The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Chinese-Style Urbanism—Now Exporting to Africa

In what's described as a transformational trend, a new article claims that more and more Chinese-made buildings, infrastructure, and urban districts are under construction in Africa.

July 9 - Metropolis

Urban Baby Boom Requires Baby-Friendly Planning

Jillian Glover writes of her new perspective on what makes a city welcoming and safe for young families—the newest perspective, in fact. She's a new mother.

July 9 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Federal 'EB-5' Visa Program Driving Investment in the Rust Belt

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has significant potential to drive more resources into America’s distressed urban cores, according to a recent report authored by Initiative for a Competitive Inner City.

July 9 - Governing

Pittsburgh Market Square

Pittsburgh Mixes Modes to Lead 'Shared Space' Movement

Streetsblog recently launched a series that will highlight Pittsburgh as a city "shedding its 'Rust Belt' image and emerging as a leader in progressive street design." The first case study: the city's three shared streets projects.

July 9 - Streetsblog USA

San Francisco Density

Density is Key to Fighting Climate Change, Rules Bay Area Judge

A group that coined the term, "stack and pack" to deride density and its role in reducing carbon emissions lost in court when the judge rejected their argument that only technological improvements in cars and fuels were necessary to reduce emissions.

July 9 - San Francisco Chronicle


Zombie Hunters

FEATURE

Thriving in the New Zombie Future: Business as Usual Planning for the Zombie Apocalypse

A satirical post welcomes the metaphorical zombie state experienced by humans in the modern built environment as the path of least resistance for a literal, future zombie state.

July 9 - William Riggs

Bicycle traffic light in Berlin

Responding to the 'All Bikers are Scofflaws' Fallacy

NPR's Scott Simon, Peabody-winning journalist and the Saturday host of Morning Edition, recently set off a Twitter-storm when he called out bikers as scofflaws.

July 8 - Medium


Profiting from a Water Crisis

A growing water crisis in California has become an opportunity for some to cash in. Private firms and landowners that have stored spare water are selling to the highest bidder.

July 8 - Next City

City Hall Philadelphia

Is the Millennial Political Revolution Beginning in Philadelphia?

Philadelphia Inquirer Architecture Critic Inga Saffron writes of a possible political awakening among Millennials in Philadelphia in response to the old guard's efforts to stifle progressive parking and zoning decisions.

July 8 - Philadelphia Inquirer

'Go Forward' Plan Would Expand Bus Service in Cincinnati

With 41 percent of the Cincinnati region’s 1 million jobs located in neighborhoods without public transportation, the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority is developing the "Go Forward" plan to lean on bus service to fill the gap.

July 8 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Grand Canyon Development Plans Opposed by National Park Service

Two projects proposed for the South Rim plateau of the Grand Canyon have raised alarms at the National Park Service, who see a serious threat from impacts to the views, water supply, and ecology of the canyon.

July 8 - Los Angeles Times

After Tragedy: Reject the 'Ready Made' Narratives of Urban Decline

G.M. Donley pens an impassioned plea to reject "ready made" narratives about the decline of Cleveland Heights, an inner suburb of Cleveland, after the murder of local bar and restaurant owner Jim Brennan.

July 8 - Belt Magazine

Stormwater Systems as Development Incentives

The GreaterPlaces website gathered information from the "Shared Stormwater Systems as Economic Incentives" panel at the 2014 APA National Conference to outline how shared stormwater systems can enhance the environment and retain business.

July 8 - GreaterPlaces

Famous Mexico City traffic

Why and Where Driving is a Rational Choice

A recently released tool for analyzing the efficiency of travel modes in cities around the country reveals that driving is almost always a better choice—at least in travel time—than transit.

July 8 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Celebrating Public Art: Chicago in the Summer

What's better than a great plaza in the summer? Some compelling public art to go along with it.

July 8 - PlaceShakers

Chicago Metra and Highway

BLOG POST

Transit, Density, and Congestion

The most transit-oriented metro areas often have lower levels of traffic congestion than one might expect based on their size.

July 8 - Michael Lewyn

North view

Detroit Reaping Economic Development Benefits from Urban Farming

Urban farming has taken root as Detroit transforms. Now, farmers and entrepreneurs must continue to find new ways to profit from the city's new farming business model.

July 7 - The Detroit News

California's 'Emergency' Drought Relief Funding Unspent

California has approved nearly $700 million in "emergency" drought relief funding, but much of it remains unspent, which begs the question: Are emergency measures an appropriate of effective response to the drought?

July 7 - Capital Public Radio

Residents Clamor for Expanded Notification of Affordable Housing Projects in Texas

Michael E. Young reports that residents are upset about notification regarding the approval of two subsidized housing projects in the city of McKinney, located on the edge of the Dallas metropolitan area.

July 7 - Dallas News

Clearwater Florida

Should Clearwater, Florida Give Up its Downtown?

The city of Clearwater in Tampa Bay has a "sleepy" downtown, much of which is owned by the Church of Scientology. Can investments by the city revive its downtown, as it did with $30 million worth of investments in Clearwater Beach?

July 7 - Tampa Bay Times

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.