The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

In the pre-modern era, city-states were the engines of global trade and diplomacy. As rapid urbanization drives globalization outside the structures of international frameworks, cities are returning to the fore as transnational actors.

May 6 - Quartz

Chuck Wolfe summarizes a major tenet of his new book and suggests we risk ignoring the back story of urban forms and functions by failing to truly understand the traditional relationships between people and place.

May 5 - The Atlantic Cities

In order to more efficiently carry out its long-range comprehensive plan, Kane County, Illinois has created the Kane County Planning Cooperative as the central implementing body to work with various stakeholders.

May 5 - Global Site Plans - The Grid

As they move into positions of leadership in their communities and in the public sector, a generation once labelled as "slackers" is helping to change the relationship between governments and their citizens, reports Rob Gurwitt.

May 5 - Governing

The revitalization of Toronto's waterfront has been a remarkable success, generating billions in economic development and thousands of jobs. As Waterfront Toronto's seed money runs out, why is the agency facing obstacles in raising more funds?

May 5 - The Toronto Star

Featuring 150 Passivhaus dwelling units set amid wetlands and orchards, Architype's development in Herefordshire will also create jobs through an off-site but local prefabrication factory.

May 5 - UK Green Building Council

After an inauspicious start, L.A.'s Expo Line may surpass its 2020 ridership projections by the end of this year. The line has proved popular with those headed to work, school, and entertainment destinations; without stealing riders from bus routes.

May 4 - Neon Tommy

CA Sen. Darrell Steinberg's bill to "modernize" CEQA unanimously passed the senate environment subcommittee. While SB 731 has no opponents at this time, it is suspected of being a means to keep the Kings NBA team from leaving Sacramento for Seattle.

May 4 - Sacramento Bee

The infrastructure necessary to keep a city's systems running can frankly get kind of ugly. See what some cities have done to help disguise unsightly infrastructure.

May 4 - WebUrbanist

Bacterial manufacturing, bio-electric envelopes, robotic swarm construction, biosynthetic design patterns; Chris Arkenberg sketches the future of city design and construction in which "the barriers between biology and technology will start to fall."

May 4 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Henry Grabar profiles some of the projects shortlisted for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Comprising new construction and preservation work from throughout the Muslim world, the award spotlights projects often overlooked by the western media.

May 4 - The Atlantic Cities

FEATURE

With the right approach, social media can expedite the exchange of information between stakeholders, facilitate participatory planning, and build better places. Two case studies offer insight for using social media to connect with communities.

May 3 - Jessica Hsu

A couple of months ago we told you about a new bicycle safety campaign being run by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Apparently the memo didn't go out to Metro's bus drivers.

May 3 - LAist

Paris's Boulevard Peripherique is one of the most clogged roadways in Europe, it delivers dangerous pollution to 100,000 people in its vicinity, and this year it turned 40. Lara Marlowe looks at the future for one of Paris's little loved landscapes.

May 3 - The Irish Times

Emily Badger looks at recent research that shows that racial and economic segregation harms not only minority and low-income families, but also those that've fled to affluent areas.

May 3 - The Atlantic Cities

Jane Lumumba issues a warning about the self-contained cities being comprehensively planned and built from scratch across the continent. Will they benefit international investors and government leaders to the detriment of local residents?

May 3 - Next City

The consultants developing a master plan for L.A.'s historic Union Station have unveiled four design concepts for the station that seek to accomodate high speed rail and improve passenger amenities.

May 3 - Daily News Los Angeles

After a sharp decline brought on by the housing crash, Miami's condo market is experiencing a squeeze on supply and an attendant building boom, reflecting a nationwide uptick in urban real estate markets.

May 3 - The New York Times

The Bay Area is finalizing its plan to comply with state legislation to reduce vehicle emissions from transportation. "Plan Bay Area" has aroused fears of regional government and more, which were expressed at a recent public meeting.

May 3 - The San Mateo Daily Journal

Utilizing the largest data release of its kind, researchers at IBM have analyzed the location information from 500,000 cell phones to help optimize the routing of buses in Ivory Coast's largest city of Abidjan.

May 3 - MIT Technology Review