The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Top Ten U.S. Cities Using Renewable Energy
<p>Which of the largest 50 U.S. cities provide citizens with the highest percentage of power produced from renewable energy? SustainLane Government determined the percentage of each city's electricity that comes from renewables.</p>
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Boomer Megacities: Tokyo As a Barometer for the Developed World?
I had heard stories about this the last time I visited Japan in 2004, but this month's Tokyo city briefing from <i>The Economist </i> brought this trend back to my attention. It seems retiring boomers are abandoning their suburban bedroom communities to return to the metropolitan core - presumably to be near friends, cultural attractions, and other amenities (health care? education?). I've seen rumblings of this as well in the New York metro area.
New Thinking About Bicycles: 'Complete Streets'
<p>Louisville has adopted a "complete streets" policy which makes the provision of sidewalks, bike lanes and bus stops mandatory. Neal Peirce discusses the plan in his column, and offers some international examples.</p>
Thoreau's Walden May Become A Soccer Field
<p>This report from <em>NPR</em> looks at a Massachusetts school's efforts to build soccer fields in part of the forest Henry David Thoreau wrote about in his book Walden.</p>
$1.5 Billion Plan To Bring Hollywood To Austin
<p>An ambitious $1.5 billion mixed-use project announced recently in Austin, Texas, proposes to anchor a 681-acre development with sound stages and other media-focused infrastructure. Will this project die a slow death like similar efforts before it?</p>
Florida's Growing Tax Chasm
<p>Despite stunning similarities in property values, tax burdens vary greatly in southern Florida, causing fed-up residents to seek relief.</p>
The Link Between Impact Fees And Growth
<p>The city of Tuscon, Arizona is considering adding new impact fees to cover the cost of municipal services, but the new fees might stymie growth and encourage sprawl.</p>
Façade-ectomy No Substitute For Historic Preservation
<p>The controversial practice of demolishing all but the exterior of a historic building doesn't serve to preserve that past or encourage new architecture, argues architecture critic Blair Kamin.</p>
Getting 'Creative' To Protect Artists' Spaces
<p>A consultant's report recommends Atlanta codify the protection of artists' spaces in new zoning. Many cities are trying to redress the "Catch-22" of gentrification -- the displacement of artists from neighborhoods they helped turn around.</p>
Environmental Lawsuits Fuel Roadbuilding In California
<p>California's Department of Transportation has resorted recently to forcing developers to pay impact fees to fund freeway projects, to the chagrin of developers, local governments, and taxpayer groups.</p>
Toxic Sites Mapped With Google And EPA Data
<p>Combining Google's satellite mapping technology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's dearth of pollution and contamination data, new web applications let users map out toxic and contaminated sites.</p>
The Everyday Urbanism Of Brooklyn's Jamaica Avenue
<p>Away from New York City's gentrified neighborhoods, there exists the middle class, ethnically diverse, and incredibly unglamorous neighborhoods of Brooklyn's Jamaica Avenue.</p>
Five Essential Characteristics Of A 'Humane Metropolis'
<p>How can the modern metropolis be a magnet for entrepreneurship and creativity?</p>
Is The Worst Over For The Massachusetts Housing Market?
<p>Market research shows that though buyers still have an advantage, the Massachusetts housing market will shows signs of stability over the next six to twelve months.</p>
Tokyo Project Sets Mixed Use 'Benchmark'
<p>This report looks at the new Tokyo Midtown mega-development, which the author suggests will become the new standard for mixed use.</p>
California Establishes Statewide Ocean Preserves
<p>The state has become the first in the nation to impose a statewide ocean preserve system, which is set to be put in place in phases beginning this summer. When fully established, 8 percent of the state's waters would be restricted from any human use.</p>
Cutting McMansions Down To Size
<p>This CNN video report looks at an Atlanta city councilperson's proposal to fight back against McMansions and limit the size of houses.</p>
Bouncing Back After The Big Dig
<p>After years in the dust of the Big Dig, Boston's North End is looking to bring in the tourists that have avoided the former construction zone for so long.</p>
Ventura, CA Adopts Downtown Retail And Office Strategy
<p>Bill Fulton, a city council member for Ventura, California, offers an insider's view on adoption of the city's downtown retail and office strategy. The consultant's report.</p>
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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.
