The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Can L.A. Recapture the "Green Heart" of Downtown?
An editorial in the Los Angeles Downtown News commends burgeoning efforts to rethink the city's historic Pershing Square, and offers some ideas for principles to help guide the process.
Driving Continues to Decline in U.S.
Federal data released last week shows that for the eighth straight year, per capita vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) has declined in the United States.
How Much Are Ecosystems Worth?
A Swedish research center has been tasked by the government with valuating the services rendered by ecosystems and educating the public on the importance of biodiversity.
New Study: Light Rail Fails at Discouraging Driving
Eric Jaffe reports on research that may give pause to light rail advocates who argue the mode can reduce congestion: ridership gains along new lines may come at the expense of buses, rather than cars.
$9 Million in Grants Aim to Improve Civic Engagement
This week, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced the recipients of $9 million in funding aimed at utilizing technology to get people "more deeply engaged in community life." The announcement was not without controversy.
Are Vending Machines Coming to Cabs in Your City?
This is easily the best idea we've seen all day. Eric Jaffe profiles TaxiTreats - "the latest attempt to capitalize on the captive nature of most urban travelers."
The Remarkable Story of How Philly Turned Around its Transit Agency
Over the last two decades, SEPTA has transformed itself from debt-mired subject of federal investigation to "the best damn transit agency in the U.S. of A." Dan Geringer explores how the agency's chairman has turned the ship around.
Google Designs New Campus 'From the Inside Out'
Vanity Fair has published the first rendering of the design for the new "Googleplex", the first offices to be built by the tech giant from scratch.
BLOG POST
Writing a Statement of Purpose for Graduate Education
How should a statement of purpose for a graduate school application differ from one for an undergrad program? This post outlines the elements of a compelling graduate school statement.
Ironies and Oddities of History's 'Future Cities'
Brady Dale provides a list of quirky trivia (taken from the new book "A History of Future Cities") about the forward-looking creation of four mega-cities: Shanghai, Bombay, St. Petersburg and Dubai.
What Will it Take to Transform Chicago's Riverfront?
With dozens of riverfront revitalization projects completed across the world in the past couple of decades, lessons abound for how Chicago can best integrate its waterfront and downtown. Whet Moser considers three examples.
N.J. Town Considers 'Radical Surgery' to Prevent Future Floods
With Galveston, Texas as their model, city leaders in the Jersey Shore town of Highlands are considering whether to raise the entire downtown as a bulwark against storm damage and rising seas.
Obama's Grand Rail Plans: What Went Wrong?
Four years after a historic down payment was made on Pres. Obama's plan to connect 80 percent of Americans to fast trains, "the prospects for a national high-speed rail system seem bleak." Politics and funding challenges have derailed the plan.
Affordable Rental Housing Shortage Touches All
Affordable rental housing is scarce in the US, especially among low income people, finds a new report by the Bipartisan Policy Center. As "the housing demand of Baby Boomers and their children starts to converge," the problem will only get worse.
The Importance of Making Cities Places of Belonging
Mumbai architect Pallavi Shrivastava reflects on the impact that the inaccessibility of the city has on the status of women in society and their ability to shape the future of the places in which they live.
FEATURE
A Plan To Shrink Detroit (Well)
Justin Hollander, PhD, AICP, looks closely at Detroit’s new Strategic Framework Plan and finds a compelling plan to manage depopulation. The plan takes a realistic view of what it would take to make Detroit a great city without growing.
Look to the Old Confederacy, not the Coasts, for America's Economic Revival
Accounting for 45% of America's land mass and 30% of its population, the Great Plains, the Intermountain West, the Gulf states, and the Southeastern industrial belt are key to a national revival, says a new report from the Manhattan Institute.
Trend Alert: Church-Oriented Development
A mixed-use development being proposed for the First Baptist Church's property in downtown Silver Spring is just the latest in a series of similar projects across the D.C. suburbs that are pitting congregations against preservationists.
Should Architects Be Allowed to Assist in Disaster Recovery?
After Hurricane Sandy, hundreds of architects and engineers offered their services to assist an overwhelmed NYC Department of Buildings in assessing storm-damaged properties. So why were they turned away?
Making Density a Cornerstone for Successful City-Making
Density is a loaded term that brings with it many negative connotations. But it can help solve "our city's toughest challenges." Brent Toderian discusses lessons from Vancouver on how to turn "the third rail of municipal politics" into an asset.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
