The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Spire or antenna; what sits atop One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan? The answer isn't just semantics, it will determine if the building is indeed taller than Chicago's Willis Tower. A decision by the official arbiter could come next week.

November 9 - NPR

What's the best way to get people to bike? "[M]ake clear the costs of not biking, in minutes saved or dollars not spent," writes Emily Badger. A new tool developed by Zach Rausnitz uses Google Maps data to compare travel times of alternative modes.

November 9 - The Atlantic Cities

With record ridership stressing Seattle's public transit system, the last thing the city needs is a funding crisis created by political intransigence. Unfortunately, that's what the city seems to be getting, reports Tanya Snyder.

November 9 - DC.Streetsblog

A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland quantifies the rate at which America's 55 largest cities gentrified between 2000-2007 based on neighborhood home values. The results may surprise you.

November 9 - Next City

What does it take to build sustainably? That a question that the USGBC's LEED program hoped to define. A group of developers in New York is trying to go beyond LEED to create "truly sustainable buildings".

November 9 - The New York Times

Images of a new apartment development in Qingdao, Shandong province have caused a stir on the Internet in recent weeks. The reason? Builders painted dozens of fake windows along the high-rise buildings' facades. Who were they trying to fool?

November 8 - Business Insider

BLOG POST

"Push buttons" designed to protect pedestrians often don't.

November 8 - Michael Lewyn

Recent deaths along London's cycling "superhighway" have forced Mayor Boris Johnson to rethink how to protect users of the city's expanding cycling infrastructure from vehicle collisions.

November 8 - The Guardian

While President Obama's push for much-needed infrastructure investment in the face of opposition and inaction may be admirable, one must ask if his continued pleas are falling on deaf ears. Could the political winds be changing?

November 8 - The New York Times

Sure, having a boorish crack-smoking mayor who refuses to get help or step down is a problem. But Toronto's existential problems are structural, writes Richard Florida. The city's "outmoded growth model and system of governance" threaten its success.

November 8 - The Globe and Mail

Because city residents generate four times as much trash as rural residents, the rapid growth of the world's cities is leading to the rapid growth of the world's garbage. A new study examines future trash troubles and potential solutions.

November 8 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Smart Growth needs to adopt a more populist message, argues Robert Steuteville, and demonstrate how cities can empower people of all classes. Could "Lean Urbanism" provide the foundation?

November 8 - Better! Cities & Towns

Vancouver, Canada, has the worst traffic of any North American city according to the latest TomTom Traffic Index rankings. Los Angeles takes second place.

November 8 - The Huffington Post

While we won't live to see it, humanity's carbon emissions could one day melt all of the ice on Earth. National Geographic's interactive map shows how the world's coastlines would change when sea levels rise 216 feet. Say goodbye to Florida.

November 8 - National Geographic

Tom Vanderbilt examines the word “neighborhood,” a term "frequently invoked yet seldom analyzed". He traces attempts to define, redefine, strengthen and weaken the concept in modern urbanism. Is it obsolete or more important than ever?

November 8 - The Wilson Quarterly

Buffalo is benefiting from a wave of "microdevelopment" driven by entrepreneurs and young urbanists with a belief in preservation as social activism. By rehabbing vacant properties one at a time they're hoping to turn around a city.

November 8 - The New York Times

Great streets don't come cheap. From bike lanes to planters to special signage, it takes more than curbs and concrete to make a nice street. The Grid itemizes what it costs to outfit a specific intersection in Toronto's St. Clair West neighborhood.

November 7 - The Grid

In one of the world's most desirable cities, even the most unattractive and leftover spaces carry the potential for regeneration. An exhibit staged in Somerset House's own forgotten space shares innovative ideas to transform London's lesser places.

November 7 - Untapped Cities

Late last week, Chicago Department of Transportation head Gabe Klein announced that he would be resigning to return to the private sector. During his two and a half years on the job, the city made impressive gains in sustainable transportation.

November 7 - Chi.Streetsblog

Though meant to unite, bridges can be divisive structures. What should a bridge really be? Does clever design matter, or is it all about function? Here are 20 bridges from around the world that stand out as interesting, if not always functional.

November 7 - Future Cities