The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Three economists with an understanding of the industry say that construction has finally hit bottom across the board (retail, housing, office) and is poised to come back with double-digit growth in 2011.

March 15 - Urban Land

Both houses of the Michigan Legislature have passed bills expanding the governor's right to declare a "financial emergency" and appoint managers to run cities, towns and school districts with little local oversight.

March 15 - Daily Tribune

A design student from the Royal College of Art, London raises the question of whether urban design can be used to bridge the gap between humans and animals which share urban environments.

March 15 - GOOD Magazine

The Economist did not take lightly to reading The New Yorker's economics writer blast Manhattan's bike lanes so he could park his Jaguar for free. Ironically, Cassidy may have annoyed his fellow economists more than the 'bike lobby' that he targets.

March 15 - The Economist

The city of Denver kicked off its second season of bike-sharing today. Last season, the program reached 102,981 rides in seven months.

March 15 - The Denver Post

Rebecca Cohen and Emily Salomon of the Center for Housing Policy examine existing policy tools to preserve and expand affordable housing near planned transit stations.

March 15 - Shelterforce

In response to a New York Times magazine hit piece against bikelanes, one writer deconstructs the quintessential elements of anti bike arguments.

March 14 - New York Times Magazine

Larry Beasley, Vancouver's former chief city planner, was hired to help develop Abu Dhabi's very ambitious Plan 2030.

March 14 - Regarding Place Magazine

In this article from Next American City the author argues for more variety in U.S. housing options in the wake of the mortgage debacle.

March 14 - Next American City

Facing possible dissolution, redevelopment agencies in California have gone on a bond-spree in the early months of 2011.

March 14 - Los Angeles Times

Port-au-Prince, the devastated capital of Haiti, is far from recovery. But as it and the rest of the country tries to rebound, some are thinking creatively about how best to rebuild the city's center.

March 14 - Citiwire

FEATURE

March 14 - Ann Sussman

As London prepares to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, new rules about its waterways could force hundreds of houseboat residents out of the city's canals.

March 14 - Guardian

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is often the most feasible, quickly implemented and cost-effective way to improve mobility in the United States, concluded a distinguished panel of transport experts at a Brookings Institution event.

March 14 - TheCityFix.com

Timothy Egan describes growing American ethnoburbs, or "entire cities" (or suburbs) "dominated by a nonwhite ethnic group," and their implications for politics and power.

March 14 - New York Times

Michael Cooper examines the factors leading to the death of a once-promising plan to connect Tampa and Orlando by bullet train.

March 14 - The New York Times

The LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) guidelines have existed for some time now, but are getting a new focus with an exhibit in Chicago and the launch of the first comprehensive city plan to include LEED-ND guidelines.

March 14 - New Urban Network

Oregon's Metro has developed a measure for transit-orientation, which uses 3 dimensions to convey the relative diversity in form and activity across the Portland region.

March 13 - Metro News

The name has changed, butt he reform game stays the same. Chief Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner has promised a more transparent project approval process. A team of consultants is just beginning to pitch their ideas.

March 13 - The Planning Report

A $1.3 million ridership study produced by transportation consultants for the State of Florida made the case that high-speed rail would have made money from day one -- too late, because Gov. Scott has already killed the project.

March 13 - Orlando Sentinel