The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Although homes sales were down over 20% in some Detroit suburbs last year, the city itself saw a modest increase of 6%, and residential construction is at a 30-year high.</p>

March 20 - The Detroit Free Press

<p>Though only a few towers remain from Chicago's notorious Cabrini Green housing project, new and old problems persist.</p>

March 20 - The New York Times

<p>On a ranch the size of Rhode Island will live 70,000 citizens of California's new town: Centennial.</p>

March 20 - The New York Times

<p>Column McCann laments the loss of Ireland's cultural and environmental heritage as a result of the construction of new motorways.</p>

March 20 - The Los Angeles Times

Outside experts believe the City of Los Angeles is making a density mistake by selling downtown development rights.

March 20 - Los Angeles Times

BLOG POST

<p><img src="/files/u10403/IMG_0039.jpg" alt="" width="266" height="262" align="left" />I drive the Bay Bridge just about every work day. I&#39;m not proud of this fact. I never expected to be one of those dreaded suburban commuters, living off urban sprawl, the sole occupant of a compact car inching through rush hour traffic twice a day.</p><p>So sue me. Or better yet, give me enough money to afford a house in San Francisco. Until then, Berkeley it is.</p><p>But on my morning drive last week I saw a new feature amid the landscape of cargo containers that borders the southern side of the Bay Bridge toll plaza—that&#39;s on the East Bay side. It was a new billboard, depicted above. I have no idea how it works. But damn, is it bright. It&#39;s an active surface—it changes, presumably according to programming, cycling through a bunch of different ads. So what? Well, for one thing, it&#39;s the biggest, brightest one of these kind of signs I&#39;ve ever seen, high resolution and bright enough to be seen in stark California sunlight. And second, it&#39;s just another step in the Blade Runnerfication of our cities.</p><p>Not that there&#39;s anything wrong with that. More after the jump.</p>

March 19 - Anonymous

<p>With median housing prices of more than $1 million, the city of Santa Barbara, California, is looking for ways to retain its diminishing middle-class. The plan is to subsidize middle-income housing for residents making up to $177,000.</p>

March 19 - The New York Times

<p>Big cities pack a punch equal to some national economies. The fraction of high-income families in superstar cities is 43 percent higher than in average cities, and those cities' share of poor families is 11 percent lower.</p>

March 19 - National Bureau Of Economic Research

<p>China grants private individuals to own property. Experts say law recognizes power of growing middle class but does not add protections for farmers.</p>

March 19 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>The European Union's environment commissioner has suggested that speed limits be placed on Germany's autobahn -- one of the last roadways in the world with sections unhindered by speed limits. The EU says limits would help reduce carbon emissions.</p>

March 19 - International Herald Tribune

<p>Just like it's possible to share files using peer-to-peer networking, a German research group envisions enabling cars and bikes to share useful traffic and road condition information with other vehicles.</p>

March 19 - Chris Steins

FEATURE

As part of our effort to slow global warming, we should be correcting one of the great errors in the history of American city planning: the post-war binge of urban freeway building.

March 19 - Charles Siegel

<p>With urban areas across the nation facing increasing challenges, some are wondering if the old style of leadership displayed by New York City's legendary public official is required to actually get things done.</p>

March 19 - Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

<p>The city's attractiveness has bred gentrification of many neighborhoods, and small businesses and creative types are fleeing for cheaper pastures.</p>

March 19 - The Oregonian

<p>Though criticized for their flawed vision, Modernist architects tried to engage and improve the broader city -- something some say their contemporary counterparts have completely neglected to address.</p>

March 19 - The Boston Globe

<p>A top architect is advocating the use of zoning and urban design to transform a key urban thoroughfare into a "zipper" bringing together many of the city's top assets and neighborhoods.</p>

March 19 - Memphis Commercial-Appeal

<p>The new wave of residents in downtown Orlando are helping to resurrect long-time churches that never fled to the suburbs.</p>

March 19 - The Orlando Sentinel

<p>A Wayne State University professor has created an urban planning simulation game that allows Detroiters to change a neighborhood along Mack Avenue, one of the city's major thoroughfares.</p>

March 19 - Metro Times

<p>UCLA planning professor Matthew Kahn describes his personal experience publishing his book, <em>Green Cities</em>.</p>

March 18 - Urban Planning Research, A blog by Randall Crane

<p>While Congress is eager to increase fuel economy standards to lower petroleum consumption, ill-planned regulations could do more harm than good, says a senior researcher at RAND.</p>

March 18 - The Detroit Free Press