The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Cities Reconsider Mandatory Parking
Cities around the country are beginning to think twice about having off-street parking requirements for every new development. Those who oppose these "parking minimums" say that it creates too much parking and stifles the growth of cities.
BLOG POST
Some Lessons from the Credit Crisis
<p class="MsoNormal"> The on-going foreclosure and subsequent credit crisis should offer important lessons for housing policy and public policy more broadly. Chief among these lessons might be the falsity of the notion that government regulation is always bad.<span> </span>But some conservative commentators cling to the dogma that government intervention is the root of all evil. An explanation being offered by some is that government intervention in the form of Community Reinvestment Act encouraged irresponsible lending and led to the subsequent housing bust.
Familiar Name Tops List of Most Sustainable Cities
Portland, Oregon, has again been named the most sustainable city in the U.S. in a recent ranking.
Wendell Cox, New Urbanist?
Wendell Cox reviews Atlanta's new Atlantic Station, and is pleasantly surprised to find lots of parking underneath the New Urbanist-style development. Could this be the inevitable blend of urban and suburban?
BLOG POST
The Meltdown on Wall Street and America's Cities
<p> With the subprime mortgage and housing bubble crises now metastasizing into the full-blown implosion of the U.S. economy, global markets have been gasping to keep up with the turmoil. Later this week Congress will be pressured to approve a <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2008/09/23">mind-boggling $700 billion "bailout" package</a> which would effectively transform Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. into an <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0923/p01s06-usec.html">"overseer" of the entire economy</a>, with complete and unassailable power to purchase so-called "toxic" debts from any bank he chooses.<br />
Redesigning Nature to Clean Up Our Messes
A landscape architect from M.I.T. is proposing to create a whole new ecosystem to address water pollution problems in Italy.
The Debate Over Prefab
Prefab is less wasteful, green and affordable? Not according to Chad Ludeman, who has taken the pulse of the prefab field and found it wanting.
Stress City, U.S.A.
By looking at city data and quality-of-life measures, <em>Forbes</em> has created a list of the most stressful cities in the U.S. Chicago, Detroit and New York rank the highest.
The Branding of New York
A new book documents the re-branding of New York from its days of crime and squalor in the 1970s to today, when Mayor Bloomberg has an appointed chief marketing officer.
Fixing The Highway Trust Fund
Last week, transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters announced that the Highway Trust Fund will be empty by Oct. 1st. This editorial considers two possible options to fund transportation.
Top Freeway Teardown Candidates
The Congress for the New Urbanism has released a list of the top ten urban freeways that need to be torn down.
L.I. Railroad Retirees May Be Abusing Their Benefits
After a New York Times article revealed an 'epidemic' of disability claims for retired employees of the Long Island Rail Road (the nation's largest commuter railroad), NY Governor Paterson announced he would have AG Cuomo launch an investigation.
Palin's Environmental Legacy
VP candidate Sarah Palin recently commented on the love and respect she and her fellow Alaskans have for the environment, but locals say that in her time as mayor she 'fouled her own nest.'
Blocked Roads in Bangalore
Blogger S.G.Narayanamurthy reports from Bangalore on the continuing problems with obstructions to the streetscape from vendors, cafes, mechanics, parking, waste water, construction, etc. The story includes a slideshow.
The War Over the Ground Zero Memorial
Michael Arad's winning design for the Ground Zero memorial must overcome considerable political, administrative and financial hurdles if it is ever to be constructed.
Air Lines Vs. Bus Lines - Who's Winning?
Frequent Rider Miles, on-line tickets and on-board wi-fi are but a few of the amenities and cost cutting strategies that are attracting riders to inter-city bus travel.
FEATURE
Park(ing) Day in L.A., 2008
Some 'parkers' faced police harassment, but on the whole Park(ing) Day 2008 was sunny and positive, as Los Angelenos put their own stamp on the celebration. In this video slideshow, we take a tour of some of L.A.'s parking spot parks.
Cape Town's Growth Outpaces Infrastructure Funding
The pace of development in Cape Town, South Africa, is too fast for the city to keep up with infrastructure improvements. Officials are calling for increased gas taxes to generate funding for maintenance of roads and other infrastructure.
Metrolink: Understaffed and Underfunded
The Sept. 12 crash of a Metrolink commuter train with a U.P. freight train resulting in 25 deaths has brought attention to Southern California's regional rail system, revealing that it is a weak 'stepchild' to the larger, better funded LA MTA.
Hollywood -- the Urban Place
As California planners convene in Hollywood this week, Bill Fulton reminds them that Hollywood is not just Tinseltown, but a real urban place with a real urban history.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.
