rises in NYC
A recent census shows a "reverse white flight" trend in New York City: not only has the Hispanic population steadied, but the population of whites has steadily increased for the first time in nearly half a century.
Cities Reconsider Mandatory Parking
Cities around the country are beginning to think twice about having off-street parking requirements for every new development. Those who oppose these "parking minimums" say that it creates too much parking and stifles the growth of cities.
BLOG POST
Some Lessons from the Credit Crisis
<p class="MsoNormal"> The on-going foreclosure and subsequent credit crisis should offer important lessons for housing policy and public policy more broadly. Chief among these lessons might be the falsity of the notion that government regulation is always bad.<span> </span>But some conservative commentators cling to the dogma that government intervention is the root of all evil. An explanation being offered by some is that government intervention in the form of Community Reinvestment Act encouraged irresponsible lending and led to the subsequent housing bust.
Familiar Name Tops List of Most Sustainable Cities
Portland, Oregon, has again been named the most sustainable city in the U.S. in a recent ranking.
Wendell Cox, New Urbanist?
Wendell Cox reviews Atlanta's new Atlantic Station, and is pleasantly surprised to find lots of parking underneath the New Urbanist-style development. Could this be the inevitable blend of urban and suburban?
BLOG POST
The Meltdown on Wall Street and America's Cities
<p> With the subprime mortgage and housing bubble crises now metastasizing into the full-blown implosion of the U.S. economy, global markets have been gasping to keep up with the turmoil. Later this week Congress will be pressured to approve a <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2008/09/23">mind-boggling $700 billion "bailout" package</a> which would effectively transform Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. into an <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0923/p01s06-usec.html">"overseer" of the entire economy</a>, with complete and unassailable power to purchase so-called "toxic" debts from any bank he chooses.<br />
Redesigning Nature to Clean Up Our Messes
A landscape architect from M.I.T. is proposing to create a whole new ecosystem to address water pollution problems in Italy.
The Debate Over Prefab
Prefab is less wasteful, green and affordable? Not according to Chad Ludeman, who has taken the pulse of the prefab field and found it wanting.
Stress City, U.S.A.
By looking at city data and quality-of-life measures, <em>Forbes</em> has created a list of the most stressful cities in the U.S. Chicago, Detroit and New York rank the highest.
The Branding of New York
A new book documents the re-branding of New York from its days of crime and squalor in the 1970s to today, when Mayor Bloomberg has an appointed chief marketing officer.
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.
