The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A report published this week by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development concludes that although it is less blatant than in the past, discrimination against minorities persists in the selling, buying and renting of homes.

June 12 - The Washington Post

A fragmented network of sidewalks is commonplace in the suburbs of Hennepin County, Minnesota. Mary Jane Smetanka reports on controversial efforts to fill in the gaps and retrofit these suburban neighborhoods as walkable places.

June 12 - Star Tribune

Expect a major announcement from President Obama later this year about transportation funding, stated outgoing DOT Secretary Ray LaHood, without elaborating other than saying it would be "big and bold". LaHood had been asked about VMT fees.

June 12 - Governing

In Seattle, and elsewhere, city leaders are struggling to maintain the supply of affordable housing in close proximity to transit stations. Rising rents in areas near stops are displacing lower-income residents.

June 12 - The Wall Street Journal

Mayor Bob Filner's promise to revive San Diego's shuttered planning department became a reality with the announcement of Bill Fulton as its new director. The former mayor and author of the 'definitive guide to California planning' starts on July 8.

June 12 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Terra Nova author Eric W. Sanderson builds a refreshingly wonky case for a modern streetcar revival.

June 12 - Places Journal

On Tuesday, Mayor Bloomberg outlined an ambitious $20 billion plan to adapt New York City's infrastructure and built and natural environments to respond to the threats of rising seas and extreme storms.

June 12 - The New York Times

Americans are living longer and changing the demographic profiles of our cities in the process. Planners are just beginning to understand how our streets and systems must adapt to accommodate this trend.

June 12 - The Atlantic Cities

Last year, Chicago experienced a surge in gun violence that drew national attention. So far this year, shootings and crime are down significantly thanks to a mix of tactics employed by city leaders. Is the drop in crime sustainable?

June 11 - The New York Times

Since 2006, agro-businesses, hedge-funds, financial firms, and government agencies have splurged on an overseas land-buying binge. As Saskia Sassen explains, such purchases disrupt the status quo, forcing local residents to migrate to cities.

June 11 - The Guardian

On the Westside of L.A., where rush hour traffic slows to a crawl on the best days, a proposed transit-oriented development called the 'quintessential example' of smart growth by the Mayor's staff faces opposition to its size and attraction to autos.

June 11 - Los Angeles Times

As our suburbs diversify, the most affordable commercial districts found in such areas (often in strip malls) become an important entry point for immigrants to build their 'American Dream'. Kaid Benfield asks if such opportunities deserve protection.

June 11 - NRDC Switchboard Blog

New York City's population is expected to grow by one million residents by 2040. But where can housing be built to accommodate all these new residents? A new report from a Columbia University think tank identifies the most promising candidates.

June 11 - The Wall Street Journal

In Portland, Oregon an unlikely partnership of environmental and business interests is supporting a plan to rezone an 84-year-old golf course to allow industrial development, bringing a new slant to the term 'greenfield development'.

June 11 - The Oregonian

MAP-21 expires on September 30, 2014. The following year, the Highway Trust Fund will be insolvent according to the CBO. Alternatives involve user fees paid by motorists: the gas tax and VMT fee, and two others that bear no connection to driving.

June 11 - Politico Pro

Real estate listings tout proximity to it, retailers want to be near it, and communities are clamoring for it; Capital Bikeshare has become an economic development tool that some think could be as potent as cars and Metro in guiding development.

June 11 - The Washington Examiner

Cate St Hill examines the futuristic systems being employed by the most biologically advanced buildings in the world.

June 11 - Building Design

Record floods are swelling major rivers and tributaries across Central and Eastern Europe; disrupting transportation, displacing thousands of people, and causing what is estimated to be several billion dollars of damage.

June 11 - The New York Times

A new report from the International Energy Agency has some sobering news about the planet's record setting carbon emissions. But it also identifies four policy recommendations that could help stave off warming in excess of the dreaded 2°C mark.

June 10 - The Washington Post

Fresh from a lively debate about the desirability of the gridiron layout of cities at CNU 21, Paul Knight shares his eight central arguments for why one would be wise to use the rectilinear grid today.

June 10 - The Great American Grid