The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A cartoon by Streetsblog blogger John Greenfield imagines a fictitious rap battle in the style of the popular YouTube channel, "Epic Rap Battles from History"—except the rap battle is between two luminaries of the bike advocacy movement.

November 21 - John Greenfield

The New York City Council released a report this week proposing "industrial employment districts," "creative economy districts," and "new kinds of zoning to more effectively support mixed-use industrial, residential, and commercial neighborhoods."

November 21 - Crain's New York Business

BLOG POST

The Chester Rapkin award goes to University of Oregon's Gerardo Sandoval for work on the impact of transnational communities and planning.

November 20 - JPER

The approval process is revealing more details about a garden bridge designed by Thomas Heatherwick in London—what has emerged is less a park than a tourist attraction.

November 20 - The Guardian

According to a first-of-its-kind count of skateboarders in Portland (long known as a mecca for the sport), thousands of skateboarders in Portland are on the streets everyday, with few accommodations made to the popular mode of transportation.

November 20 - Bike Portland

Why would Whole Foods—a company colloquially known as "Whole Paycheck" and as a staple of wealthy neighborhoods—open an 18,000-square-foot location in one of the most impoverished parts of Chicago?

November 20 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

After years of feud between Los Angeles and the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District, a more sustainable deal has been reached to eradicate the toxic dust storms plaguing Owens Valley.

November 20 - Los Angeles Times

A new report, "Subsidizing Traffic Congestion: The Multibillion-Dollar Tax Subsidy That’s Making Your Commute Worse," was released earlier this week by TransitCenter and Frontier Group.

November 20 - Streetsblog USA

You manage multiple projects, plans, and engagement processes. You collaborate with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders. You report to your boss, council and the public. Is there a way to wring some productivity to get more done?

November 20 - Civicly

Now that an increase in New Jersey's gas tax is before the legislature, Christopher Maag of The (New Jersey) Record looks at how neighboring states Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New York have met their transportation needs.

November 20 - The Record

FEATURE

The following interview, as published in the 4th Edition of the Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs, features Kimberly Lucas, bicycle program specialist for the District Department of Transportation.

November 20 - Kimberly Lucas

For almost as long as social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram have been in existence, users have had a morbid fascination with examples of derelict and destroyed architecture. Social media, however, can be more celebratory of the past.

November 20 - The New Yorker

An editorial in the MinnPost supports the regional planning of the Metropolitan Council in the Twin Cities metro area, which has been beset by a string of controversial decisions.

November 19 - MinnPost

Historic buildings add character to neighborhoods. When torn down, pieces of history are also stripped from the city; when restored, they can act as catalysts for revitalization.

November 19 - Elevation DC

A study titled "Walking, obesity and urban design in Chinese neighborhoods" finds that the population with least access to walkable neighborhoods in China—namely, the middle class, are suffering the worst of the country's growing obesity problem.

November 19 - CityLab

With designs by architect Thomas Heatherwick and Landscape Architect Mathews Nielsen, a park proposal for the Hudson River would make a splashy addition to the neighborhood that boasts the south end of the High Line.

November 19 - The New York Times

With Toyota's long-waited fuel cell electric vehicle (FCV) hitting showrooms in the U.S. this week, Kenneth Chang, science reporter for The New York Times, delves further into the technology, starting with how it fared under two administrations.

November 19 - The New York Times - Environment

A new retail center planned for the location of the former home of the San Francisco 49ers will serve as a hub of activity for 12,000 housing units in the planning pipeline over the next ten to 20 years.

November 19 - SFGate

A recent report collects data from the experience of cities using land banks as a method for addressing vacant and blighted properties.

November 19 - Community Progress Blog

As society's understanding of cities, neighborhoods, and communities continues to evolve, so too do the graduate education programs created to provide professional training in those areas.

November 19 - This Big City