The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Halliburton is moving its headquarters to Dubai. Could Dubai, with its world-class infrastructure and business-friendly environment, become the world's preferred destination for multinational corporations?</p>

March 23 - Knowledge @ Wharton

<p>With several of the state's metro areas failing federal clear air standards, Texas lawmakers are dramatically increasing funding to a program that help drivers of older cars buy new, less polluting vehicles.</p>

March 23 - The Houston Chronicle

<p>A planned 10-home development at Issaquah Highlands, a Calthorpe Associates designed urban village outside Seattle, will give homeowners relief from utility bills.</p>

March 23 - The Seattle Times

<p>A recent Zogby America poll shows that a large and increasing number of Americans view affordable housing as a major issue, and are looking to government to actively address the problem.</p>

March 23 - PR Newswire

<p>The aggressive promotion of risky sub-prime mortgages in neighborhoods largely populated by African Americans is leading to geographic concentrations of foreclosures.</p>

March 23 - The New York Times

<p>Two small Canadian communities may become North American leaders in the drive to eliminate plastic bags from their waste streams.</p>

March 23 - The Globe & Mail

BLOG POST

<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Historic preservation still suffers from an image problem, even in the face of all available evidence.<span> </span>Some critics still have the misimpression that preservationists are fussy (even fusty) antiquarians.<span> </span>When I hear complaints about the requirements of historic review commissions, I’m amazed that the griping is often accompanied by a crack about the local “hysterical society.” <span> </span>Even the Wikipedia entry on “historic preservation” contains the passage, “‘historic preservation’ is sometimes referred to as ‘hysterical preservation’.”<span> </span>(And, of course, Wikipedia is ever-infallible).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> </spa

March 23 - Ken Bernstein

<p>Recently released Census population estimates project Metro Atlanta surpassing five million residents for the first time. The metropolitan statistical area is up to a whopping 28 counties.</p>

March 23 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

<p>Buffalo, New York, is proposing a way to require banks to take responsibility for abandoned homes and partial foreclosures. Many are hoping that this requirement would help to keep up neighborhoods that would otherwise decline as homes are abandoned.</p>

March 23 - The Buffalo News

<p>The modernist house, designated as a World Heritage Site, deteriorates as its owners and the Czech Republic government fight over restoration.</p>

March 23 - The New York Times

<p>New census figures are showing an increasing trend of rural population decline, as more and more people are moving to urban metropolitan areas. These are just two stories of waning population in some of the nation's rural areas.</p>

March 23 - Omaha World-Herald, The Raliegh News & Observer

<p>A unique gallery exhibition lets visitors build 3D plans for the future of the L.A. River out of building blocks and other small household items. Those involved say that while the work may be child's play, the ideas behind them certainly aren't.</p>

March 23 - The Los Angeles Times

BLOG POST

<font face="Trebuchet MS"><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="3">Since this is my first blog, let me introduce myself. My name is Brent Toderian. In 2006 I was appointed the City of Vancouver, British Columbia’s Director of Planning. Before that I was the Manager of Centre City Planning and Design for the City of Calgary, Alberta. I am a founding member of the <em>Council for Canadian Urbanism (CanU)</em> which is discussed below. I look forward to your comments on this and future posts.</font></p>

March 22 - Brent Toderian

<p>A new 40-year plan for downtown Salt Lake was unveiled by the City's Chamber of Commerce.</p>

March 22 - The Salt Lake Tribune

<p>The mayor of Annapolis, Maryland, wants to overrule a bill that delays all building until adequate infrastructure is in place. Lifting the ban, she says, would streamline planning in the city, but many worry that it would allow too much development.</p>

March 22 - The Baltimore Sun

<p>Japanese architects are pioneering design and building techniques that make the most of urban space, offering an affordable way to live in expensive metropolises.</p>

March 22 - WorldChanging

BLOG POST

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">In spite of my sense that we are heading pell mell into the gloom of global warming, catastrophic conflict and hopeless mediocrity, I’ve noticed a hopeful trend. Beauty and happiness have been rehabilitated from irrelevant to necessary.<span>  </span>It may not be an avalanche, but proponents are showing up in unusual places: a book by an environmental conservationist, another by an historian philosopher, and a <em>Mother Jones</em> article about the economy.<span>  </span>Can this portend a trend? </font></p>

March 22 - Barbara Knecht

<p>UCLA Professor and author of <em>The High Cost of Free Parking</em> visits New York City to preach the gospel of sound parking pricing policies.</p>

March 22 - Streetsblog

<p>Vancouver is looking to redevelop its oldest public housing project into a mixed-use and mixed-income housing development, with at least six times its current density. City officials hope it will be a profitable example for the rest of the province.</p>

March 22 - The Vancouver Sun

<p>Open space in Flathead County, Montana, has been steadily decreasing for years, and a recently approved growth policy emphasizes development and the economic benefits that follow rather than farmland preservation.</p>

March 22 - The Missoulian