The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Chuck Wolfe suggests three, perhaps non-traditional ideas for how to inspire acceptance of change in our cities through accessible experiences.

June 23 - The Huffington Post

Although nearly 500 localities around the U.S. have created complete streets policies, there is no federal mandate that they do so. That may soon change if a bipartisan bill introduced last week in the House of Representatives is passed.

June 22 - APA Policy News

If local's so great, why is the HOA, the country's most popular form of micro-governance, such an impediment to complete, complex and convivial communities? Scott Doyon has some ideas.

June 22 - PlaceShakers

Upgrades to U.S. 36, the highway that connects Denver to Boulder, feature a variety of elements intended to reduce congestion and offer alternatives to the traditional solo auto commute. The effort is being called a "21st-century mobility project."

June 22 - The New York Times

A $112 million BRT route is set to debut this weekend in the Twin Cities, the first route of its type in the area. Officials hope that with strong ridership, the service will become a model for statewide expansion.

June 22 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Record flooding along the two rivers that flow through central Calgary, the Bow and Elbow, have forced the evacuation of the city's downtown and forced at least 75,000 residents to seek higher ground.

June 22 - BBC

The Mars Curiosity Rover has sent us some pretty cool stuff since landing on the red planet in August of 2012. The latest souvenir of its trip is a billion-pixel panorama of the planet's surface.

June 21 - Los Angeles Times

Published to coincide with World Refugee Day, Smithsonian has assembled an interactive map of the 50 largest refugee camps in the world. Many of the camps, which together house 1.9 million people, are comparable in size to medium-sized U.S. cities.

June 21 - Smithsonian

In the American city most synonymous with the automobile, car ownership is declining and transit use is increasing. As the country's transportation model enters a decade of profound change, L.A. may provide the 'ultimate test' of the car’s future.

June 21 - Bloomberg

In the 1970s and 80s, bottom-up slum upgrading schemes inspired by the ideas of British-born architect James F.C. Turner benefited tens of thousands of residents of Mumbai. Current policies incentivize top-down redevelopment, harming slum dwellers.

June 21 - Next City

Is it possible for a city to have too many bikes? In Amsterdam, a city known as much for its cycling culture as for its canals, the battle for street space and parking spaces has some residents pondering whether there are too many bikes.

June 21 - The New York Times

Mass demonstrations in Brazil over the past week were sparked by increases to bus fares. But what if buses were free? The Economist makes the argument that, to improve service and decrease congestion, we should study making buses and subways free.

June 21 - The Economist

This toxic emission is not only a threat to public health but also the second largest contributor to global warming, according to CARB. A new study has found that regulations to reduce diesel emissions fight both climate change and air pollution.

June 21 - San Francisco Chronicle

What is the apt metaphor for a city? Machines? Insect colonies? In a new paper, physicist Luis Bettencourt says that if we look to the function of cities we find that they're essentially social reactors that obey universal mathematical parameters.

June 21 - The Atlantic Cities

From parking garages to its bike-share program, and streetscape improvements to trails that integrate nature and city life, Miami has taken a stylish but pedestrian-friendly approach to transportation decisions, says Claudia Kousoulas.

June 21 - Better! Cities & Towns

After Gustave Eiffel turned down an opportunity to build a landmark tower for London, railway magnate Sir Edward Watkin held a world-wide competition to design the icon instead. "Stevie SW9", at Brixton Buzz, explores some of the spectacular entries.

June 21 - Brixton Buzz

BLOG POST

Now is the time for planners to engage in the public debate on vehicle-automation – leaving it to the car-makers and search-engine providers (and their legions of techies) won’t deliver the livability outcomes planners aim to achieve.

June 21 - Scott Le Vine

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments is considering $4 billion in highway expansion projects at a meeting today. With Detroit pursuing several alternative transportation initiatives, is this the best way to spend scarce federal dollars?

June 20 - DC.Streetsblog

Lost amid the protests and heavy-handed police response throughout Turkey is the original debate over the proposed reconstruction of an historic military barracks in Gezi Park. Feargus O’Sullivan says such debates are playing out across Europe.

June 20 - The Atlantic Cities

Asthma, cancer...autism. If you need yet another reason to abhor vehicle emissions and air pollution see a new report published in Environmental Health Perspectives which links in utero exposure to air pollutants to an increased risk of autism.

June 20 - Fast Company Co.Exist