The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Ethiopian Youth Build Community Through Skateboarding
A sixteen-year old teaches skateboarding to low-income youth as a viable means of transportation and for community building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
California Updates Main Street Planning Guide
A newly revised guidebook by the California Department of Transportation describes how to plan and design highways and arterials that also serve as community commercial centers.
BLOG POST
Does Beauty Still Matter?
The design of urban landscapes has become dominated by a growing call for them to be ecologically resilient. But isn't it important what they look like?
Boom Times for New Orleans Park Construction
Katy Rechdahl describes a "dazzling" boom for New Orleans parks.
Updated Transit Network for Columbus Available for Public Comment
Jarrett Walker shares news of a proposed transit network update for Columbus, Ohio, which he helped develop as part of a consulting team led by IBI Associates. The update has been released for public comment.
De Blasio Moving Forward with New York City's Largest Housing Development in Three Decades
Although the Hunter's Point South was a Bloomberg-era proposal, the de Blasio Administration last week released an RFP for $100 million in construction to build the infrastructure and public amenities necessary to support the project.
Can the Garden City of the Past Work in the Future?
Anthony Flynt explores the motivations behind Robert A.M. Stern's recent revival of the Garden City as a model for future development. Among the benefits of the model proposed by Ebenezer Howard in 1902, according to Stern: equity and comfort.
Portland Considering 'Street Fee' for Residents and Businesses
The Portland City Council moved quickly in proposing and revising a "street fee" to finance repairs on the city's crumbling roads. Now a more realistic calendar seems to be in place for considering the fee on residents and businesses.
Twin Developments to Revitalize Downtown Minneapolis
With a $1 billion NFL stadium on the way, and a $400 million mixed-use development that recently broke ground next door to the new home of the Vikings, stakeholders have high hopes for Minneapolis' downtown.
Recent Data Show Americans Continuing to Kick the Driving Habit
Fresh data from the Federal Highway Commission details the amount of travel by American's on roads and highways through March 2013. When adjusted for population growth, a conclusion for a new age emerges: the driving boom is over.
Bill Would Except Marin County from California Affordable Housing Mandate
A bill to create an exception for Marin County for meeting it's state affordable housing requirements is sailing through the legislature and even has the support of affordable housing developers.
The Impossibility of Updating Los Angeles’ Community Plans
Despite years of community engagement, political discussion, and planning, the city of Los Angeles has struggled to pass updated community plans, and in many neighborhoods, developments may suffer through years of litigation and bureaucracy.
Community Gardens as Harbingers of Gentrification
Lauren Markham examines the value of community gardens to the bottom lines of developers—because one person's blighted back yard can easily become another person's veggie garden marketing pitch.
Friday Eye Candy: Seven Maps of the NYC Subway
The modernist designer Massimo Vignelli, who created the 1972 version of the New York City Subway map, passed away this week at 83.
Mapping America's Homeless Populations
The Committee to End Homelessness in King County produced a helpful visualization tool that compares the size of homeless populations around the country as well as the type of housing support they receive.
Having No Car, and Plenty of Cars
Bill Fulton writes about the conveniences of not having a car in San Diego—using the infrastructure of cars available to rent, with and without drivers.
Chicago Regulates Uber and Lyft—but Not Enough to Satisfy Taxi Companies
The Chicago City Council passed an ordinance to regulate companies like Uber and Lyft, but taxi cab companies and their political supporters believe the policy set by the Emanuel Administration doesn't go far enough.
Norman Foster-Designed Tower to be Demolished in Las Vegas
Around the corner from buildings by Daniel Libeskind and Rafael Vinoly (just to name two) in the CityCenter section of the Las Vegas Strip, a never-complete building, designed by Forster + Partners, stood empty for years. Not for long.
FEATURE
How Green is My Neighborhood? Let Me Count the Ways
Neighborhood-scale sustainable development is flourishing, as are tools for assessing and certifying the triple bottom line of projects. Ten neighborhood rating tools are reviewed for their best fit for planners, developers, and communities.
Army Corps Recommends $1 Billion Overhaul of the Los Angeles River
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is slowly changing its approach to the Los Angeles River. The executive leadership of the Corps took a major step in a new direction yesterday, when it recommended a $1 billion plan to revitalize the river bed.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.
