The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>The pace of construction in oil-soaked Alberta is so intense that projects dogged by labour shortages are drawing inexperienced workers from across the country -- and complaints about shoddy construction.</p>

June 3 - The Globe and Mail

BLOG POST

<p><em>City Limits</em> magazine recently completed a <a href="http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/viewarticle.cfm?article_id=3343&amp;content_type=1&amp;media_type=3">review</a> of the 18 presidential candidates&#39; stances on urban issues, and the major news is that there is no news. Most domestic issues, let alone those related to cities, don&#39;t even appear on the candidates&#39; -- or the media&#39;s -- radar screens. Their article quotes a p<span class="content2">olitical scientist who &quot;says 2008 is shaping up as &#39;yet another gigantic referendum on Bush and Iraq.&#39;&quot; The bright spots? Although <a href="/node/23153">Bill Richardson</a> has advocated for greater energy conservation and public transportation, John Edwards has articulated an intriguing <a href="http://www.johnedwards.com/about/issues/poverty/">plan</a> to end poverty in the U.S. by 2036 and <a href="http://johnedwards.com/about/issues/housing/">overhaul</a> the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">

June 2 - David Gest

<p>The UK releases a summary report on the growing need in the country for greater 'Community Cohesion' -- or how to promote community citizenship based on greater knowledge and contact between different cultures.</p>

June 2 - IDeA Knowledge

<p>Not all energy alternatives are created equal. In fact, some are twice as bad as gasoline from a global warming perspective. This editorial points the finger at coal-to-liquid as the worst of them and cautions Congress not to subsidize the technology</p>

June 2 - The New York Times

<p>Transportation Secretary Peters and the head of Georgia's Dept. of Transportation chatted about grandchildren during a recent visit, but forgot to discuss the region's stalled commuter rail project.</p>

June 2 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

<p>Tom Engelhardt explores the architectural and political significance of the mammoth US embassy construction project in Baghdad.</p>

June 2 - TomDispatch

<p>On the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, small towns are grappling with plans to develop more than 4,500 housing units. Of the most concern to residents is the increased traffic and strain on roads, so they have proposed a circulation plan.</p>

June 2 - Honolulu Star Bulletin

<p>Portland, Oregon, is pushing stricter regulations on the city's waste, mandating that residents and businesses recycle 75% of their waste by 2015. Many businesspeople are upset about the costs that would be associated with compliance.</p>

June 1 - Portland Business Journal

<p>The first issue of a new journal on aging features a discussion on planning and rezoning of a suburb in response to the desires of an aging suburban population for a walkable community with mixed use and better transit services.</p>

June 1 - CCQ Capital Commons Quarterly: The Dynamics of Aging and Our Communities

<p>The population is growing in Shanghai, and the city is running out of space. But before it's too late, the city is crafting plans to help it achieve sustainable growth.</p>

June 1 - BBC

<p>Ex-hippies-turned-homeowners and younger drifters have different expectations from San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.</p>

June 1 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is considering testing its tour guides to ensure the accuracy of the city's rich history -- a big tourist draw and economic boon for the city.</p>

June 1 - The York Dispatch

<p>After a devastating fire, competing visions emerge for restoring Los Angeles' Griffith Park, one of the largest urban parks in the nation.</p>

June 1 - Abhijeet Chavan

BLOG POST

<p class="MsoNormal">It’s been said before, but it’s worth repeating – the reconstruction of New Orleans is both a planner’s dream – and a planner’s nightmare. Even before the flood waters subsided, planners and architects from around the globe descended on the Crescent City to give their take on the road to recovery. Close to two years later, a host of plans lay in the wake of the constant ebb and flow of professionals in and out of the city. Local residents are exasperated with the proposed plans and the progress of the recovery. Meanwhile, the rest of the country has seemingly lost interest.</p>

June 1 - Christian Madera

<p>As the permafrost melts, villagers in small Alaskan towns are forced to abandon their homes, which are sinking and eroding before their eyes.</p>

June 1 - The New York Times

<p>Jonathan Demme's new documentary, "Right to Return: New Home Movies from the Lower Ninth Ward," shows us residents who have returned to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.</p>

June 1 - The New York Times

<p>On the Kansas side of Metro area, officials still include thinks it needs more roads to ease sprawl created congestion.</p>

June 1 - The Kansas City Star

<p>Cities and counties in California's Central Valley are starting to adopt policies to offset the development of farmland. The new policies require developers to fund or purchase agricultural conservation easements.</p>

June 1 - California Planning & Development Report

<p>In Venezuela, small community councils funded by oil money are popping up all over the country, taking control over local decisions such as public education, infrastructure, and building plans.</p>

June 1 - NPR

<p>Available for select cities, "Street View" feature provides a 360-degree view of a neighborhood. New "Mapplets" enables users to create their own maps.</p>

May 31 - Red Herring