The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

In dizzying towers of dozens of monotonous, yet colorful, stories, Hong Kong residents make their homes in apartments that average 400 square feet. For photographer Michael Wolf the stark high-rise landscape provides powerful subject matter.

August 21 - Wired

Noah Nelson explores the generational shift in the idea of ownership as Millennials ditch the traditional big ticket and consumer items - seemingly anything but a smartphone and food - for shared experiences.

August 21 - NPR

A house designed by pioneering modernist Eileen Gray, and later covered in murals by Le Corbusier, sits in preservation limbo as experts and officials debate whose legacy demands more respect in stalled renovations.

August 21 - The Wall Street Journal

A $15 million investment has so far failed to cleanse Denver's downtown park - part of the city's first National Historic Landmark - of rampant drug use and crime. What more can the city do to speed up change?

August 21 - The Denver Post

Chicago's Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is considering overhauling how it distributes funds to the area's three transit operators: the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus and rail system, Metra commuter rail, and Pace suburban bus system.

August 21 - Chicago Tribune

A patchwork of isolated water crises in communities throughout the western United States adds up to one intricately woven story: 'we’ve reached peak water in the American west.'

August 21 - ScienceBlogs

DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx and U.S. Senator Orin Hatch (R-Utah) attended the grand opening of the fifth and final rail line of Utah Transit Authority's (UTA) Frontlines 2015 Program, two years ahead of schedule and $300 million under budget.

August 21 - Deseret News

In advance of their annual biking, walking, and placemaking conference, the Project for Public Spaces identifies five elements that the make Pittsburgh a unique destination for 'rolling and strolling'.

August 21 - PPS: Placemaking Blog

Prime Minister David Cameron is hoping that Britons will support hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, pointing to its use in the US as a success to be replicated. Religious leaders and some conservatives in his party aren't sold.

August 21 - The New York Times

In an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal, James Piereson and Naomi Schaefer Riley argue that its time for educational institutions to pay their fare share of taxes to support the communities in which they reside.

August 21 - The Wall Street Journal

BLOG POST

We can best thank Portland and other pioneers for all their hard work with on-street bicycle parking (a.k.a. "bike corrals") by simply benefitting ourselves from their efforts. Here's how...

August 21 - Ian Sacs

FEATURE

Urban Planning is rarely seen as a remedy for the state of the education system. However, thoughtful community design that integrates schools in new ways can lead to successful learning environments and vibrant communities.

August 20 - Tinka Rogic

Critics have decried green labeling and certification programs as 'greenwashing' - offering the sheen of environmental responsibility without having a significant impact on sustainability. But Tensie Whelan argues such programs are having an impact.

August 20 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Community resistance stopped plans for widening Hamburg, New York's Main Street. By embracing calmer streets, the town is flourishing and once again enjoying comparisons to the idyllic Bedford Falls of 'It's a Wonderful Life.'

August 20 - The New York Times

To take advantage of NYC's inclusionary zoning giveaways, developer Extell is including 55 'affordable' units in a luxury condo building planned for Manhattan. Just one hitch: the plan segregates those tenants in their own 'separate entity'.

August 20 - The Village Voice

You know this could only happen in California: An appellate court has ruled that the California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to ... the California Environmental Quality Act. At least in this case.

August 20 - California Planning & Development Report

Mexico, the world's 9th largest oil producer and first to nationalize its oil production, has seen steep production declines as the state-owned oil company lacks capital resources and expertise. Constitutional reforms would entice private investment.

August 20 - The New York Times - Global Business

Those well intentioned urban beekeepers trying to prevent colony collapse and contribute to local food movements may actually be doing more harm than good say researchers from the University of Sussex.

August 20 - NPR

Through determined investment, L.A. is on track to generate a third of its power from renewables by 2020. Varun Sivaram, formerly Mayor Villaraigosa's senior advisor on energy and water policy, explains how the city must modernize its power system.

August 20 - The Planning Report

With growth ten years ahead of estimates, Boston's Innovation District is in need of some fresh ideas to help stave of death by traffic asphyxiation. Local roads and mass transit are already stretched to capacity during the evening commute.

August 20 - The Boston Globe