The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Planners intended Ciudad Guayana to be the "Pittsburgh of the tropics". Today, the city has lost its former prosperity and is grappling with a array of urban epidemics.</p>

August 20 - The New York Times

BLOG POST

<font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Like many others, I tuned into the CNN/YouTube debate a few weeks ago. As a firm believer in citizen involvement, to the point of recently writing a book* full of case studies of public process in action, I found CNN’s broadcast of real people with real questions in real time to be utterly fascinating. The public taking hold of technology, influencing candidates with their frank questions, and getting answers that sounded less scripted and on message—it was a sight to see. YouTubers’ questions of the nine Democratic candidates were succinct and to the point. And no, I did not hear the other 3,000 submitted questions, but the ones that aired on live TV were brilliant. Anderson Cooper even quipped that it might be the end of newscasters.</font></font>

August 20 - Barbara Faga

<p>Responding to an internet ad, architect Danny Forster won the chance to host the Discovery Channel's 'Build It Bigger' series.</p>

August 20 - USA Today

<p>Traffic sensors on Germany's Autobahn enable researchers to predict traffic jams a day in advance -- with surprising accuracy.</p>

August 20 - Der Spiegel

<p>The city of Minneapolis wants plans for the collapsed Interstate 35W to include the possible future implementation of space for light rail and bus rapid transit. The state department of transportation, however, has a differing vision.</p>

August 20 - Pioneer Press

<p>A recently-compiled list commends the world's "fastest" cities -- those that are moving forward and benefitting their citizens and businesses along the way.</p>

August 20 - Fast Company

<p>The Army Corps of Engineers is testing the pumps on an isolated section of a canal in New Orleans to see if water can be pumped from the canal to nearby Lake Pontchartrain faster -- a development that could minimize flooding during future hurricanes.</p>

August 20 - New Scientist

<p>A plan to keep an Aspen-area highway congested to encourage transit use is catching flak from locals who are fed up with crowded streets. But city officials say adding more lanes is a temporary solution.</p>

August 20 - Aspen Daily News

<p>Residents of a British town that was recently flooded gathered to demonstrate against governmental housing plans that do not advise against building in flood plains.</p>

August 20 - BBC

<p>A detailed plan proposed by Beijing's city planning agency would closely manage growth, limit construction in the central city, and relocate people away from heavily congested areas.</p>

August 20 - Forbes

<p>U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters implies that federal money is wasted on cycling infrastructure.</p>

August 20 - Streetsblog

<p>New research suggests that the bigger a city is, the greener it can be.</p>

August 19 - Architect Magazine

<p>The concept of increasing density has been given a negative connotation of causing crowdedness and eliminating privacy. This article argues that people will respond more favorably to plans that improve walkability.</p>

August 19 - Crosscut

<p>In a fact-finding mission to see if the technology is right for their city, officials from Vancouver, Washington, will hop over the state line to Portland to try out the city's streetcar system.</p>

August 19 - The Columbian

<p>This editorial from the <em>Honolulu Star-Tribune</em> looks at Oahu's traffic issues and how the baby steps proposed by the Honolulu City Council may be more effective than grand-scale transit plans.</p>

August 19 - Honolulu Star-Bulletin

<p>Mining has expanded around many of the country's national parks, causing concern that the legal extraction of natural and hazardous materials is harming the protected ecosystems.</p>

August 19 - New Scientist

BLOG POST

<p class="MsoNormal"> With the summer coming to a close new students are making their way to graduate planning programs. For those thinking about applying for 2008 it is time to start preparing. The deadlines can be as early as December, now only a few months away. These tips, based on my experiences on several admissions committees, can help you make sense of the application process. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <strong>What Admissions Committees Look For</strong> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Planning schools consider up to six different elements in admissions to masters programs: letters of intent, experience in activities related to planning (paid and volunteer work, internships, and activism), letters of reference, previous grades, GREs, and work samples. </p>

August 18 - Ann Forsyth

<p>Census officials are asking immigration officials to halt raids during the 2010 Census enumeration process in hopes of obtaining an accurate count of illegal immigrants in the country.</p>

August 18 - Associated Press via The Seattle Times

<p>The Project for Public Spaces has released its list of the five best neighborhoods in North America.</p>

August 18 - Project For Public Spaces

<p>Two major projects -- the extension of a streetcar line and the construction of a hotel -- are under consideration in Portland, Oregon, but some local officials are hesitant to support what could dramatically change the character of the city.</p>

August 18 - The Portland Tribune