The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Creating A New Vision For The Nation's Transportation System
<p>With Americans driving less for the first time ever, its time to create a new comprehensive plan for transportation in the United States.</p>
Will Americans Ever Embrace Congestion Pricing?
<p>Though the idea of congestion pricing has won over many planners and officials, as the failed proposal in New York shows, many members of the driving public are far more comfortable with sitting in traffic than paying tolls or riding transit.</p>
The Real Problem With Transit: Lack Of Customer Service
<p>Forget slogans and fancy trains. If transit agencies just focused on getting people where they need to go in a consistent, reliable (and preferably quicker) way, more people would abandon their cars.</p>
A New Era Of Urban Parks?
<p>In response to the growing demand for urban greenspace, cities around the nation on working on plans for large new parks -- rivaling the urban park boom during the 19th or early 20th century.</p>
Los Angeles Official Takes Up Anti-Density Cause
<p>Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky has becoming increasingly outspoken against the city's new density bonus, saying it goes against the will of residents and will contribute to the destruction of stable neighborhoods.</p>
Five Communities That Have Avoided The Subprime Meltdown
<p>While most of the country is feeling the pain of the subprime mortgage crisis, these communities have managed to fly under the radar.</p>
Tightening the Belt
<p>A new report praises Ontario's greenbelt - 11 times the size of Toronto - as a model for urban growth control.</p>
A Holistic Approach To Planning For Traffic Impacts
<p>Instead of requiring developers to complete traffic studies for individual projects, one Northern California city has commissioned a comprehensive traffic study, and asked developers to help foot the bill.</p>
Transplanting The Vancouver Model To The Middle East
<p>The man largely responsible for planning modern day Vancouver has found his next challenge in the Middle Eastern capital of Abu Dhabi.</p>
FEATURE
The United States of Gordon Gekkos?
The current housing crisis in America is a product of greed -- not just the greed of homebuilders and mortgage lenders, but also the greed of consumers. Could planners have done more to prevent this greed from crashing the market?
California Bullet Train Heading to Ballot
<p>California voters will soon vote on a $10 billion bond proposal that would fund a 220 mph bullet train running between L.A. and San Francisco.</p>
Is Vancouver Ready For EcoDensity?
<p>Already praised for its efforts at encouraging residential density in its urban core, Vancouver's mayor is pushing for a new EcoDensity charter that would push for higher densities citywide. But even in Vancouver, residents are wary of more density.</p>
FEATURE
Black-Tie Optional: 'Stepsister' Cities Flourish in the Shadows
Say you're a big city. But right next door is an even bigger big city. What do you do to stand out? Josh Stephens explores the unique plight of America's so-called stepsister cities.
Keeping Construction Projects From Blocking Sidewalks
<p>One Philadelphia councilman wants his city to follow the lead of more pedestrian-friendly New York and ensure that construction projects don't interfere with sidewalks.</p>
Retail Space A Challenge For Many New Mixed-Use Developments
<p>Mixed-use projects are all the rage, but often times, the ground floor retail storefronts remain empty long after residents have moved in.</p>
Rooftop Gardens Offers Alternative To Backyards
<p>Green roofs offer an opportunity for outdoor space and gardening for people with little or no yards.</p>
Could Google Transit Become The Universal Trip Planner?
<p>As the site adds more transit systems to its database, some hope that Google's transit route planner could become as useful as its car route mapping software.</p>
Nation's Water Infrastructure Is Crumbling
<p>Across the country, burst, leaking and corroding water mains are indications that much of the country's water infrastructure is reaching the end of its life expectancy. Repairs and replacements could cost hundreds of billions of dollars.</p>
Toronto Mulls Corporate Sponsorship for Parks
<p>Short on funding, Toronto's waterfront parks agency is considering a plan to sell the naming rights to the park's amenities, allowing corporate sponsors to add their name to such public features as walkways and play areas.</p>
Smokng Banned in Mexico City
<p>With one of the world's higher rates of air pollution, Mexico City is cracking down on one type of emission: cigarette smoke. Smoking has been banned in all public places in the city, including office buildings and restaurants.</p>
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