The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man, has plans to build a 570-foot, 27-story skyscraper in Mumbai as a home for his six-person family, a stark contrast to the city's many crowded slums. Some planners predict similar skyscraper projects will follow.</p>

June 6 - The Guardian

<p>Transportation expert Reid Ewing appeared in Napa to tout higher densities and mixed-use development. The county is updating it transportation plan and considering a second attempt to pass a transportation sales tax measure.</p>

June 6 - Napa Valley Register

<p>Minneapolis' signature street has fulfilled its promise as an urban oasis. But belching buses and sidewalk cafes don't mix.</p>

June 6 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

<p>Located on the site of a major rail transit hub in Brooklyn, the Atlantic Yards project has the opportunity to be one of the highest profile transit-oriented developments in the world. But will it really promote transit use and reduce congestion?</p>

June 6 - The Gotham Gazette

<p>Tokyo is rapidly developing -- and redeveloping. One of the unique characteristics about the city is the temporal nature of its buildings and spaces, which are often replaced after very short lives with new visions of the city's future.</p>

June 6 - Wired

<p>This article from <em>The Seattle Times</em> takes a look at the long-term financing schedule associated with extending the region's light rail system.</p>

June 6 - The Seattle Times

<p>Researchers at Virginia Tech are looking at ways to attract companies considering moving overseas to relocate to low-cost rural areas of the U.S. -- a concept dubbed "farmshoring".</p>

June 6 - Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development

<p>The primetime Fox television show "The OC" and MTV's "Laguna Beach" may have helped increased real estate prices in Orange County, California.</p>

June 6 - The Financial Times

<p>Brooklyn, New York, has a long and soiled history when it comes to fuel production. Now comes plans for two more plants, but so far they are welcomed by the city and surrounding neighbors.</p>

June 6 - The New York Times

BLOG POST

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal">Although the latest immigration bill being debated upon in congress has attracted relatively little attention from planners, the planning implications of reforming or not reforming current immigration policy are huge.<span> </span>Immigration impacts labor markets, and thereby commuting patterns, transportation planning and economic development.<span> </span>Immigration swells the population of many cities and towns forcing planners to rethink their plans for housing, schools and other public services.<span> </span>Often overlooked, however, is f immigration’s impact on the planning process itself.</p>

June 6 - Lance Freeman

<p>Chicago officials are renewing an ordinance to discourage cyclists from riding on some of the city's sidewalks, while bike advocates argue the city isn't doing enough to make the streets safe for both pedestrians and bike riders.</p>

June 6 - Chicago Sun-Times

<p>Poor federal emergency planning; still-shattered public infrastructure; an over-commitment of National Guard equipment in Iraq; and an inadequately repaired levee system are all leaving New Orleans dangerously vulnerable to new storms.</p>

June 5 - Center for American Progress

<p>As of late, how to best operate and maintain Pennsylvania's Turnpike has become a hot issue among the state's politicians. Will they ever agree on a solution?</p>

June 5 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

<p>A recent column in the Washington Post criticizes the city's crackdown on jaywalking, arguing that it only serves to discourage pedestrians.</p>

June 5 - The Washington Post

<p>Well intentioned but loose zoning regulations are threatening the character some of the city's historic neighborhoods.</p>

June 5 - The Charlotte Observer

<p>The internet firm has launched new features making it easier for users to learn about transit options when getting directions.</p>

June 5 - WorldChanging

<p>A joint venture between a prominent African-American church and a private developer is trying to breath new life into Atlanta's Auburn Avenue.</p>

June 5 - International Herald Tribune

<p>While many smart growth advocates embrace the idea of allowing congestion to worsen to encourage the public to drive less, a recent opinion column argues the strategy can only work if good alternatives to driving exist.</p>

June 5 - Atlanta Journal Constitution

<p>Americans generally see bigger as better, and a desire for status combined with local government's desire to attract high-income residents often drives the development of large homes on large lots.</p>

June 5 - The Environmental Report

<p>With high housing costs driving families out of San Francisco, the city's schools are trying innovative ways to improve education and attract the dwindling number of students.</p>

June 5 - The San Francisco Chronicle