The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

In a budget unveiled last month, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton proposed a .25 percent sales tax increase to fund an expansion of the Twin Cities metro area's public transit systems. The proposal has garnered enthusiastic support.

February 5 - The Minn Post

Kaid Benfield pens a provocative column in which he suggests that the traditional American Main Street is a thing of the past, and may no longer fit our modern retail economy. Are traditional main streets still worth preserving and emulating?

February 4 - NRDC Switchboard

An ambitious plan being proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo would see $400 million spent to purchase homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy with the intent of demolishing them and returning their properties to undeveloped coastline, reports Thomas Kaplan.

February 4 - The New York Times

Since the Federal Highway Administration relaxed a rule against digital billboards in 2007, communities across the country have struggled with how to balance concerns about distracted drivers and disfigured landscapes with the desires of advertisers.

February 4 - USA Today

Dave Sotero reflects on the "mammoth undertaking" necessary to build L.A.'s modern subway system. He begins with the completion of the first phase of the Metro Red Line 20 years ago, and ends with a look at its promising future.

February 4 - The Source (Metro)

Kelly Anderson's documentary My Brooklyn tells the story of gentrification through the lens of corporate interests in urban planning.

February 4 - Hyperallergic

BLOG POST

Having served on the editorial board of Plan Canada for more than four years now, I've gained a pretty good sense of what makes a solid article on planning practice, and the common pitfalls to which authors often fall victim. As such, I offer below some guidelines that should assist prospective authors interested in submitting to the practitioner literature in producing the most suitable submissions requiring the least amount of revision.

February 4 - Michael Dudley

If the 43-year-old California Environmental Act is going to be changed - as Gov. Brown hopes, most agree the legislation will be championed by Michael Rubio, a young, moderate Latino Democratic in the second year of his first term in the senate.

February 4 - The Sacramento Bee

Unless a catastrophic natural disaster strikes your city (we're not hoping it does), the chances of being able to gaze upon the wonders of the cosmos from an urban perch are slim. Thierry Cohen provides a glimpse of the night sky without pollution.

February 4 - The New York Times

Lamenting the lack of a single big, transformative urban idea during President Obama's first term, Richard Florida urges the president to establish a new cabinet-level Department of Cities to build a "lasting urban legacy."

February 4 - New York Daily News

Three months after Sandy struck New York, the city took an important step in the recovery process by waiving select zoning rules rules to speed rebuilding, reports Matt Chaban.

February 4 - Crain's New York Business

Former New York City mayor Ed Koch passed away on Friday at the age of 88. For the popular figure who was known for stopping constituents on the street to ask, “How’m I doin’?”, Joseph Berger endeavors to deliver an answer.

February 4 - The New York Times

An infographic from the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition compares U.S. development and aid spending to the annual Super Bowl splurge on ads, food, and security.

February 3 - The Washington Post

With the Super Bowl just around the corner, it's time to reconsider the allegiance of cities to professional sports teams.

February 3 - Next City

Michael A. Harper, FAICP worked over 32 years as a public sector planning manager. During that time, he used paid and unpaid interns extensively. Harper's article focuses on the many ways to effectively engage interns and use their talents.

February 3 - The Western Planner

Cities such as Dallas, Denver, Sacramento and Tampa are reversing course on their one-way streets for a number of reasons; but improving traffic flow likely isn't one of them. Eric Jaffe looks at a recent study that upends conventional wisdom.

February 3 - The Atlantic Cities

Chile's most influential newspaper makes urban issues accessible and interesting to millions by using 'human-scaled' and annotated panoramic photos in its local coverage.

February 3 - Urban Times

Baltimore has a lot of bold ideas for changing the face of the city. While we wait for them to happen, why not implement some simple solutions for making the city more livable, proposes Mark R. Brown, AICP.

February 2 - Car Free Baltimore

As we reported last week, the central question facing the Board of Supervisors was how could they approve a project that appeared to violate a regional sustainability plan - one that they voted for as MPO members? They did - by a 4-1 vote.

February 2 - The Sacramento Bee - City News

Mark Byrnes explains the recent renovations - both inside and outside - of New Orleans' Superdome, home to Sunday's Super Bowl. The work was funded, at least in part, by FEMA.

February 2 - The Atlantic Cities