The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Officials in San Francisco have proposed permanently banning cars from a 2.3 mile section of Market Street, downtown's major thoroughfare.</p>

July 24 - The San Francisco Chronicle

FEATURE

Josh Stephens reviews James Howard Kunstler's novel of post-peak oil existence, <i>World Made By Hand.</i>

July 24 - Josh Stephens

<p>A proposal to ban any new fast-food restaurants in South Los Angeles for one year has received unanimous approval from a city committee, and will head next to city council for approval. Concerns have been raised about what qualifies as "fast food".</p>

July 24 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>Google announces walking directions feature for Google Maps.</p>

July 23 - Google

<p>Houston's MTA is planning to allow drivers to pay a toll to use the High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on their freeways, and the local Sierra Club chapter is speaking out against the plan.</p>

July 23 - The Houston Chronicle

<p>Local officials in Manasota Key, FL tried to preserve the character of their community by putting height restrictions in place, but a thwarted developer has been awarded $500k for the limitations these restrictions imposed on his property rights.</p>

July 23 - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

<p>This segment from <em>NPR</em> looks at the economy of the central California city of Fresno, which has been named the least economically developed part of the country by a recent report.</p>

July 23 - NPR

<p>Small changes in British Victorian homes yield big changes in energy consumption, and help debunk the stereotype that 'green equals ugly' where architecture is concerned.</p>

July 23 - The New York Times

<p>Scottsdale, Arizona planners have released a new vision for their downtown, in a 'trend toward urban living'.</p>

July 23 - The Arizona Republic

<p>The annual transformation of riverbanks to beaches has begun in Paris, where the River Seine becomes a widely visited outdoor public space known as Paris Plages.</p>

July 23 - The Guardian

<p>Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut has designed a floating city with the noble goal of housing displaced peoples who's homelands have been destroyed.</p>

July 23 - The Daily Mail

<p>The economic decline of the suburbs could flood cities like New York with "suburban economic refugees". This commentary from the <em>New York Post</em> warns that this is bad news for cities.</p>

July 23 - New York Post

<p>New data on stadium development show that economic benefits fall way short of public investment.</p>

July 23 - The Wall Street Journal

BLOG POST

<p> This morning, one of my listservs was aflutter with discussion of a new article by Joel Kotkin, attacking an alleged &quot;war against the suburbs.&quot; According to Kotkin, this &quot;war&quot; consisted of Jerry Brown’s efforts to &quot;compel residents to move to city centers.&quot; After reading Kotkin’s article, I couldn’t really figure out exactly what Brown was trying to do- and since I don’t live in California, it really isn’t that important to me. </p> <p> However, it is important to realize that &quot;smart growth&quot; need not be the enemy of suburbs. Here’s why: </p>

July 22 - Michael Lewyn

<p>New York City is looking at ways to keep beloved local stores from being forced out by high-end shops and restaurants in up-and-coming neighborhoods such as lower Ninth Avenue near the Meatpacking District.</p>

July 22 - City Limits

BLOG POST

<p> In response to the <a href="http://www.canadascities.ca/newdealforcities.htm">political movement for a &quot;new deal&quot; for Canada&#39;s cities</a>, successive Federal governments have instituted a Gas Tax Fund to provide Canadian municipalities with a supposedly stable means to finance their infrastructure needs. The 2008 Federal Budget extended the fund to beyond 2013-14<a href="http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/ip-pi/gas-essence_tax/index_e.shtml"> to become a permanent measure</a>. Agreements were drawn up between each of the provinces and Ottawa to set specific amounts, based on per capita need and other principles.

July 22 - Michael Dudley

<p>Decades of hard-won community revitalization work in America's cities is being undone by the mortgage crisis, and the Federal government is at odds over how to stop the decline.</p>

July 22 - The Washington Post

<p>New York City's car-free "Summer Streets" events are proving to be popular. A three-and-a-half minute video offers a look at Saturday's Williamsburg Walks event on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.</p>

July 22 - Streetsblog

<p>The Wall Street Journal reports that middle-class African-Americans are leaving America's major cities in droves, leaving remaining African-American cultural and religious institutions struggling to adjust to this new demographic reality.</p>

July 22 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>Washington D.C.'s National Mall is crumbling. Many say now's the time to start thinking about a new future for one of America's most prized public spaces.</p>

July 22 - Newsweek