The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
New York Gets to Know its Subway Riders...Intimately
Anyone who's ridden the New York City subway will inevitably pick up on the odd social patterns that develop in the slim tube hurtling beneath the city. A new study identifies and quantifies those unique behaviors.
Resurrecting Ancient Cities from the Dead
Rather than continually build new towns on the outskirts of today's cities or struggle with creating a sense of place in newly constructed environments, could we resurrect old settlements to connect the old with the new?
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Which cities are (perceived as) safest?
A Gallup poll asked residents of each Congressional district whether they felt safe walking alone at night in their city or area. Although city residents feared crime more than suburbs, there were some surprises.
Cincinnati Public Staircases: A Walking History Abandoned but not Forgotten
A disappearing part of Cincinnati’s urban history is the subject of a new book, which portrays urban staircases as reflective of neighborhood histories and the urban experience.
Atlanta Artist Paints Suburban Ennui
Today's suburbs have discarded the human-scaled patterns they once promised. This newly resurfaced series of paintings from Atlanta artist Meg Aubrey will leave you longing for the world we neglected to build.
Federal Law Change Pays Dividends for NYC Co-Op Residents
Offsetting property taxes and maintenance fees, newly authorized market-rate ground floor retail provides a lucrative source of income for co-op owners in NYC.
Olympics Earn a Gold Medal in Displacement
Lawrence Vale and Annemarie Gray compare the cases of communities displaced by the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where redevelopment for the 2016 Games is underway, and Atlanta, 20 years ago.
El Paso Destroys to Rebuild
Emily Badger explains why the demolition of El Paso's high-rise city hall this past weekend was a cause for celebration, as the first step in a multimillion-dollar redevelopment that promises to transform the city's downtown.
Socially Conscious Developers Build a Bastion of Affordability in Philly
Inga Saffron reports on the redevelopment of a 19th-century brick mill into workforce housing in Philadelphia's South Kensington neighborhood; a project that proves virtue need not come at the expense of profit for one Philadelphia-based developer.
Miami Tops When it Comes to Roadway Efficiency
Miami probably isn't the first city you think of when it comes to the efficiency of its road infrastructure. New York, yes. San Francisco or Boston, maybe. But Miami? Chris Dickersin-Prokopp explains the surprising results culled from census data.
Arcane Liquor Laws Arrest Rejuvenation of New Jersey Towns
Heather Haddon examines the effect that the Garden State's prohibition-era liquor laws, which restrict the number of liquor licenses per town, are having on efforts to revitalize small downtowns across New Jersey.
Transportation Budget: "Where's The Beef, Mr. President?"
Kathryn W. Wolfe takes President Obama to task on his fiscal 2014, $77 billion transportation budget - not in where the money goes but where it comes from. How often can the 'peace dividend' be justifiably used as a funding source?
Why Target the Boston Marathon?
Any suspected motives for the tragic events that unfolded near the finish of the Boston Marathon yesterday are conjecture as of the writing of this post. But Nicholas Thompson endeavors to explain the meaning of this celebrated event.
Navigating the American Carbon Market
Gary Gero, President of Climate Action Reserve, discusses his organization's work drafting carbon offset protocols for the California Air Resources Board's cap-and-trade program.
Minnesota Governor Backs Off Raising State Gas Tax
MN Gov. Mark Dayton, fearing that a statewide gas tax increase lacks popular support, will not back the legislature's proposal to raise it, but has affirmed his support for a regional general sales tax for transit. But it may not be that easy.
Migration of American Indians Transforms Cities and Reservations
The last several decades have seen a mass migration of American Indians from reservations to North America's urban areas, but federal funds that are supposed to assist them have not followed. Answers are elusive for how to stem endemic poverty.
How Middle-Class Anti-Gentrifiers Obscure San Francisco's True Problems
In San Francisco, the relatively affluent are vocal in their denunciation of the "gentrifying" effects of the more affluent. This debate clouds the city's fundamental problems in housing its poor and working class residents, says Ilan Greenberg.
Environment Explains Obesity
Tara Haelle examines the growing consensus among scientists that environmental factors, rather than genes or sloth, are the primary cause of childhood obesity. The onus is on planners and policy makers to create environments that nurture health.
How to Win at the 'Planning Game'
Julia Vitullo-Martin reviews Alexander Garvin's new book, "The Planning Game," which examines four case studies for lessons on how shrewd investments in the public realm can revitalize a city.
The Case for Greening the Great White Way
In an opinion piece, Jeff Speck lays out his case for pedestrianizing Broadway throughout Manhattan. Portions of the street have already been given over to public space, so why not expand the conversion and introduce more green into the city?
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
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.
