The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

BLOG POST

<p><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana">I’m not basing this quick observation on any specific historical research or book, so bear with me.<span> </span>Cities grow and shrink; in effect they change rapidly (although sometimes it doesn’t seem rapidly enough and at other times all too rapidly).<span> </span>Where we operate in that continuum I think shapes much of how we see our role as professionals.<span> </span>Planning to address either shrinking cities or growing ones can seem, at times, like totally different professions.<span> </span>A colleague of mine remarked that planning for shrinking cities is definitely a niche market.<span> </span>With so much discussion surrounding growth and how we grow, there is much less dialog that defines the opposite.<span> </sp

July 1 - Scott Page

<p>The death of a major river in India is a symptom of unchecked urban growth and a lack of sanitary infrastructure.</p>

July 1 - The Globe and Mail

<p>Several neighborhoods in the southwestern corner of the city are hoping that the city will clamp down on monster homes, but builders and Realtors aren't going down without a fight.</p>

July 1 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

<p>Commentator Barbara Ehrenreich laments the 'luxurification' of every scenic spot in America.</p>

July 1 - The Huffington Post

<p>Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company is on charrette designing three different sites in Houston, a city well-known for its homogeneous suburban development. Plans include a TOD, sustainability, brownfield redevelopment, and of course walkability.</p>

July 1 - The Houston Chronicle

BLOG POST

<p>Last week I was up in Vancouver participating in a &quot;Roundtable&quot; discussion focused on whether Vancouver&#39;s politicians should pass policies to &quot;protect&quot; commercial activity downtown from displacement caused by the red hot residential condo market. At this roundtable, I had the opportunity to meet Brent Toderian. He is the City of Vancouver&#39;s Director of Planning. I was very impressed with him. It now strikes me that &quot;free market&quot; enviro/urban economists (such as myself) and urban planners should talk more often. Permit me to generalize based on 2 data points!

June 30 - Matthew E. Kahn

<p>As of July 1, Virginia drivers have lots to fear if they break traffic laws –- huge traffic fines, so as to help pay for the roads they drive on.</p>

June 30 - USA Today

<p>After recently losing out on federal dollars due to a lack of congestion pricing plans, local transportation officials have overcome their reluctance for "Lexus Lanes" and agreed to begin planning for tolls.</p>

June 30 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>The Harvest Foundation seeks to revitalize the Southern Virginia community of Martinsville/Henry County by making it a haven for bicycling, walking, and better growth.</p>

June 30 - Martinsville Bulletin (VA)

<p>A study calculates the growing cost of maintaining Alaska's infrastructure as a result of global warming.</p>

June 30 - The New York Times

<p>Chesterfield County's bucolic way of life is threatened by the arrival of new suburban subdivisions, which residents challenge don't meet the test of smart growth.</p>

June 30 - Style Weekly

<p>David Biggs, a lifelong resident of Moss Point, Mississippi, is overjoyed with his new modular cottage, a marked improvement over FEMA trailers.</p>

June 29 - Mississippi Press

<p>Think your neighborhood disputes are rancorous? With ample swearing, <em>The Onion</em> pokes diabolical fun at NIMBYism and "short-sighted, profit-oriented renewal."</p>

June 29 - The Onion

<p>A computer model may be able to assist city planners, public safety officials, and researchers in exploring individual pedestrian and crowd behavior in urban spaces.</p>

June 29 - Pruned

<p>There are good reasons why the U.S. hasn't built a high-speed rail network. But there are just as many, if not more, good reasons why it should.</p>

June 29 - Wired Magazine

<p>Of the 20 largest U.S. cities in 1950, all but 4 have lost residents -- a trend the emphasizes the American populations migration to the suburbs of the South and West.</p>

June 29 - The Washington Post

BLOG POST

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial">By North-American standards, Vancouver is already a density-friendly city, relatively speaking. Although we&#39;ve had our share of density related brawls and debates over the decades, by comparison to the wars fought in other cities, the &quot;D-Word&quot; gets a better reception here than in most places.

June 29 - Brent Toderian

<p>The MiSo is a prototype zero emission modular house developed at the University of Michigan. While still in early phases, the school hopes to develop the homes into a commercial venture.</p>

June 29 - Ann Arbor Business Review

<p>Planners and officials in Baltimore are looking to recreate one of the city's major streets as a vibrant tourist and retail area. But opinions differ on how to do it and where to look for examples.</p>

June 29 - The Baltimore Sun

<p>The Silicon Valley cities of Mountain View and Sunnyvale are alike in many ways. But their downtowns offer a study in contrasts because of land use decisions made 30 years ago.</p>

June 29 - California Planning & Development Report