The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Freight Movement Drives Rail Resurgence
Freight rail is booming throughout the U.S. While shipping oil from North Dakota's Bakken shale basin has been a huge factor in the resurgence, Betsy Morris digs deeper and analyzes the surprising competition between road and rail.
Parks: An Antidote to 'Brain Fatigue'
Scientists have long theorized that natural settings can help us manage the stress induced by urban living. New research made possible by advances in EEG technology has confirmed the restorative effects of parks.
Unique Bay Area Bike Share Program Launching this Summer
Set to launch this summer with 700 bikes at 70 locations from San Jose to San Francisco, the pilot bike-share program run by Alta Bike Share will be the first regional program in the country, reports Molly Schremmer.
Massive Development Fulfills 30-Year Promise of Buffalo's 'Train to Nowhere'
The development of the $750M Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, which will soon be home to 17,500 employees, is being seen as a catalyst for a culture change in the city towards urban lifestyles oriented around its heretofore underutilized rail system.
Serendipitous Interactions: Good for Cities, Good for Companies
A rambling walk through New York City, with no destination in mind, reveals to FT columnist John Kay the value of unplanned social interactions - a value that's behind Yahoo’s recent policy limiting telecommuting.
America's Grand Stations
As New York celebrates the 100th anniversary of Grand Central Terminal, which nearly suffered the fate of the city's other grand station, Governing has assembled a photo collection of nine other treasured stations that continue to live and prosper.
Plans for Queens' 'High Line' Has Competition: Bringing Back the Train
Queen's version of Manhattan's High Line is known as the QueensWay, an abandoned LIRR branch that went from Rego Park to Rockaway. Two congressmen have now endorsed a plan to bring the train back - though planning for the new park has already begun.
With Tax Credit Renewed, U.S. Wind Industry Powers Up
The impending expiration of a controversial, but important, federal tax credit deflated wind power's prognosis late last year. With many companies restarting moribund projects after the credit was renewed in January, the industry is perking up.
Examining L.A.'s Dirty Zoning Secrets
To celebrate its 50th post, Jeremy Rosenberg has handed over the reins of his "Laws That Shape L.A." column. The focus of this week's guest feature: the special overlays and site-specific designations that cover 60 percent of the city's geography.
Denver Densifies as Developers Anticipate Transit Expansion
Before the first line of the multi-billion dollar FasTracks regional transit expansion opens to the public, developers are clamoring to build near Denver area stations. In a city that was beset by sprawl for a half-century, the shift is good news.
Cleantech Startups Partner with Fossil Fuel Giants
With little investment from venture capitalists, cleantech startups are relying increasingly on traditional energy corporations for financial support.
D.C. Mustn't Look Far to Find Lessons for Reducing the Nation's Worst Congestion
Washington D.C. holds the dubious distinction as the nation's most congested city. As D.C. seeks ways to reduce its traffic, Arlington County, in suburban Virginia, has made great strides in convincing commuters to ditch their cars.
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The Power of Place: On Democracy and Public Participation in Planning
More thoughts on how public participation in the placemaking process can create better places and better functioning democracies.
Urban Renewal: What's Driving Downtown's Comeback?
Morgan Brennan looks at the demographic and cultural factors driving America's "most surprising real estate boom," and examines how some cities have targeted investments to attract young professionals.
Proposed 'Bike Freeway' in S.F. Faces Backlash
At a raucous community meeting held last week, the opposition to a proposal to replace curbside parking along Polk Street with bike lanes and parklets made their opinions known to city planners, reports Maria L. La Ganga.
Brutalist Icon in Philadelphia Under Threat
Philadelphia's award winning police headquarters, called "the Roundhouse", has received a belated 50th birthday present: the threat of demolition.
New Study is First to Show that Traffic Pollution Causes Childhood Asthma
While pollution from vehicle exhausts has been known for some time to exacerbate the symptoms of asthma, a new study published in the European Respiratory Journal establishes for the first time the direct causal link between the two.
Healthy, or Unhealthy, by Design
We've engineered physical activity out of our daily lives but it need not be a chronic condition. Hazel Borys points to recent suburban retrofits for ways to get moving again.
Help Select the Most Promising Applications of Open Data
886 projects have been entered in a $5 million competition organized by the Knight News Challenge to find the best ideas for making the places we live "more awesome through data and technology." The Atlantic Cities shares 12 of their favorites.
When Are Big Buildings Too Big?
When the 807 ft. MetLife Building in Manhattan's Midtown opened half a century ago, it was viewed as an 'assault' on it's iconic neighbor, Grand Central Terminal. However, it was indicative of what the real estate market wanted in the 1960s.
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.
