The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Lori Rotenberk reports on a new seven-acre urban “accelerator farm” announced yesterday by Mayor Rahm Emanuel that seeks to fill Chicago's farmer drought and deepens the city's investment in building its agricultural sector.

March 16 - Grist

For American University's Eco-Comedy Film Competition, the DC-based comedy crew Dunk Your Bagel have produced a humorous take on a serious challenge facing cities across America: how to persuade residents to reduce their use of plastic bags.

March 15 - DCist

From plans to maximize development opportunities around bustling Union Station to newly operating congestion pricing schemes and rail lines that have shattered ridership expectations, Los Angeles is making progress towards a transit-rich future.

March 15 - Los Angeles Times

At a visit to the Argonne National Laboratory today, President Obama was expected to unveil his plan to spend $2 billion in oil and gas revenues "to find ways to replace hydrocarbons as the primary fuel for the nation’s cars, trucks and buses."

March 15 - The New York Times

While experts opine on what the city of the future will look like, Santander "has surged to the forefront of those aspiring to be smart." With 10,000 sensors collecting data and a custom app serving residents, the city is showing how smart is done.

March 15 - Spiegel Online

Japan is looking to unleash a new source of natural gas in the same way that fracking and horizontal drilling has revolutionized natural gas drilling in the U.S. It's called methane hydrate or 'flammable ice', and is the most prevalent energy source.

March 15 - The New York Times

Much attention has been paid recently to the challenges that a changing climate are bringing to coastal communities. But "inland empires" aren't immune. Phoenix's struggles with heat, drought, and violent winds are a presage of things to come.

March 15 - Los Angeles Times

As SHoP unveils massive redevelopment plans for the Domino Factory site in Williamsburg, Su Friedrich rails against the gentrification that has already transformed the neighborhood in her film Gut Renovation, which premiered at Film Forum last week.

March 15 - Architectural Record

Claire Martin examines research conducted by engineering firm Arup and the Clinton Climate Initiative into the actions that cities are taking to reduce their emissions and identifies five cities, including one surprise, that are leading the charge.

March 15 - Smithsonian

A new article by city historian Graeme Davison traces the rise and fall of the suburban paradigm from its ideological roots in Victorian England to its current backlash.

March 15 - The Atlantic Cities

Bike-share is continuing its march towards world domination, with seemingly every large Midwestern American city now jumping on the bike lending bandwagon, reports Angie Schmitt.

March 15 - DC.Streetsblog

Recent exultant headlines about downtown's astounding growth overlook Chicago's troubling bifurcation into two cities — "one where optimism abounds, one where hope and opportunity are hard to find," writes Marilyn Katz.

March 14 - Chicago Tribune

New Census data shows that after a recession induced respite, "Americans have resumed moving from the Northeast and Midwest to the West and South," reports Neil Shah. Four of the nation's fastest growing large metro areas are located in Texas.

March 14 - The Wall Street Journal

The USDA's new Food Access Research Atlas provides a handy guide for assisting policymakers and planners in finding the urban and rural areas with the most formidable obstacles to accessing fresh healthy food, reports Nancy Shute.

March 14 - NPR

Jordan Rane profiles 8 historic towns from across the country that have overcome significant challenges to become desirable destinations once again.

March 14 - CNN

Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Herzog and de Meuron, and Bjarke Ingels are some of the big names designing projects for Miami's hot again real estate market. Can their bold designs ensure that this building boom has legs?

March 14 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog

Democrats in Congress have returned to long-stalled efforts to craft a federal carbon-pricing scheme. With Obama having indicated in his State of the Union that climate change would be a focus of his administration, is there hope for progress?

March 14 - Grist

Haiti has seen improvements since the 2010 earthquake. However, persistent challenges remain. Dave Hampton, architect and international development consultant for natural and built environment integration, writes about one in particular: ravines.

March 14 - UrbDeZine.com

Author and food blogger Mark Bittman makes an impassioned plea for New York to build its very own grand urban food market, and he's got the perfect site in mind - the former Fulton Fish Market.

March 14 - The New York Times

We're likely witnessing the beginning of the slow decline of a technology that's defined our transportation and land use policies for a century - the private car. Emily Badger explains how unnoticed events produce socio-technical transitions.

March 14 - The Atlantic Cities