The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

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This week, the <em>Economist</em>’s cover story, &quot;The trouble with the housing market,&quot; details the downward-spiraling &quot;subprime&quot; mortgage market and its potential effects on the U.S. economy.<span> </span>The collapsing market certainly poses problems to Wall Street traders and taxpayers in general, but what about the physical toll it&#39;s taking on our cities?<span> </span>Abandoned, foreclosed homes now increasingly dot the nation&#39;s inner ring suburbs, helping spread neighborhood decline out from inner cities, while developers build more homes farther into the urban periphery.

March 25 - David Gest

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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">How important are the names we use?<span> </span>As Shakespeare said, </font></font><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">&quot;</font></font><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">What&#39;s in a <span>name</span>? That which we call a <span>rose</span> by <span>any</span> <span>other</span> name <span>would</span> <span>smell </span>as <span>sweet</span>.&quot;<span> </span>I’ve been struck by this thought recently as I’ve been considering the myriad of organizations and stakeholders trying to have their particular term for stormwater management techniques be more widely adopted in the nomenclature.<span> </span></font></font></p>

March 25 - Anonymous

<p>The city's government is requiring that high-ranking officials use transit at least one day a month.</p>

March 25 - Shanghai Daily

<p>Bruce Sterling gives an insightful tour around the city of Belgrade and explores the transformation and pressures brought about by globalization.</p>

March 25 - YouTube

<p>The results are in and tongues are still wagging -- about buildings that Americans both love and hate. The AIA released the winners and losers of its survey to discover America's favorite architecture.</p>

March 25 - ArchitectOnline.com

<p>A baby boom in Manhattan is largely being led by white, well-to-do couples who traditionally might have left for the suburbs, but are now staying put.</p>

March 25 - The New York Times

<p>Plans for condominiums and senior housing in downtown Pasadena may create traffic and aesthetic problems.</p>

March 25 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>With her new role as the head of the Office of Planning, Harriet Tregoning, a pioneer of the smart growth movement, is set on molding Washington D.C. into a more livable city.</p>

March 24 - Washington Business Journal

<p>Attempting to ward off a panic in the real estate market, cities in Ohio, Georgia, Illinois, and elsewhere are tapping into their coffers to eradicate foreclosure-related blight.</p>

March 24 - The New York Times

<p>Citing that the most successful rebuilding efforts have happened without central government coordination, a recent column argues that the city's neighborhoods should secede and seize control of rebuilding efforts themselves.</p>

March 24 - Forbes

<p>In Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, modern condos are replacing Boston's oldest brewery buildings.</p>

March 24 - The Boston Globe

<p>Built in 1820s and 1830s, the arcades in Paris were the first enclosed retail centers protecting shoppers from the elements as they browsed a variety of shops.</p>

March 24 - The New York Times

<p>The former Vice President's application to install solar panels on his home was denied by the zoning board of this wealthy Nashville enclave.</p>

March 23 - The News & Observer

<p>Halliburton is moving its headquarters to Dubai. Could Dubai, with its world-class infrastructure and business-friendly environment, become the world's preferred destination for multinational corporations?</p>

March 23 - Knowledge @ Wharton

<p>With several of the state's metro areas failing federal clear air standards, Texas lawmakers are dramatically increasing funding to a program that help drivers of older cars buy new, less polluting vehicles.</p>

March 23 - The Houston Chronicle

<p>A planned 10-home development at Issaquah Highlands, a Calthorpe Associates designed urban village outside Seattle, will give homeowners relief from utility bills.</p>

March 23 - The Seattle Times

<p>A recent Zogby America poll shows that a large and increasing number of Americans view affordable housing as a major issue, and are looking to government to actively address the problem.</p>

March 23 - PR Newswire

<p>The aggressive promotion of risky sub-prime mortgages in neighborhoods largely populated by African Americans is leading to geographic concentrations of foreclosures.</p>

March 23 - The New York Times

<p>Two small Canadian communities may become North American leaders in the drive to eliminate plastic bags from their waste streams.</p>

March 23 - The Globe & Mail

BLOG POST

<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Historic preservation still suffers from an image problem, even in the face of all available evidence.<span> </span>Some critics still have the misimpression that preservationists are fussy (even fusty) antiquarians.<span> </span>When I hear complaints about the requirements of historic review commissions, I’m amazed that the griping is often accompanied by a crack about the local “hysterical society.” <span> </span>Even the Wikipedia entry on “historic preservation” contains the passage, “‘historic preservation’ is sometimes referred to as ‘hysterical preservation’.”<span> </span>(And, of course, Wikipedia is ever-infallible).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> </spa

March 23 - Ken Bernstein