The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

What does the impending demise of the Fresh & Easy grocery chain mean for food deserts? Hannah Burton Laurison and Christine Fry look at how small-format grocery stores can still succeed where Fresh & Easy failed.

January 12 - HealthyCal.org

Social scientists have a theory that a neighborhood's character shapes its economic future more than income levels and foreclosure rates. A tragedy to the community of Chatham on Chicago's South Side has tested this "neighborhood effect."

January 12 - The New York Times

To ease the transition from conflict into post-conflict and stability, there is a high need for urban professionals who can artfully balance the demand for security alongside city spaces for healing, argues Mitchell Sutika Sipus.

January 12 - Humanitarian Space

BLOG POST

Broadening our definition of parks to recognize their role in preventative health care and promotion will only expand our awareness on how important they are to good neighbourhood design.

January 11 - Steven Snell

Our friends at the Architect's Newspaper have come across a delightful video that animates the work of 26 of the world's most notable architects, from A to Z, set to a peppy soundtrack.

January 11 - A/N Blog

Despite their more traditional, mixed-use development patterns, the UK's town centers are not immune from declining "high streets" as a result of the poor economy, and the attractions of shopping centers and online retail. How can they fight back?

January 11 - The Guardian

For decades, researchers have hunted for an explanation for why big cities have been more prone to violent crime than small ones. A new hypothesis may offer a surprising answer, and prove that big cities aren't inherently much more dangerous.

January 11 - Mother Jones

Four developer teams have pitched competing visions for how to transform 55 acres of parking lots adjacent to Atlanta's baseball stadium into the city's next "hot intown neighborhood." J. Scott Trubey looks at the concepts.

January 11 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Can dynamic digital globes compete with flatter technologies like today’s iPad? Mark Vanhoenacker explores some of the possibilities these modern spheres may bring to places of work, study and play.

January 11 - New York Times

After 25 years, Santa Clara's light rail has failed to live up to its promise, proving to be “among the least successful in the nation” reports Mike Rosenberg, while “serving as a constant reminder that the car is still king in Silicon Valley."

January 11 - Oroville Mercury Register

This week the L.A. City Council's Planning and Land Use Committee forwarded to the full council a progressive bike parking ordinance that could dramatically change how developers provide parking for both bikes and autos, reports Damien Newton.

January 11 - LA.Streetsblog

Why not increase the sales tax on all goods, eliminate the state gas tax, and then redirect general fund money from paying for public education, safety, parks, etc. to roads?

January 11 - The Washington Post

Nashville has flourished economically and culturally with new residents, immigrants, tourists and country music. Kim Severson discusses how this traditionally Southern city has gained the nation's fancy.

January 11 - The New York Times

Edward L. Glaeser takes the recent purchase of Zipcar by Avis as the jumping-off point for an essay on the ways that technology, which once aided the sprawling suburban lifestyle, can now amplify the sharing of infrastructure by city dwellers.

January 11 - The Boston Globe

Thomas Erdbrink spotlights the efforts of the dedicated individuals that are trying to reverse decades of neglect and destruction of the traditional courtyard homes that are a 'cornerstone of Iranian architecture.'

January 10 - The New York Times

For anyone who's tried to commute between the San Fernando Valley and L.A.'s Westside during rush hour, it's clear the existing options just don't work. LA County is now considering six options - from BRT to rail tunnels - to help ease congestion.

January 10 - The Atlantic Cities

Some of the most popular apps - from Google Maps to Yelp - let you take the guesswork out of planning your urban agenda. But for those that still want to experience the delight of spontaneous discovery, a new generation of app will help you get lost.

January 10 - POLIS

While the fiscal cliff talks did not increase the gas tax as some transportation analysts had hoped, it did increase a benefit that many commuters who ride public transit will appreciate, particularly those whose monthly expenses total $240.

January 10 - Sierra Club Compass

In Massachusetts, transportation funding is one of the key issues to be addressed by the state legislature this year. James Aloisi, former Transportation Secretary, offers an inventive way to fund Transit Improvement Districts.

January 10 - Governing

What is it about historic downtowns that makes them so darned attractive, and unlike the placeless architecture spreading across our urban landscapes? Graeme Sharpe looks at the "basic recipe" that created these admired environments.

January 10 - Urban Indy