The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Landscape Architects Step Into Vacuum Left by Planners and Architects
Landscape Architecture is a field in the ascendency, writes Alan G. Brake. Its rise can be traced to the inability of Architects and Planners to engage with some of the most important challenges of our time.
World's Tallest "Lego" Tower to Rise in Brooklyn
An agreement between Forest City Ratner and NYC's labor unions has cleared the way for the construction of Atlantic Yards's next phase. The 32-story prefabricated apartment building will be the tallest of its kind in the world, reports Matt Chaban.
How Robert Moses Put NYC's Poor in Sandy's Path
Recently a destination for luxury development, New York's waterfront has historically been home to the city's poor. When Sandy inundated these vulnerable populations, it "looked like a perverse stroke of urban planning," writes Jonathan Mahler.
L.A. Streetcar Gets Go-Ahead from Voters
Voters in downtown Los Angeles have overwhelmingly approved a special property tax to help fund a $125 million streetcar. The results of the special vote-by-mail election were reported last night.
Mini-City Breaks Ground in New York
Today in New York City, developers and public officials broke ground on the $15 billion Hudson Yards redevelopment project. Jason Sheftell reports on the milestone day and includes some stunning renderings of the project's components.
Three-Day Traffic Jam Strands Russian Motorists
Over the weekend, a 100-mile long traffic jam caused by snow, questionable decisions, and underinvestment on Soviet-era infrastructure, left 10,000 vehicles stranded on the M10 highway between Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Can China Ditch the Cars and Superblocks for More Livable Cities?
In his work developing plans for six new cities in China, Peter Calthorpe has a unique perspective on what the country must do to build sustainable cities to house its growing urban population. He shares his insights with Fortune's Brian Dumaine.
Could Induction Technology Transform Public Transit?
Induction charging, the same technology that allows you to juice up your cell phone without the need for cables, could be coming to a transit system near you. Could eliminating the need for catenary wires transform city streets?
Bay Area Considers Basing Transit Fares on Need
Transportation officials in the greater San Francisco area have been debating a proposal to provide free public transit for low-income youth. They are now considering the possibility of basing fares on income, rather than age or disability.
Do You Walmart?
Saying "no" to Walmart does not remove the wants and needs they exist to serve. If you want a more locally-oriented community, you need a more local-friendly system, says Scott Doyon.
D.C. Debates How to Clean its Storm Water
The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority wants to revise a settlement reached eight years ago with environmental groups that would have seen the agency build three huge tunnels to manage storm water runoff. The Authority would like to build green systems.
Opening the Atlantic Coast for Offshore Wind Farms
The U.S. Department of the Interior has cleared the way for what could become the first offshore wind projects in the country. Next year, lease sales will be offered on 278,00 acres of land off the coasts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Virginia.
Supreme Court to Decide Who's Responsible for Storm Water Pollution
A case over "who can be held responsible for polluted storm water that runs off city streets and into rivers and bays" is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court tomorrow. The court's ruling on the Los Angeles case could have far-reaching impacts.
CA Searches for Investors for its High-Speed Rail
James Nash reports that Gov. Jerry Brown is turning to the $6 trillion market in sovereign wealth funds, pensions, and endowments to help fill the $55 billion gap between the project's total cost and what state bonds and federal grants will cover.
Ranking North America's Smartest Cities
For those of you who've been anxiously waiting since Boyd Cohen published his list of Europe's smartest cities last month...wait no longer, North America's top 10 smartest cities have been revealed.
Carbon Emissions Set New Record, No End in Sight
Two new scientific papers report that global carbon dioxide emissions set a record high in 2011. With no coordinated effort underway to curb them, researchers believe crossing the 2 degree Celsius threshold for the worst impacts may be inevitable.
The Most Expensive Family Housing in the USA
No other place even comes close for values of 4 bedroom, 2 bath single family homes. Five of the six priciest cities in the U.S. are located in Silicon Valley, with median home values ranging from $1.44 million to $1.7 million for #1 ranked Los Altos
Extra, Extra: LA Has a Dense Urban Center
Award-winning research conducted by University of Southern California graduate Samuel Krueger shows that Los Angeles really does have a gooey chocolate - whoops...dense, urban center.
What's the True Cost of America's Tax Incentive Folly?
The Times delves deep into the financial incentives that cities, counties, and states dole out to corporations to lure jobs and economic development to their corner of the country. Just what does the $80 billion spent each year actually buy?
After the Shard, London's Skyline Gets Shafted
"There is no nice way of putting this, but the skyline of London is being screwed," says Guardian architecture critic Rowan Moore. In an approvals process that runs roughshod over the concerns of the public, only developer egos are being served.
City of Mt Shasta
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)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
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.
