The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Two Routes Suggested For California High-Speed Rail

<p>Transportation planners say two routes are needed for the long-planned high-speed rail link between Southern and Northern California.</p>

October 16 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Bigger Homes May Lose Out On Mortgage Interest Deduction

<p>A proposed graduated scale based on the size of homes would chop away at the federal tax deductions for mortgage interest that property owners are allowed to claim. The cutback would affect all homes larger than 3,000 square feet.</p>

October 16 - The San Francisco Chronicle

European Cities Move On Climate Change

<p>Cities in Europe are not letting the lack of an international compact on climate change stop them from taking efforts to reduce their impact on the planet.</p>

October 16 - ABC

BLOG POST

Are planners ready for the Drew Carey (not so free) freeway?

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Technology creates new challenges and opportunities, and this came home to me a couple of weeks ago when I was previewing a rough cut of </font><a href="http://www.reason.tv/video/show/6.html"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3" color="#800080">Gridlock: Hell on Wheels</font></a><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">, a video on traffic congestion released by </font><a href="http://www.reason.org/"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3" color="#800080">Reason Foundation</font></a><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> today. In the video, Comedian Drew Carey makes the following off-the-cuff comment on a morning drive-time radio show: “I would love to own a freeway in LA.” </font></p>

October 16 - Samuel Staley

A Move To The Suspicious Suburbs

<p>Moving from New York City to rural Westchester County, a writer meets an unfamiliar culture of xenophobia. Soon she finds herself increasingly suspicious of strangers, too.</p>

October 16 - The New York Times


The Middle East's 'Biggest Civil Engineering Project'

<p>Developers have announced plans for a 75-kilometer canal to run through Dubai, with waterfront cities and developments all along its banks.</p>

October 15 - Gulf News

Insurers Abandon New England Coast

<p>Hurricane threats are causing insurers to retreat from coastal areas in Massachusetts and around New England, leaving many looking for alternative protection.</p>

October 15 - The Boston Globe


Miami's Botched Foreign Trade Zone Development

<p>What could have been an economic development homerun for Miami's Wynwood neighborhood has turned out to be a miserable failure. Nonetheless, hope remains that new ownership can restore the site's promising potential.</p>

October 15 - The Miami Herald

Economic Development Through Bike/Ped Paths

<p>Bold plans are taking shape as construction begins on an 8-mile bike and pedestrian path in Indianapolis -- a project intended to encourage not just walking and biking, but also economic development.</p>

October 15 - Streetsblog

New Orleans Recovery Plan Scaled Back

<p>Officials in New Orleans have released a scaled-back version of the recovery plan the city council approved earlier this spring. This lighter version of the plan focuses on removing blight, and building affordable apartments.</p>

October 15 - Associated Press via Time

Garbage Strike Creating 'Smugglers' In Vancouver

<p>A strike in the city of Vancouver that has left residents without garbage collection for nearly three months has caused people to get creative -- and a little sneaky -- in how they get rid of their trash.</p>

October 15 - The Vancouver Sun

Bike-Friendly Portland Seeks Citywide Rental System

<p>Portland, Oregon, looks to follow the lead of Paris in instituting a bike rental system throughout the city. Bids are requested for a pilot fleet of 500 bikes.</p>

October 15 - The Portland Tribune

Israeli Highway Plans Draw Criticism

<p>Israel is planning to construct a so-called "Palestinian Highway", which critics believe will be used to fragment Palestinian territory.</p>

October 15 - The Globe & Mail

Mortgage Crisis Fueling America's Homelessness Boom

<p>The mortgage crisis is contributing to a dramatic increase in homeless families.</p>

October 15 - Common Dreams

Truly Off-Street Parking In New York's 'En Suite Sky Garage'

<p>A planned 19-story residential building on Manhattan's west side features New York City's first personal "sky garages." A video animation shows how they work.</p>

October 15 - Streetsblog

The Next Real Estate Frontier: Car Condos?

<p>With the housing market faltering, developers are eyeing an emerging and lucrative market: luxurious garages for expensive cars.</p>

October 14 - The Los Angeles Times

Skewed Coverage Of The Homeless?

<p>A San Francisco lawyer and housing activist questions the paper's focus on problematic street behavior and on law enforcement as the only way to deal with the city's homeless population.</p>

October 14 - BeyondChron

Three Gorges Dam Accelerating Urbanization?

<p>The controversial Three Gorges Dam project has displaced millions of people, and is about to displace millions more; but some wonder if official explanations about protecting sensitive areas and accelerating urbanization are accurate.</p>

October 14 - InterPress Service

Saintly Street Stories In L.A.

<p>A Los Angeles artist has recently completed a project documenting each of the city's street named after saints, and has crafted murals of each one to show how the life of the randomly-named streets mirrors the lives and work of their namesakes.</p>

October 14 - The Los Angeles Times

America's 25-Minute Commute

<p>This report from <em>NPR</em> looks at the results of a report on the commuting habits and trends of American drivers.</p>

October 14 - NPR

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