The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

One of the country's most passionate supporters of parks writes a review of a book that explores the characteristics and qualities of great parks.

September 10 - The Nature of Cities

A new online visualization tool makes it easier to read and understand data about mobile phone usage in four cities around the world, including Los Angeles and New York.

September 10 - MIT Technology Review

The city of Cambridge is proposing a new transportation enhancement fund that would charge developments to fund upgrades Red Line’s Kendall/MIT Station or enhanced bus service.

September 10 - The Boston Globe

FEATURE

A few key considerations, implemented during a public engagement process, can ensure active and engaged participation from commonly marginalized groups and individuals.

September 9 - James Rojas

Adding new details to a plan that is sure to create controversy, Mayor Ed Lee has a new plan to aadd affordable housing to the city of San Francisco.

September 9 - The San Francisco Chronicle

June Williamson, co-author of Retrofitting Suburbia, spoke with Streetsblog about the challenge of making that most auto-centric of development typology—the big box—friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists.

September 9 - Streetsblog USA

Mobility Plan 2035, a visionary plan to get Angelenos out of their cars, attracted the attention of The New York Times. The plan calls for using road diets and transit-only lanes to replace auto trips with bike and bus trips, but many are skeptical.

September 9 - The New York Times

New mixed-use Prairiefire development in Overland Park, Kansas, combines a museum with retail, entertainment, and housing space to respond to strong demographics in an increasingly-competitive environment.

September 9 - ULI Urban Land Magazine

Houston's famous lack of zoning codes might be more semantic than legal.

September 9 - The Urban Edge

San Francisco County Supervisor announced an ambitious agenda to construct underground rail transit—arguing that the city "should always have a subway under construction."

September 9 - San Francisco Examiner

In perhaps the most aggressive move in the young history of tactical urbanism, the City of Light will clear not just one street or neighborhood, but rather an entire district of cars for 'Une Journée Sans Voiture' September 27.

September 9 - Forbes

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop is pushing for an ambitious program to overhaul the city's development subsidies, even as building permits are flying off the shelves.

September 9 - Politico New Jersey

The second homes that once laid dormant much of the year, waiting for the next summer or winter vacation getaway, are now a desirable location for baby boomers to retire.

September 9 - Grand Forks Herald

BLOG POST

Dr. Robert Young of UT-Austin guest blogs about his work on the challenges of promoting sustainable development in peripheral areas of Oregon.

September 8 - JPER

Open data can be a powerful tool for illustrating the risks to public safety that will have to be overcome as more cities adopt Vision Zero initiatives.

September 8 - Greater Greater Washington

Density isn't always a dirty word, apparently—as residents of Utah have voiced their support of more urban typologies to support its expected population growth over the next several decades.

September 8 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Plans to transform 60,000 square feet of dormant space under New York's Delancey Street into a park could be ready to reemerge into the public discussion.

September 8 - The Awl

The Wall Street Journal implies a take on the U.S. economy that might make some urbanists uncomfortable: more single-family construction is necessary for a full economic recovery.

September 8 - The Wall Street Journal

Missouri's inability to pass transportation funding legislation or ballot measures has come home to roost in the growing number of bridges classified in "critical condition"—just one or two steps from being closed, according to MoDOT.

September 8 - AASHTO Journal

After a February Metrolink commuter train crash in Oxnard, Calif., train officials hailed the new Korean rail cars as having performed well. Now they have expressed second thoughts, and are replacing the front cab cars with BNSF locomotives.

September 8 - Los Angeles Times