The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

As communities based on proximate and personal relationships decline, the application of term "community" multiplies. Anand Giridharadas looks at the hijacking of the word and what its new applications say about our contemporary culture.

September 21 - The New York Times

Though the Wall Street Journal's editorial board and Victoria's Secret Angels are unlikely to ride one, Citi Bikes have attracted a wide swath of New Yorkers. Apparently this also includes the city's ample supply of weirdos.

September 20 - Grist

Unlike in New York, housing cooperatives are a rare find in DC. Tucked into neighborhoods like Logan Circle and Columbia Heights, they are "relatively unknown". But they provide a "great source of stable, affordable housing," writes Elizabeth Falcon.

September 20 - Greater Greater Washington

A year and 2.5 million public comments after the Obama Administration first proposed setting limits for the emission of carbon dioxide by power plants, the EPA is set to announce its final plan today. Could this mean the end of new coal plants?

September 20 - Grist

Though Park(ing) day organizers stopped tracking numbers last year, it's safe to say that dozens of cities will be turning their parking spaces into public spaces today. But for Alissa Walker, participants could better spend their time and energy.

September 20 - Gizmodo

The Calif. Air Resources Board received uplifting news from the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this week when they rejected the charge that the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, designed to reduce carbon intensity in fuel, impeded interstate commerce.

September 20 - Reuters

Have you noticed more cyclists on the streets around you during your commute to work? New data from the U.S Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) confirms that all those investments in bike infrastructure are paying off.

September 20 - The League of American Bicyclists

As a nation, we are driving less, but we are increasingly stuck in traffic. What explains this paradox? Using Portland as an example, where driving peaked in 2004, Joseph Rose attempts to explain with lots of help from transportation experts.

September 20 - The Oregonian

The transportation bill known as MAP-21 expires in a little more than a year, but the key interest groups and political players are already staking out their positions. The posturing is compounded by the worsening state of the Highway Trust Fund.

September 20 - Politico Pro

On Wednesday, California became the first state in the nation to adopt rules for ridesharing. Several cities (including New York, L.A., and D.C.) have struggled to tame the bourgeoning industry amid protests by entrenched taxi interest groups.

September 20 - Los Angeles Times

Well designed environments assist our economy, wellbeing and happiness, says Sarah Wigglesworth. Yet money equals power in controlling the shape of built environment. She asserts that designers must act as leaders rather than slaves to their clients.

September 20 - Building Design

BLOG POST

Urban forests may possess the power to battle climate change. We just have to figure out what is more important: quantity or quality?

September 19 - Mark Hough

As the Tour Montparnasse turns 40, the much-despised office tower is getting a makeover. With a new lighting display and plans to replace its windows, the tower is trying to alter its image. But are the renovations likely to change perceptions?

September 19 - The Wall Street Journal

A plan to power Germany entirely on renewable energy is Chancellor Angela Merkel's "most ambitious domestic project". But rising costs to the state, businesses and consumers are straining support for the $735 billion effort.

September 19 - The New York Times

Following up on their acclaimed guide to D.C., the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has published the "Landscape Architect’s Guide to Boston". Go beyond the Freedom Trail and discover what makes Boston a long-time urban innovator.

September 19 - ASLA's The Dirt blog

Though more and more cities realize that walkability and livable streets are essential to their prosperity, their approach to pedestrian safety is often lacking. The slow pace of policy change isn't fast enough for the victims of "accidents".

September 19 - The Atlantic Cities

While the 2000-year-old quest to locate the submerged island of Atlantis continues to this day, plenty of cities have suffered the same fate. The futurist website io9 looks at several "once-majestic" cities now buried beneath the sea.

September 19 - io9

In Washington D.C., and cities across the U.S., many planners believe the decline in driving and auto ownership presages a major reshaping of urban land use. As the demand for parking spaces wanes, how will our streets and blocks change?

September 19 - The Washington Post

All four are in Riverside County (east of LA). Reduced vehicle license fees, shifting funds from cities to prisons and a huge state budget deficit created the perfect storm to drain expected revenues. Hope was placed in a bill to fix it.

September 19 - Bloomberg News

Writing for the blog of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Kaitlin O’Shea presents a brief history of the formal playground and explores the challenges of preserving these relics of our cultural history without compromising child safety.

September 19 - PreservationNation