The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Transportation consultant Jeff Tumlin admits that it's no easy job to convince people (let alone political leaders) that it's in their best interest, and that of their community, that parking should not be free. New technology may be the ticket.

October 24 - the Atlantic Cities: Place matters

Unable to pay for transportation infrastructure and unlikely to get help at the federal level, cities and states are looking to private entities to build and invest in their infrastructure projects.

October 23 - The Washington Post

The 2010 Census reveals that Detroit's population is approaching the 1910's level. Of the City's 714,000 residents, 83% are black and nearly 40% live in poverty. With virtually every statistic going against its favor, can Motown make a comeback?

October 23 - The Economist

Stación-ARquitectura Arquitectos has designed a modular home to house poor families in Monterrey, Mexico.

October 23 - Inhabitat

New York City may be diverse, but it is also one of the most segregated places in the country, and a rash of recent events involving civic employees reflects this. Until this is remedied, New Yorkers "won't have as much to brag about as we think."

October 23 - The New York Times

Olympic Planners have just ten months left to prepare for an anticipated 15 million trips a day during the event in an already congested city. So far, about 6.5 billion pounds ($10.2 billion) has been invested.

October 23 - The Washington Post

Kaid Benfield argues that continues revitalization of inner city neighborhoods is essential to achieving an equitable civil society, sustainable patterns of growth and maintaining a tax base to fund civic improvements.

October 22 - The Atlantic

Mark Byrnes' slideshow introduces the most welcoming welcome signs in North America.

October 22 - The Atlantic

BLOG POST

<p class="MsoNormal"> As readers of this blog will know I encourage people to find out about planning programs in multiple ways. Reading the work of faculty is a crucial first step as is reading the program’s web site. Visiting open houses or connecting with students (programs often set up some kind of chat space around admission time) are also options. Increasingly schools are using multiple forms of social media to reach current students and alums providing a useful window onto the programs for prospective students. This list highlights a few of these sources used specifically by planning programs.

October 22 - Ann Forsyth

History was made at a contentious California Air Resources Board Meeting when the board unanimously approved the nation's first Cap & Trade program to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The program results from CA's 2006 landmark climate law, AB 32.

October 22 - Los Angeles Times

Community board members, representing a traditionally Dominican neighborhood with six- to 10-story buildings, recently rejected one developer's plans for a mixed-income project of 800+ apartments, fearing gentrification and non-contextual development

October 22 - The New York Times

While some may grudgingly eat the extra fee to park downtown on weekdays, others may look toward more reliance on the El--the desired response. But is a flat congestion fee on top of already existing parking rates the best way to go?

October 22 - NPR

BLOG POST

<p> <span><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS">One of the bedrocks of the Vancouver city-building story, which we often refer to as &quot;the most important decision Vancouver ever made&quot;, was the dramatic rejection of inner city freeways in the late 60&#39;s/early 70&#39;s.<span>  </span>This left our city frequently referenced as the only major North America city without a freeway. That decision led us down the very different and counter-intuitive path for livability, mobility, inner city density and urbanism that has come to be referred to as &quot;the Vancouver Model&quot;.</span></span></span> </p>

October 21 - Brent Toderian

A new survey from the American Journal of Public Health found that people who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments are more likely to be suffering from depression.

October 21 - The Wall St. Journal

Michael Mehaffy worked on Orenco Station in Portland, and says criticism that says it fails because most commuters drive to work misses the point of the forward-thinking development.

October 21 - The Atlantic Cities

An overhaul of the New Jersey State Plan proposed by the Governor's office would eliminate the State Plan Policy Map, which designated growth areas and conservation in the state.

October 21 - NJ Spotlight

Allison Arieff explodes the unspoken myth that public housing must look cheap and unattractive, citing some stellar examples of affordable design.

October 21 - The Atlantic Cities

That's the title of a draft report from the Australian Dept. of Infrastructure and Transport presenting model processes for creating high-quality urban environments.

October 21 - Architecture and Design

In another major blow to the struggling rail project, the High Speed Rail Authority has written the state legislature that private financing, which they had counted on to fund 1/3 the capital cost, may not be available until the train is running.

October 21 - Los Angeles Times: Environment

The Economist paints a gloomy picture of an ailing Detroit, but also says there is hope in the form of urban pioneers attracted by the affordability of space.

October 21 - The Economist