The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Dueling Narratives Describe a Changing Cincinnati Neighborhood

Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood has been the focus of battles over gentrification for decades. Sarah Wesseler examines recent developments in the neighborhood in light of this history.

September 22 - Satellite Magazine

Cities Hit Back at 'Patent Troll'

City transit authorities are fighting back against a notorious non-practicing entity, or patent troll.

September 22 - Future Cities

Wanted: Funding Source for Transit Investment in Canada’s Largest City

Additional sales taxes, increased property taxes, and a tax on commercial parking spaces are just some of the 11 funding options being considered to pay for a long overdue transit expansion in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

September 22 - The Toronto Star

Can the World's Largest Office Park Change its Suburban Stripes?

North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park has a problem: the massive business park is woefully outdated, in both economic and architectural terms. Can it regain its status as a cutting-edge center of innovation by taking a page from the New Urbanism?

September 22 - The Atlantic Cities

Skagit "Miracle" Bridge Opens on I-5 in Washington

In this editorial, The News Tribune takes aim at the WA State Department of Transportation - in a complimentary way - at the speed and efficiency in which it handled the collapse of the Skagit River Bridge on May 23. The replacement opened Sept. 15.

September 22 - The News Tribune


waterfront road in Paris transformed into pedestrian and lounging space

Paris Tests a New Approach to Urban Space

Any visitor from America would think that Paris had found the solution to creating great public spaces and taming the automobile. But the city's new approach to urban space suggests city leaders and residents feel otherwise.

September 21 - PPS: Placemaking Blog

Traffic Jam

What Causes Traffic?

You're probably thinking "Way too many cars on the road, duh!" But the real answer is a bit more complicated, and counterintuitive. Tom Vanderbilt explains in a 20-minute presentation.

September 21 - The Atlantic Cities


Can a "Rare Slice of California" Stave Off Sprawl?

San Luis Obispo County, along California's Central Coast, is at a crossroads. Will it go the way of Orange County and succumb to development pressures or will it follow Napa and Ventura Counties and protect its rural lands from exurban sprawl.

September 21 - TraceSF

After 20 Years in Office, Boston Mayor's Legacy Writ in Concrete and Steel

After five terms in office, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino's most enduring impact may bee seen in the city's changing skyline. Rather than go out with a whimper, the Menino era is ending with a bang as the pace of development accelerates.

September 21 - The New York Times

What is a "Community"?

As communities based on proximate and personal relationships decline, the application of term "community" multiplies. Anand Giridharadas looks at the hijacking of the word and what its new applications say about our contemporary culture.

September 21 - The New York Times

A bride and groom riding on citi bikes in New York

Friday Funny: New York's Weirdos Saddle Up for Bikeshare Shenanigans

Though the Wall Street Journal's editorial board and Victoria's Secret Angels are unlikely to ride one, Citi Bikes have attracted a wide swath of New Yorkers. Apparently this also includes the city's ample supply of weirdos.

September 20 - Grist

Co-Ops Provide a Path to Preserve Affordable Housing

Unlike in New York, housing cooperatives are a rare find in DC. Tucked into neighborhoods like Logan Circle and Columbia Heights, they are "relatively unknown". But they provide a "great source of stable, affordable housing," writes Elizabeth Falcon.

September 20 - Greater Greater Washington

EPA Announces Controversial Limits on Power Plant Emissions

A year and 2.5 million public comments after the Obama Administration first proposed setting limits for the emission of carbon dioxide by power plants, the EPA is set to announce its final plan today. Could this mean the end of new coal plants?

September 20 - Grist

Happy Park(ing) Day! Should This Be the Last One?

Though Park(ing) day organizers stopped tracking numbers last year, it's safe to say that dozens of cities will be turning their parking spaces into public spaces today. But for Alissa Walker, participants could better spend their time and energy.

September 20 - Gizmodo

Fed. Appeals Court Upholds CA's Low Carbon Fuel Standard

The Calif. Air Resources Board received uplifting news from the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this week when they rejected the charge that the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, designed to reduce carbon intensity in fuel, impeded interstate commerce.

September 20 - Reuters

New Data Shows Substantial Bump in Bicycle Commuting

Have you noticed more cyclists on the streets around you during your commute to work? New data from the U.S Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) confirms that all those investments in bike infrastructure are paying off.

September 20 - The League of American Bicyclists

Welcome to the Age of "Driving Light"

As a nation, we are driving less, but we are increasingly stuck in traffic. What explains this paradox? Using Portland as an example, where driving peaked in 2004, Joseph Rose attempts to explain with lots of help from transportation experts.

September 20 - The Oregonian

Key Players Frame Debate Over Next Federal Transportation Bill

The transportation bill known as MAP-21 expires in a little more than a year, but the key interest groups and political players are already staking out their positions. The posturing is compounded by the worsening state of the Highway Trust Fund.

September 20 - Politico Pro

Rideshare Industry Gets a Lift With New California Regulations

On Wednesday, California became the first state in the nation to adopt rules for ridesharing. Several cities (including New York, L.A., and D.C.) have struggled to tame the bourgeoning industry amid protests by entrenched taxi interest groups.

September 20 - Los Angeles Times

Why Architects and Planners Need to Become Better Politicians

Well designed environments assist our economy, wellbeing and happiness, says Sarah Wigglesworth. Yet money equals power in controlling the shape of built environment. She asserts that designers must act as leaders rather than slaves to their clients.

September 20 - Building Design

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