The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Just when you thought the clouds were clearing to allow the long-awaited start of construction of California's first high-speed rail segment, a number of obstacles are conspiring to delay construction for some time.

May 1 - Los Angeles Times

Since their resurrection in Seaside 30 years ago, roughly 300 form-based codes (FBCs) have been adopted. By their very nature FBCs faces many hurdles.

May 1 - Better! Cities & Towns

To accomodate America's expected population growth by 2050, the country will need to build up to 74 million new homes. This challenge presents a unique opportunity to reshape our urban environment, says Enrique Penalosa, the former mayor of Bogota.

May 1 - Urban Land

Yonah Freemark writes about the expiration of the nation's five-year rail investment program that funds the FRA, Amtrak, and freight rail - separate from MAP 21, and suggests that without a new funding source, don't expect to see any increases.

May 1 - the transport politic

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere is fast approaching levels not seen for millions of years. At 400 parts per million (p.p.m.), the planet is fast approaching the point of no return for avoiding dangerous climate change.

May 1 - Nature

Following Monday's announcement by President Obama of his surprise selection to be the next transportation secretary, observers dig deeper into what the American people can expect from federal transportation policy under Anthony Foxx.

April 30 - Governing

Joel Kotkin is on a roll in the past few weeks, making the case that the revival of cities and decline of suburbs is a fraud — but his argument ignores the facts, argues Robert Steuteville.

April 30 - Better! Cities & Towns

Expanding car and bike share services beyond America's big cities and affluent demographics requires adaptability and old economy technologies. Buffalo CarShare is providing a model for success that even the big boys could learn from.

April 30 - DC.Streetsblog

As the virtual and physical worlds become more intertwined, the role of the traditional architect and the information architect become more closely aligned. Emily Badger explores the ways that each discipline can help the other design public spaces.

April 30 - The Atlantic Cities

Architect Mark Sofield explores the essential meaning of craft in architecture, which he says lies in the nature of the connections a building or space creates.

April 30 - Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built + Natural Environments

A new exhibit explores the role that tile masons Rafael Guastavino (father and son) played in embellishing many of America's greatest landmarks of the last century. Grand Central Terminal, Carnegie Hall, and the NY subway all exhibit their work.

April 30 - NPR

Matt Tomasulo's proposal for an urban beach on the site of a vacant lot in Raleigh has gained a following, and sparked a conversation over the future of the site, demonstrating the power of an attractive idea, a compelling rendering and the Internet.

April 30 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog

Jerry Adler examines the emerging field of “quantitative urbanism,” which aims to use mathematical formulas to unveil and explain the universal properties shared by cities.

April 30 - Smithsonian

A new report out this week quantifies the federal government's escalating disaster relief spending, a sum that hadn't previously been tabulated and came as a surprise to many.

April 30 - The Washington Post

What will America's housing market look like in a decade? Will suburban homes make a comeback? Will the popularity of smaller units in urban environments continue to rise? Robert Shiller looks into his housing market crystal ball and sees haze.

April 30 - The New York Times

As central cities become prized by young professionals and the companies that want to lure them, it behooves states to recognize the value of the historic buildings that bring unique character to workplaces and urban environs, writes Kaid Benfield.

April 29 - NRDC Switchboard Blog

Reflecting a nationwide trend, gas stations across the Washington D.C. metro area are disappearing, as rising land values and shrinking margins have station owners eager to sell.

April 29 - The Washington Post

BLOG POST

Municipal setback requirements inconvenience pedestrians for no good reason.

April 29 - Michael Lewyn

The Copenhagen-based urban planning consultancy Copenhagenize Design Co. has released the follow-up to its 2011 rankings of the world's most bike-friendly cities. Only one city in North America cracked the top 20.

April 29 - Copenhagenize

Just as the power industry turned toward lower priced natural gas and away from dirtier coal, there are signs that trucks and trains are looking to lower priced liquefied natural gas (LNG) to replace diesel-powered vehicles, but there are challenges.

April 29 - The New York Times - Energy & Environment