The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Should Architects Be Citizen Scientists?
Can self-contained urban food systems exist in the core of our cities? Architect Darrick Borowski of New York based firm ARExA developed a model to determine just that.
Roosevelt Island's Pneumatic Garbage System
On New York City's Roosevelt Island, residents have long lived free from the roar of garbage trucks. Instead they use Avacs, an island-wide system of pneumatic tubes that moves trash to a central location for processing.
Friday Funny: Banksy Spoofs Consumerism with 'Dismaland' Theme Park
Maybe it's not funny in the traditional sense, but someone is surely having a laugh.
Two L.A. River Experts On Funding, Governance, and Gehry
Los Angeles made progress toward revitalizing the L.A. River when the preferred restoration plan won an important approval. But the project also saw a jump in price and a change in cost-share, leaving some wondering where the money will come from.
Mapping Fun: Where Seattle Has No Sidewalks
Not all streets are created equal: Some have sidewalks and some don't.
California Cap-And-Trade Surprise: Cash Flows Out-of-State to Reduce Emissions
California industries are buying offsets in lieu of purchasing carbon allowances or reducing carbon emissions, and most of the offsets are spent out-of-state, assisting the recipients economically as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Why the McMansion Isn't Really Back
Joe Cortright criticizes reports linking high median new home sizes to a renewed demand for McMansions. The market for single-family homes, he argues, locks out buyers of modest means. Only the well-off are buying.
De Blasio Could Open the Times Square Pedestrian Plaza to Cars
Exotic street performers in the plaza have caused Mayor Bill de Blasio to reconsider his initial opposition to street plazas. Unlike his police commissioner and the governor, de Blasio has yet to make a decision on the removal of Times Square plaza.
BLOG POST
Smart Planning for Economic Opportunity
The Center for Opportunity Urbanism has a wonderful goal—to improve economic opportunities for working class households—but uses terrible research to reach confusing recommendations about which policies are best. Please do better!
The EPA's Lackluster Environmental Justice Record
The Center for Public Integrity has released a report criticizing the EPA's environmental justice competence. In only 12 cases has the agency taken official action on behalf of communities affected disproportionately by polluters.
Life and Form: An Interview with Jan Gehl
Danish Architect Jan Gehl talks about the intersections of architecture and social science.
San Francisco Breaking Down Silos to Plan for Resilience
As San Francisco's Chief Resilience Officer, Patrick Otellini’s job is to beef up city defenses against crises—a broad mandate that has him tackling seismic safety and water security through capital planning, utilities, and housing affordability.
From the Ashes of a Freeway—a New Neighborhood Rising in Providence
A part of the city of Providence once lobotomized by the I-95 freeway is ready to be born anew as LINK, with three projects already in the works and 19 acres of developable land.
HUD Decides to Evict 'Over-Income' Public Housing Tenants
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has shifted its response to an audit finding tens of thousands "over-income" residents living in subsidized housing.
Mayors Are Taking an Interest in Infrastructure
Mayoral races and State of the City speeches highlight the growing political importance of local infrastructure initiatives.
EPA Proposes Rule to Reduce Methane Emissions from New Oil and Gas Wells
On the heels of President Obama's Clean Power Plan rule that reduces carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, the new rule focuses on the other major greenhouse gas, methane, and rather than coal, it is focused on oil and gas drilling.
BLOG POST
America's Streets: Two Ways to Urban Regeneration
Dr. William (Billy) Riggs guest blogs about his new research in Journal of Planning Education & Research. Dr. Riggs is Assistant Professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo focusing on quantitative community analysis and urban planning policies.
Kentucky Landfill No Longer Accepting New York's Trash
East Coast states will no longer be able to send their waste to a landfill in Kentucky—where regulators and residents clearly got more than they bargained for.
BLOG POST
A State of Thirst
In the middle of a population boom, Texas is looking across state lines for more water. The U.S. Supreme Court said no the first time; does that mean it will say no again?
Sound Transit's East Link Rail Line Needs $20 Million More for Engineering
Sound Transit had to deliver bad news last week about cost overruns in the design and engineering phase of the East Link rail project that will cross Lake Washington along the path of Interstate 90.
City of Fort Worth
planning NEXT
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
