The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The Great Mall Of Asia

<p>At over 4 million square feet, Manila's new mega-mall is part commercial palace and social square.</p>

January 5 - PopMatters

Mini-Me McMansions: The Modern Day Playhouse

<p>Sales of high-priced playhouses that replicate real-life homes are increasing.</p>

January 5 - The Oregonian

Design Problems For Transit Service To Minneapolis' New Stadium

<p>As Minneapolis rushes to complete design on a new ballpark for the Twins, access to an extension of the city's light rail line and new Northstar Commuter Rail could be jeopardized.</p>

January 5 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

The False Trade-Off: Aesthetics vs. Safety

<p>While many people believe that there is a zero sum game between increasing safety and preserving or enhancing aesthetics, a recent post on Streetsblog offers a different perspective.</p>

January 5 - Streetsblog

Racheting Up San Francisco's Skyline

<p>Planners and local officials want to see the city's height restrictions lifted and the city's skyline accentuated with new high-rise buildings.</p>

January 5 - USA Today


Toxic Neglect: The Plight Of Poor New Orleans

Covering the cleanup efforts after Hurricane Katrina, Robert Bullard examines why the government neglects the problems of the poor, and in fact, makes them worse.

January 4 - The Next American City

The Neighborhood With The Best Food

<p>Forget good housing or easy access to transit -- one New York writer chose to move to the Queen's neighborhood of Jackson Heights for its incredible selection of food.</p>

January 4 - The New York Times


Will 2007 Be The Year Of The Green Building?

<p>With the increasing adoption of eco-friendly design and construction practices, green building is becoming all the rage.</p>

January 4 - E/The Environmental Magazine

Northern Virginia Counties Move To Slow Growth

<p>Anti-growth sentiment has led to new building moratoriums in the suburbs around Washington D.C., but they only serve to drive up home prices and keep out middle income families.</p>

January 4 - The Free Lance-Star

Seized Farmland Returned To Whites Amid Zimbabwe Food Shortage

<p>Food shortages and economic decline have forced Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to rescind his 2005 land reform decision to seize all farmland from white farmers. Land has already been returned to 19 white farmers, while more await lease approval.</p>

January 4 - The Guardian Unlimited

Subway Superman Hailed Throughout NYC

<p>Wesley Autrey, a 50-yr-old construction worker, did the unthinkable on a subway platform in Manhattan on Jan 3: He jumped on the tracks to save a man who had suffered a seizure and fallen, as the southbound No.1 train entered the 137th St. station.</p>

January 4 - The New York Times

The Bleary-Eyed Cross-Border Commute

<p>In the wee hours of the morning, hundreds if not thousands of workers from Tijuana, Mexico trade the comfort of their beds for restless sleep in cars parked near U.S. border inspection stations.</p>

January 4 - The Los Angeles Times

Making Plans For Oil-Scarce Future

<p>In the most recent issue of Orion, James Howard Kunstler restates his prescription for an oil-scarce future: reinvesting in rail and water transportation; re-localized economies; and urban densification.</p>

January 4 - Orion Magazine

Marketing Downtown Living In Pittsburgh

<p>The city has several new high-rise condo projects on the way, but with prices out of reach of many workers, some wonder if there's enough of a market to bring more people downtown.</p>

January 4 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Residents -- Not Planners -- Create The City Center In L.A.

<p>There may not be a Times Square, but Los Angeles residents have created their own city centers wherever they can.</p>

January 4 - The Los Angeles Times

San Francisco's Successful Freeway Replacement Story

<p>John King, urban design critic for the SF Chronicle, concludes that the replacement of a 1959 freeway in the heart of San Francisco with an elaborate boulevard is an urban success story, and so does the APA.</p>

January 4 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Atlanta To Study Creating 'Infill' Rail Stations

<p>With some of the nation's longest between-stop distances, MARTA will assess the feasibility of leveraging the densification of intown Atlanta to construct new stations on existing rail lines.</p>

January 3 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Historical Society's Renovation Plans Rile Neighborhood

<p>A major plan to renovate the New-York Historical Society has antagonized neighbors and preservationists in this upper west-side neighborhood, as the Society's plan also includes a 23-story apartment tower in a low rise neighborhood.</p>

January 3 - The New York Times

Finding A Compromise On Property Rights Regulation

<p>Though Washington State's property-rights initiative failed to pass in November, opponents and supports are trying to work together to address some of the concerns of land owners who feel the current regulations are too strict.</p>

January 3 - The Seattle Times

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