The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Though China's cities have been growing exponentially, some argue it isn't urbanizing fast enough. Fearing Latin American-style slums, leaders have restricted migration. They're now being urged to ease controls to maximize agglomeration effects.

May 9 - The Wall Street Journal

C.J. Hughes looks at the $40 million conversion of the historic Loray Mill in Gastonia, North Carolina into a mixed-use retail and residential complex. Federal and state tax credits are providing the incentives for investors to back the project.

May 9 - The New York Times

With Earth Engine, Google has compiled decades of images taken by Earth-observing satellites. The tool is meant for "scientists, independent researchers, and nations...to detect changes, map trends and quantify differences on the Earth's surface."

May 9 - Smithsonian

A study of three different development types in Nashville shows that mixed-use infill projects deliver an exponentially greater return on investment than traditional suburban, or even New Urbanist-style, greenfield development.

May 9 - DC.Streetsblog

Contrary to what would seem logical, estimates of oil and natural gas reserves may increase as they are depleted, as the new USGS assessment of recoverable oil reserves in the greater Bakken Basin shows. How does this square with peak oil theory?

May 9 - MIT Technology Review

A new study from the Pew Research Center looks at the way digital technology is changing civic engagement. Nick Judd digs into the results and pulls out four intriguing trends.

May 9 - Tech President

Form-based codes voluntarily adopted by developers show how this kind of land-use regulation can offer high market adaptability while assuring a better public realm.

May 9 - Better! Cities & Towns

With a decision over the fate of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline by expected later this year, John M. Broder wonders whether an environmental quid pro quo could deliver a major climate policy victory in exchange for the pipeline's approval.

May 9 - The New York Times

From Dallas to Denver, Las Vegas to Oklahoma City... and now tiny North Adams, Mass. The wildly successful Better Block model has primarily spawned projects in large urban areas, but small towns are starting to pay attention.

May 9 - North Adams Transcript

At an open house organized to update the public on plans to build a 16-mile light rail line linking spurs of D.C.'s subway system in suburban Maryland, planners' visions of smart growth where seen as a developer-driven nightmare by local residents.

May 9 - WAMU

Glowing trees are the latest project in the weird and maybe not-so-wonderful world of genetic engineering. Alarmed over the potential for the spread of "malicious organisms", environmental organizations are trying to shut down the effort.

May 8 - The New York Times

A simple graphic posted to Reddit recently shows that more than half of the world's total population resides within a circle drawn over Asia. For Matthew Yglesias, it "underscores the fundamental truth of 21st-century economics."

May 8 - Slate

A respite from the stresses of city life, 'lungs' that cleanse the air and cool surrounding streets, places for connecting with other citizens, or grounds for artistic expression and commemoration; the world's best parks accomplish all of the above.

May 8 - Travel + Leisure

Recent analysis shows that Louisville, Ky. suffers from the worst 'heat island' conditions among America's 50 largest cities. The city is also one of the few without a tree ordinance. Coincidence? Sarah Goodyear investigates.

May 8 - Next City

As Midwesterners flocked to Southern California in the first decades of the last century, place names associated with the region's Spanish settlers were anglicized. A return to proper pronunciations reflects the area's changing demographics.

May 8 - Los Angeles Times

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, Eric Jaffe explores how cash-strapped cities will handle terrorism. "The short answer is public surveillance cameras. The long answer is smarter public surveillance cameras."

May 8 - The Atlantic Cities

House Republicans object to further funding of the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail program - largely due to California's expectation to receive $42 billion in federal funding - yet less ambitious projects have shown much promise.

May 8 - Governing Magazine

Jimmy Stamp decodes the mysterious color-coded markings used by public works departments around the country to indicate underground infrastructure.

May 8 - Smithsonian

A new study of transit-oriented growth in America's most transit-served cities reveals that Chicago lags way behind its peers. The area's enduring pattern of sprawling development is blamed.

May 8 - Better! Cities & Towns

In the waning days of the Bloomberg era, environmental and social responsibility have given way to economic development and developer subsidy. Such is the case, at least, in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, where a new soccer stadium is planned.

May 8 - The New York Times