The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The Best Sentences of the Week (Volume 3)
By no means authoritative or comprehensive, here's a collection of noteworthy phrases, paragraphs, commentaries, observations, and more from the recent week in the planning and urbanism discussion.
Bike, Pedestrian Toll on Golden Gate Bridge Survives First Vote
The concept of tolling sidewalk access to the Golden Gate Bridge squeaked by on a 10-9 vote on Oct. 24. The GGB Transportation and Highway District wants to consider the toll as a potential contributor to reducing the $33 million, five-year deficit.
D.C. Officials Dramatically Scale Back Streetcar System
In a recent move, officials from Mayor Vincent C. Gray's administration shortened DC's streetcar system to a much-shorter eight miles.
Bloomberg Editors Propose a 'Flexible' Federal Gas Tax
Bloomberg's editors ask rhetorically, with gas prices falling due to crashing oil prices, will the federal government raise the gas tax to fund badly needed road infrastructure? They suggest tying the gas tax to oil prices in reverse direction.
Majority of Americans Favor Funding for Transit Over Funding for Roads
In a poll conducted by ABC News and the Washington Post, Americans were found to prefer allocating transportation funding towards transit expansion rather than road widening.
Special Delivery: U.S. Postal Service and Groceries
The Postal Regulatory Commission approved of a two-year trial allowing the United States Postal Service to deliver groceries to homes in the morning.
'I Quant NY' Brings Data Journalism to the People
Ben Wellington teaches a statistics course based on NYC Open Data at the Pratt Institute’s City & Regional Planning program, and is the founder of the quirky data blog "I Quant NY."
Recalling Our Basic Pride of Place
In the fifth of his "place-decoding" series from France, Chuck Wolfe recalls how we carry with us the ability to mine pride from place, even in places that are, perhaps, least expected to shine.
Portland's Planning Challenge: Better Jobs-Housing Balance
The Oregonian editorial board writes an op-ed that sums up Portland's many perks as well as the challenges. At the heart of the op-ed's concerns: how to bring jobs closer to where people live (and vice versa).
Op-Ed: End the Pejorative Use of 'NIMBY'
Harvard University professor Naomi Oreskes writes a defense of NIMBYism, asking that we rethink he use of the term by considering the community-protecting motives of many NIMBYs.
Researchers Pushing for Even Bigger Chinese Cities
Research suggests China’s current urbanization policy forgoes $2 trillion in growth over the next ten years. That is, unless the government funnels even more migrants into major population centers and develops for density.
The Business of Speeding Tickets
Small towns in Georgia, such as Doraville along I-285, are making millions of dollars a year by issuing traffic tickets.
Research: Women Living Near Freeways Increase Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
New research from the American Heart Association measures sudden cardiac death and proximity to major roadways, showing that cardiac risks posed by environmental exposure have been under-appreciated. The next step is to find the specific cause.
Opportunities Found for Redesign of Philadelphia's Famed JFK Plaza/LOVE Park
As the redesign for LOVE Park begins, Ashley Hahn reminds us of the park's role in supporting and maintaining civic life in the city of brotherly love.
Op-Ed: Reintroduce California's Historic Restoration Tax Credit
Despite a veto by Governor Jerry Brown, California’s Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins should keep trying to pass legislation to encourage preservation, says Bay area preservation architect Jerri Holan.
Mapping the Skill Sets Unique to Cities
The skills and location data of over 175 million LinkedIn members were mined to produce a map displaying the industries most common in major cities throughout the United States and Europe.
Tech-Buses Driving South into Los Angeles
In a new coming-of-age sign for the technology industry in Los Angeles, the San Francisco based start-up RidePal unveiled its first private shuttle bus partnership in LA this week.
Massive Detroit Foreclosures Push Out Black Homeowners
A Detroit reborn sounds great, but what if the residents of “blighted” areas don’t want to leave? Many feel they have no choice in a process that has been compared to racial relocation. Meanwhile, activists scramble to give residents options.
Rethinking the Spectrum of American Multi-Modality
A new study from Virginia Tech reclassifies what defines multi-modal commuters.
Tallahassee's Climate Apathy Drives South Florida Secession Movement
South Miami, population 11,657, has had enough with the Florida legislature's intransigence at combatting climate change, so it has launched a secession movement for 24 southern counties to secede from the northern part of the state.
Tyler Technologies
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
