The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A five-day long fire caused by burning goat cheese has closed a highway tunnel in northern Norway indefinitely. Not having tasted Brunost, we're not sure if this is tragic or funny, or both.

January 25 - Grist

BLOG POST

For my annual update of the apps that support planning I've compiled a list of the latest applications for sharing information, visualizations, sensing, predicting, supporting decision making, crowdsourcing, and engaging.

January 25 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Although the nation's housing market appears to be improving, the foreclosure crisis is far from over. Following in the footsteps of other localities, Cook County, Illinois, is creating a countywide land bank to help address its foreclosures.

January 25 - The Architect's Newspaper

As Miami considers using taxes to fund yet another stadium project, analysis indicates the hundreds of millions in public subsidies used for the construction of the city's new baseball stadium will end up costing taxpayers more than $2 billion.

January 25 - The Miami Herald

Armed with lessons learned from Singapore’s successful urbanization experience, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) has published a new report that identifies ten principles for creating liveable high density cities.

January 25 - ULI

When the new headquarters for the Bullitt Foundation opens this April in Seattle, it will be among the first to meet the Living Building Challenge - "the most stringent green standard around." But getting there isn't easy, and may be illegal.

January 25 - Architizer

A new report documents the tremendous growth of Toronto's core, as it outpaces the surrounding suburbs. Downtown's growth is welcome news, but it won't come without substantial challenges.

January 25 - The Toronto Star

A proposed 2,700-acre development appears to conflict with the regional plan that complies with SB 375, a 2008 landmark law meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing vehice-miles-traveled. The decision rests with the Board of Supervisors.

January 25 - Sacramento Bee

Roberta Brandes Gratz examines the many differences, and few similarities, between the two most devastating urban storms of recent memory. Among the most elemental differences: one devastated neighborhoods, one a city; one was man-made, one natural.

January 25 - Citiwire

Steve Jobs said, "People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” So why do planners keep asking people what they'd like to see? Scott Doyon believes it's time to dig deeper.

January 25 - PlaceShakers

Jonathan Watts reports on the transformation of the Vidigal favela in Rio de Janeiro. With drug gangs kicked out, wealthy buyers have moved in, and rental prices have surged. But has the neighborhood changed for the better?

January 25 - The Guardian

William Fulton examines the likely outcome of a takings case that went before the U.S. Supreme Court last week. Oral arguments seemed to indicate the justices were leaning towards a surprising outcome.

January 24 - California Planning & Development Report

As the structure of China’s urban shopping malls evolves into large-scale, multi-use “lifestyle complexes”, so too does their role in the social and cultural fabric of metropolitan society.

January 24 - China Daily

A recent survey gives statistical heft to what many already believe - that despite the rhetorical exuberance of anti-bicycle and anti-transit types, the supposed "war on cars" is just a tired trope that is "wearing a bit thin."

January 24 - The Atlantic Cities

A draft long-range Strategic Plan for Washington D.C.'s Metro aims to adapt one of the nation's busiest transit systems to the needs of a growing region, at a cost of $26 billion.

January 24 - The Washington Post

"Canada is getting hotter faster than ever before and at a faster rate than almost any other country," reports Anna Mehler Paperny, and the country's infrastructure, public health, and economy are vulnerable to unforeseen impacts.

January 24 - The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

In the first entry in an eight-part series, Aparna Piramal Raje explores the challenges facing an urbanizing India that lacks sufficient planning to ease the country's transition from a nation of villages.

January 24 - Live Mint

San Bernardino was the third city in California to file for bankruptcy last year. Within the past year it has descended from a model of crime reduction to a crime-plagued city.

January 24 - The New York Times

James Sallis, this year’s winner of the Bloomberg Manulife Prize for the Promotion of Active Health, discusses the obstacles to increasing opportunities for physical activity in our communities, and how to overcome them.

January 24 - National Post

Advocates of inclusionary zoning have something to smile about. A new report from the Rand Corporation confirms that the housing produced by these zoning policies does in fact create or preserve affordable housing in areas of low poverty.

January 24 - Shelterforce Online