The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Growing Demand For Urban Planners
Growing cities scramble to hire city planners as many professionals move to the private sector.
Profile And History Of L.A.'s Skid Row
The Los Angeles Times takes a gritty look at a 50-block area of "grime, despair, struggle and hope known as skid row."
Reshaping A Neighborhood, With The Pedestrian In Mind
A look at Hong Kong's most crowded neighborhood.
Inside Santa Fe's $90 Million Urban Development Project
Plans include a new commuter rail and office building for the Department of Transportation.
How Can Cities Adapt to Peak Oil?
Cities must begin to plan now for the coming decline in affordable gasoline and natural gas supplies.
A Visionary Planner Takes On Howard County's U.S. 40 Project
The Baltimore Sun profiles William Mackey Jr., former planning director for the City of South Miami and the new project manager for the U.S. 40 project in Maryland, who used the opportunity to return to his planning roots.
BLOG POST
GIS more than just maps
<p>Yes, we are all riding on the hype that Google Maps started, and the endless possibilities it provides. But looking at it from a planners/geographers perspective, are these possibilities really endless?</p><br /> <p>In the Directions magazine, Adena Schutzenberger points out:</p><br /> <p><a href="http://www.directionsmag.com/editorials.php?article_id=906">http://www.directionsmag.com/editorials.php?article_id=906</a></p><br /> <ul><br /> <i>...</i><i> these services (Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSN Earth….) give programmers all the tools they need to make maps. Indeed. It may be time again to explore that age old question: what’s the difference between map making and GIS? The former is about presentation (“a map is a representation of structure, and a structure is a set of elements and the relationships between them”). While paper maps are not interactive, electronic maps may be, but that does not make them components of a GIS. GIS, its proponents argue, is more than just mapping; it’s analysis; it’s exploring what if; it’s using models; it’s developing more intricate visualizations</i>
Michigan's Hot Cool Cities Initiative Underway
Despite criticism and delays, Michigan's Governor Jennifer Granholm pushes forward to make urban areas in Michigan attractive to young professionals.
Amateur Enviro-spies
To catch polluters, the government is turning to volunteers with digital cameras.
'Peer To Peer' Public Transportation
In Lyon, France, an ambitious new public transportation program uses pedal power instead of gas.
Will Kelo V. New London Become Another Roe-vs-Wade?
In the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision on eminient domain, more and more Americans are concerned about their property rights.
Parking Lots: An Oasis For Youth
A look at the role of parking lots in suburban youth culture.
How Did The Census Bureau Get It So Wrong?
It turns out that the sky is not falling on cities, writes Carol Coletta in this week's Planetizen Op-Ed.
Alternate Fuels And The Future Of Cars
As gas prices go up, what is the future for hybrid cars and other alternative fuels for cars?
World Population Heading Rapidly Toward 7 Billion
There has been a complete shift in population growth. Ninety-nine percent of population growth for the foreseeable future will be in developing countries.
FEATURE
The Sky Is Not Falling On Cities
Rethinking Cities: Telecommunication & Transportation
John M. Eger writes about how the Internet can help us rethink our cities.
Gainseville Park 1; Wal-Mart 0
The Gainesville City Commission rejected a measure that would have let Wal-Mart develop Northside Park.
High Housing Costs Are Good For Some Poor
Mark Alan Hughes writes that instead of fearing rising housing costs, the poor should benefit.
Houston Faces The Challenge Of Sprawl
One editor's solutions for Houston's unique challenges in embracing its population boom.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
