The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Something is missing from a lot of the walkable downtown business zones in cities around Colorado: tobacco smoke.

January 14 - The Denver Post

Seattle, home to the most infamously bungled infrastructure projects in the country (the Bertha-blocked tunnel), has managed to do something rare for any city: complete a transit extension on-time and under-budget.

January 14 - MyNorthwest.com

Oil prices are now at a 12-year low. Prices have been very consistent this year: they have dropped every day. As they slide to going below $30 a barrel, service stations could be selling gasoline at $1 per gallon, a price not seen since 1999.

January 14 - The New York Times

Big things are expected from planners in Northern Virginia this year.

January 14 - Greater Greater Washington

SoHo, a Manhattan neighborhood full of luxury apartments and a median income of $111,000/year, must accept a new facility that includes a garage for sanitation trucks. Why, and how will it test the city's commitment to infrastructure design?

January 14 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

By using the data provided by millions of Twitter users, two researchers discovered surprising insights into public sentiment in shrinking cities.

January 14 - At Lincoln House

Is MSP really "Greater"? A brief look at the Human Ecology of Minnesota's Twin Cities reveals tremendous upside along with numerous challenges

January 14 - Thriving Cities Blog

A case is made that Gov. Rick Snyder's handling of the lead-tainted water in Flint, Michigan is analogous to former President George W. Bush's bungling of the crisis resulting after Hurricane Katrina touched-down on the Gulf coast in August 2005.

January 14 - MSNBC

The real estate market has been transformed in cites that added bus rapid transit in the past decade, according to a new study presented this week at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting.

January 14 - Streetsblog USA

Can the tiny house fetish evolve to address real sustainability and affordable housing challenges? Ben Brown says yes.

January 14 - PlaceShakers

FEATURE

Pennsylvania finds proof that Passive House standards can be built at affordable housing prices, after the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency incorporated Passive House benchmarks into its Low Income Housing Tax Credit application.

January 13 - David Salamon

BLOG POST

The suburbs most likely to prosper are those with wealth and/or walkability.

January 13 - Michael Lewyn

The awarding of the Pritzker Prize to the 48-year-old Alejandro Aravena sends a strong signal about the architecture world's focus on social responsibility.

January 13 - Curbed

There might not be a drawing board to go back to after an agreement that would have removed four dams along the Klamath River died in Congress.

January 13 - Los Angeles Times

Proposed zoning changes would allow residents to build "as-of-right" in Staten Island's "natural" districts.

January 13 - silive.com

The D.C. Zoning Commission will be the first to consider staff recommendations for adjustments to District's inclusionary zoning policy.

January 13 - Greater Greater Washington

A new study presented at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting builds a strong case that parking causes driving.

January 13 - CityLab

Citing the drastically reduced costs of a bus line, the city of Providence is hoping to replace its proposed streetcar line with the Providence Enhanced Bus Circulator. The new proposal requires federal funding to display a similar flexibility.

January 13 - Providence Journal

Zipcar is a newcomer in Tampa Bay, but the efforts to expand its business in the next few years will provide a case study in how less dense cities can expand alternative transportation options.

January 13 - Tampa Bay Times

Internet access and digital skills unlock the Internet of Things (IoT). Applications such as telecommuting, virtual meetings, app-enabled public transport, smart cars, and smart logistics can curb emissions and create sustainable growth.

January 13 - Cities of the Future