The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Revenue from gas taxes has been down in recent years, leaving little money to handle road improvements and maintenance. The State of Minnesota has shifted the costs to property owners.</p>

May 15 - Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

<p>Could getting physicians to advocate for walkable cities get people to listen to the advice of planners?</p>

May 15 - Latino Urban Forum

<p>Rail projects are favored over bus rapid transit projects when it comes to federal funding. But many say the bus systems are cheaper and more effective overall.</p>

May 15 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

<p>A former area of low-income housing has been redeveloped as a New Urbanist neighborhood in Seattle. The housing stock has almost doubled -- and nearly 40% of it is priced for very low income families.</p>

May 15 - The Seattle Times

<p>The man many expect to become the new English Prime Minister has proposed a plan to create 100,000 houses in five carbon-neutral "eco-towns" to help fight back against the country's housing crunch in a sustainable way.</p>

May 15 - BBC

BLOG POST

<p class="MsoNormal">Don&#39;t know if you&#39;ve heard, but Arizona voters passed a new law in November, a nameless one called Proposition 207. And here&#39;s what preservationists have to say about it:</p><p class="MsoNormal">&quot;With Prop 207, we&#39;re dead in the water,&quot; Debbie Abele, Scottsdale historic preservation officer, told the <span style="font-style: italic" class="Apple-style-span">East Valley Tribune</span><span>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">It&#39;s modeled after Oregon&#39;s controversial property-rights law Measure 37. In a nutshell, it allows property owners to seek compensation from the state for infringing on their right to use, divide, sell, or possess their property via a land-use law.</p>

May 14 - Margaret Foster

BLOG POST

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">In the short story <em>The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas</em>, Ursula LeGuin depicts a utopia that is made possible by the transference of all misery to a child who is kept in a cellar. Some in the community ignore the scapegoat’s existence, choosing the easy life of bliss that is offered to them. Those whose consciences do not allow them to live in willful ignorance often chose to leave Omelas and live complete, full lives that include awareness, and shouldering their own pain.</font></p>

May 14 - Lisa Feldstein

<p>When South America's largest city banned billboards, neon signs, and all other forms of outdoor advertising, an unexpected cityscape emerged and previously unnoticed problems were revealed.</p>

May 14 - On The Media

<p>City officials in Oakland, California, are proposing the creation of a "tent city" to provide temporary shelter to the homeless. Advocates say the private tents will be preferred to the city's existing barracks-style shelters.</p>

May 14 - The San Francisco Chronicle

<p>Unlike the stations in many global cities, toilets in Chicago's main transit system are off-limits to most customers. However, plans are developing to install self-cleaning toilets in many of the system's stations.</p>

May 14 - The Chicago Tribune

<p>Federal law requires cities to have evacuation plans that include pets. Many cities never knew about this law and don't have the resources to follow it, which could disqualify them from receiving federal disaster relief funds.</p>

May 14 - The Boston Globe

<p>A virtual 3D model of parts of Glasgow, Scotland, has been completed and is now available for viewing online. Organizers of the detailed modeling effort anticipate it being a powerful tool for planners and the public.</p>

May 14 - BBC

<p>Olaf Stampf argues that while global warming does have its drawbacks, it can also bring some significant benefits.</p>

May 14 - Der Spiegel

FEATURE

Far too many discussions about the 'failures' of rent control don't take into account what such regulation is really designed to do -- namely, provide housing stability and protect against displacement. Before allowing rent control regulation to wither in New York City and elsewhere, it's a good idea to consider how much residents and society overall benefit from these imperfect policies.

May 14 - Greg Smithsimon

<p>The residents of Greensburg, Kansas can look to other communities resurrected from disaster for lessons of how to rebuild their town from scratch.</p>

May 14 - Christian Madera

<p>Building housing for low- and moderate-income households -- who are most likely to use transit regularly -- should be a priority as Denver grows its light-rail system.</p>

May 14 - The Rocky Mountain News

<p>Officials in Knoxville, Tennessee, are looking to transform the city's industrial Tennessee Riverfront into the new place to be.</p>

May 14 - The New York Times

Free off-peak transportation on buses and trains in Connecticut has generated interest and support, but some seniors would prefer that greater funding be devoted to existing dial-a-ride services that are already in place across the state.

May 14 - The New York Times

<p>The oil-rich plant is being trumpeted as a source for biodiesel by some nations and corporations that hope to cash in on it as 'the final solution.'</p>

May 13 - The Christian Science Monitor

In its second meeting ever, a conference of mayors from 32 cities worldwide will meet in N.Y. to strategize on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

May 13 - The Christian Science Monitor