The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Detroit Mayor Makes Big Plans in State of City Speech

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing recently delivered his first "state of the city" speech since taking office, and included a broad list of proposals that could bring about a widespread revisioning of the struggling city.

March 25 - The Detroit News

Portland's New Complex Aims At Curing Homelessness

The city of Portland is moving ahead with a $47 million shelter and services project known as the Resource Access Center. It's the largest efforts underway to solve the city's notorious homelessness problem.

March 25 - The New York Times

Florida's Fast Train Connects to Slow Buses

The NYT examines problems with Florida's high speed rail line that received $1.25 billion in HSR stimulus funds. In addition to weak transit connections at both ends, the 84-mile route has five stops, increasing the total trip time.

March 25 - The New York Times - U.S.

Tech Tools Have Revolutionary Potential for Cities

<em>Governing</em>'s Stephen Goldsmith looks at the trend of smart phone applications related to city governance and civic improvement. He sees huge potential in these early stages of a trend that's likely to experience exponential growth.

March 25 - Governing

Cities Banning Digital Billboards

Digital billboards with flashing and changing images are being outlawed in cities across the country.

March 25 - USA Today


Experts Weigh in on Question of Bike-Car Equality

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently wrote on his blog that bicyclists would no longer be overlooked by federal transportation policy. <em>National Journal</em> asks its panel of experts whether cars and bikes should be treated equally.

March 25 - National Journal

Obama Health Care Bill May Create Demand for Medical Office Space

Real estate brokers see opportunity in building office space for physicians who will serve newly-insured people under federal health-care overhaul.

March 24 - Wall Street Journal


BLOG POST

Crowdsourcing Plans

<p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'">Many thanks to Wired’s Jeff Howe who’s 2006 article “The Rise of Crowdsourcing” put an effective label at what the internet was doing to business.<span>  </span>Building from Web 2.0 applications focused on social media like Facebook and on-line communities, it’s become a popular and controversial term in tech circles.<span>  </span>For those not as familiar with the idea, let’s consult the most often used example of crowdsourcing – Wikipedia.<span>  </span><span> </span>“Crowdsourcing is a distributed problem-solving and production model. Problems are broadcast to an unknown group of solvers in the form of an open call for solutions.

March 24 - Scott Page

Alternative Energy Lights Up Streets in Suburban Chicago

Downers Grove, IL has won accolades for being the first residential subdivision to install a hybrid solar-wind powered street lighting system, reports TribLocal.

March 24 - TribLocal (Chicago Tribune)

Maps, Apps, and Food

Yahoo has released a new iPhone app that allows users to draw a circle on a map around the area he or she wants to search.

March 24 - The Christian Science Monitor

NYC Transportation Head Offers Advice to LA

This video from <em>Streetfilms</em> shows excerpts from a recent speech in Los Angeles by New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, who had some advice for the traffic-plagued California city.

March 24 - Streetsblog

Sequestering CO2 In Sidewalk Cement

A Silicon Valley startup is proposing to turn carbon dioxide emissions from coal and gas power plants into cement that can be used for everyday construction.

March 24 - ASLA's The Dirt blog

Challenges Face Ambitious New Metro Officials in Houston

When five new board members will join the Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority next month, they'll inherit a host of systemic problems and one of the toughest economic climates in decades.

March 24 - The Houston Chronicle

Transfers, Bus Lanes, and More: What LA Metro Isn't Doing to Attract Riders

Columnist David Lazarus looks at how L.A. Metro could increase transit usage, in the wake of reports showing how expensive it is to drive instead.

March 24 - The Los Angeles Times

Hosting Olympics, But At What Cost?

The Olympics can be a huge boon for cities -- in terms of international attention, physical legacies and infrastructural development. But they can also be a huge risk. This piece from <em>Finance and Development</em> looks at the pros and cons.

March 24 - Finance and Development

Adventure Tourism as Preservation

California City is a city in the desert that never came to be. But much of its skeleton remains. A recent tour explored the ghost of this unbuilt city.

March 24 - Good

Finding a Home For America's Nuclear Waste

The Federal government has scrapped plans to make Nevada's Yucca Mountain the nation's main storage facility for nuclear waste, which raises the question: where will the waste go?

March 24 - The Christian Science Monitor

Deciding Which Homeowners To Bail Out

The Feds have $1.5 billion to help homeowners at risk of losing homes to foreclosure. Deciding just which homeowners to help is no easy task. This article looks at the decision-making process in Arizona, one of the five states receiving federal aid.

March 24 - The New York Times - Business

Momentum Builds Toward Chicago to St. Louis HSR

The IL state senate's 51-2 passage of a bill creating the Illinois and Midwest High Speed Rail Commission on March 18 is a major step toward planning the 150+ mph train from Chicago to St. Louis.

March 23 - Metro Magazine

Where Americans Will Be in 2050

Where will Americans live? Everywhere. The third article in a three-part series based on Joel Kotkin's new book, "The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050," looks at where Americans will live and how our communities will grow to accommodate them.

March 23 - AOL News

Post News
Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA

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