The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>The rising value of iron and steel has prompted thieves to steal an alarming amount of manhole covers from Philadelphia's streets.</p>

July 24 - The New York Times

<p>A systems admin in San Francisco apparently decided to bring San Francisco grinding to a halt, and refuses to divulge the passwords he set up across the city's entire network.</p>

July 24 - The Christian Science Monitor

BLOG POST

<p>The McKinsey Global Institute has just published a major report outlining four potential scenarios for urbanization in China.</p><p>The main thrust of the report is that China needs to focus less on growing its cities and more on making them efficient and productive. Given the massive levels of capital investment Chinese cities have seen over the last 20 years, it makes sense that the country&#39;s urban planners need to find ways to squeeze more capacity out of these systems. After all, as McKinsey projects, another 350 million people will need to be accommodated, some 250 million of them as rootless rural migrants.</p>

July 24 - Anthony Townsend

<p>As Beijing undergoes rapid redevelopment, many historic buildings have been lost in the scramble. Now the few that remain are inspiring a flood of gentrification.</p>

July 24 - The New York Times

<p>After a murder in his neighborhood, writer Peter Lovenheim decided that he needed to become closer to his neighbors. So he packed up his sleeping bag and invited himself over for a sleepover.</p>

July 24 - The New York Times

<p>Officials in San Francisco have proposed permanently banning cars from a 2.3 mile section of Market Street, downtown's major thoroughfare.</p>

July 24 - The San Francisco Chronicle

FEATURE

Josh Stephens reviews James Howard Kunstler's novel of post-peak oil existence, <i>World Made By Hand.</i>

July 24 - Josh Stephens

<p>A proposal to ban any new fast-food restaurants in South Los Angeles for one year has received unanimous approval from a city committee, and will head next to city council for approval. Concerns have been raised about what qualifies as "fast food".</p>

July 24 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>Google announces walking directions feature for Google Maps.</p>

July 23 - Google

<p>Houston's MTA is planning to allow drivers to pay a toll to use the High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on their freeways, and the local Sierra Club chapter is speaking out against the plan.</p>

July 23 - The Houston Chronicle

<p>Local officials in Manasota Key, FL tried to preserve the character of their community by putting height restrictions in place, but a thwarted developer has been awarded $500k for the limitations these restrictions imposed on his property rights.</p>

July 23 - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

<p>This segment from <em>NPR</em> looks at the economy of the central California city of Fresno, which has been named the least economically developed part of the country by a recent report.</p>

July 23 - NPR

<p>Small changes in British Victorian homes yield big changes in energy consumption, and help debunk the stereotype that 'green equals ugly' where architecture is concerned.</p>

July 23 - The New York Times

<p>Scottsdale, Arizona planners have released a new vision for their downtown, in a 'trend toward urban living'.</p>

July 23 - The Arizona Republic

<p>The annual transformation of riverbanks to beaches has begun in Paris, where the River Seine becomes a widely visited outdoor public space known as Paris Plages.</p>

July 23 - The Guardian

<p>Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut has designed a floating city with the noble goal of housing displaced peoples who's homelands have been destroyed.</p>

July 23 - The Daily Mail

<p>The economic decline of the suburbs could flood cities like New York with "suburban economic refugees". This commentary from the <em>New York Post</em> warns that this is bad news for cities.</p>

July 23 - New York Post

<p>New data on stadium development show that economic benefits fall way short of public investment.</p>

July 23 - The Wall Street Journal

BLOG POST

<p> This morning, one of my listservs was aflutter with discussion of a new article by Joel Kotkin, attacking an alleged &quot;war against the suburbs.&quot; According to Kotkin, this &quot;war&quot; consisted of Jerry Brown’s efforts to &quot;compel residents to move to city centers.&quot; After reading Kotkin’s article, I couldn’t really figure out exactly what Brown was trying to do- and since I don’t live in California, it really isn’t that important to me. </p> <p> However, it is important to realize that &quot;smart growth&quot; need not be the enemy of suburbs. Here’s why: </p>

July 22 - Michael Lewyn

<p>New York City is looking at ways to keep beloved local stores from being forced out by high-end shops and restaurants in up-and-coming neighborhoods such as lower Ninth Avenue near the Meatpacking District.</p>

July 22 - City Limits