The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
'Subway Reef' Adaptive Reuse Project Brings Population Boom
<p>Old subway cars are being dumped off the coast of Delaware, creating a manmade reef. Life is flourishing in this new underwater subway cemetery, but officials worry the reef may be too successful.</p>
Eco-Cities: Today's Garden Cities
<p>England's plans to build 3 million new homes by 2020, and much emphasis has been placed on making them environmentally friendly. The push for "eco-town" draw a strong parallel to the "Garden Cities" of the past.</p>
Is This McMansion Green?
<p>A New York developer is unveiling plans for a fleet of luxury homes that aim to comply with LEED environmental standards. But this article from <em>The New York Times</em> wonders whether that really makes the homes green.</p>
Friday Funny: 142 Years Of Planning, But Still No Bridge
<p>142 years after it was first proposed and with $235 million spent with nothing to show for it, the unrealized link between Sicily and the Italian mainland might be planning at its worst.</p>
The Biggest Parking Lots In The World
<p>A rundown of the largest parking structures on the planet -- complete with photos and plans for a new 40,000 car structure in Dubai that is slated to take the crown when completed.</p>
Web 2.0 in Planning
<p>Hot technologies like blogs, mashups, YouTube, Flickr, and social networking are among the most notable of new Internet technologies that are collectively known as Web 2.0. These technologies offer great possibilities for planners.</p>
Urban Trends Erasing Rural Past
<p>Rural communities in Ottawa are being wiped out as urban trends take over the minds of developers and consumers. Rural residents are looking at ways to preserve the character of their communities.</p>
London Mayor Calls for $50 Driving Fee
<p>London Mayor Ken Livingstone wants to increase the central city's congestion charge from $16 a day to $50. Drivers in the city are not too happy about it.</p>
Corps Grilled on Gulf Restoration Plan
<p>A year-late plan by the Army Corps of Engineers to restore the Louisiana Gulf Coastline is being slammed by critics.</p>
America's Worst Infrastructure Problems
<p>Popular Mechanics offers a slide show of the nation's top 10 most pressing infrastructure problems needing urgent attention.</p>
California's Growth Debate Continues Amidst Housing Slowdown
<p>Sacramento Bee's political columnist Dan Walters discusses the California growth debate amidst the temporary development lull and questions whether the state is ready to embrace smart growth, despite recognizing that it reduces global warming.</p>
The Unintended Consequences Of Stormwater Regulation
<p>California water quality regulators continue to levy ever-tougher standards for stormwater runoff. But the standards could impact development and cities in a way that is not best for the environment at large.</p>
Form-Based Zoning on Main Street
<p>National Trust Main Street Center Program Officer Nick Kalogersis, AICP gives a primer on form-based zoning and its relavance to traditional commercial district revitalization.</p>
Residents Sue Over State Density Bonus Law
<p>Upset about the effect of California State Bill 1818's override of local zoning restrictions, a Los Angeles resident has sued the city to overturn its density bonus ordinance. Others may soon follow.</p>
Enhancing Public Transit With Wi-Fi
<p>Some transit agencies are hoping to woo riders by providing internet access on bus and rail vehicles, allowing commuters to check email and surf the web on the way to work.</p>
Part High-Rise, Part Wind Turbine Opens In Bahrain
<p>In the oil rich Middle East, a new twin tower development is utilizing wind turbines installed between the buildings to generate up to 15 percent of the structure's energy needs.</p>
Facilitating A Community Dialog On The Internet
<p>The City of Oak Harbor, Washington is giving residents a chance to sound off about planning and development issues on several blogs.</p>
City Accused Of Neglecting Community To Make Way For Redevelopment
<p>Business and property owners in Willets Point, Queens have filed suit against New York City officials, claiming the city has deprived the area of basic services in order to declare the community blighted and begin redevelopment proceedings.</p>
Reclaiming L.A. as a Cycling City
<p>Over 100 years ago, a wooden bicycle highway linked Pasadena to Los Angeles. Now cycling activists are hoping that, by closing the Arroyo Seco Parkway to automobiles for "ArroyoFest," Angelinos can once again imagine a cycling future for LA.</p>
Missed Opportunity at D.C. Retail Development
<p>In a part of D.C. that has been largely ignored as the rest of the city reinvents itself with mixed-use development and pedestrian friendly design, one new single-use retail development stands out as an example of what not to build.</p>
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