The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Indianapolis Revival Is a Team Effort
What's made the difference in the trajectories of similarly-sized Midwest cities Detroit and Indianapolis? According to David Masciotra, cross-sector partnerships centered around sports entertainment have been the driving force behind Indy's success.
To Control Health Costs, Build Sidewalks
Each month new research emerges linking public health with the built environment. Yet just a small fraction of healthcare spending goes toward reducing our exposure to unhealthy environments. Under the Affordable Care Act, that could soon change.
Hyperloop = Hyperlame?
Last week we looked at the dangers of focusing on transportation fantasies. But alas, entrepreneur Elon Musk's vision for a "fifth form" of transportation is here and we just can't help ourselves.
How Light Becomes Material in the Parking Garages of Miami Beach
Claudia and George Klousoulas examine how designers have used light as a building material in the parking garages of Miami Beach -- with a slideshow.
Can Atlanta Solve Its Transit Problems by Taxing Parking?
In the aftermath of the disappointing defeat of a one-cent regional sales tax transportation measure, the city council is considering two measures to raise transportation revenue, one being a parking tax based on a Georgia Tech masters thesis.
A Sunbaked New Mexico Hits its Boiling Point
Harsh climate and persistent drought have accelerated New Mexico's desertification over three years of record-breaking heat. With 87% of the Western U.S. experiencing a drought, is New Mexico the canary in the coal mine for an increasingly arid area?
Second Transcontinental Pipeline May Succeed if Keystone XL Fails
As the Keystone XL pipeline project remains mired in political muck, a second pipeline project is quietly moving toward approval.
FEATURE
Top 10 Websites - 2013
Our annual list of the 10 best planning, design, and development websites represents some of the top online resources for news, information and research on the built environment.
Oil and Gas Revenue May Fund Texas Roads
The nation's largest oil and natural gas producer is flush with revenue from energy production. If Gov. Rick Perry signs the bill supported by two-thirds of both chambers, voters will decide whether to use about $1.2 billion of it annually for roads.
Controversial Projects Reveal Faults in L.A.'s Seismic Safety Review
Recent controversies surrounding large-scale projects in Hollywood approved without comprehensive seismic evaluations reveal gaps between California construction laws and the City of Los Angeles's ability to enforce them.
Why Are Young Adults Returning to the City?
Much has been said about Millennials — the generation born from 1980 through the late 1990s, sometimes called Gen Y and Echo Boomers — choosing downtown living. Is it in rebellion to their suburban upbringing, or something more?
Construction Toys: The Building Blocks of Design Culture
A recent book explores the ways in which the world's ubiquitous construction toys - Lincoln Logs, Legos, Meccano, etc. - have impacted budding architects, and proposes a connection between building for play and building for pay.
Protected Bike Lanes May Receive Federal Recognition
While protected bike lanes have yet to be recognized by AASHTO, they are en route to being recognized by US DOT, writes Green Lane Project's Michael Andersen. With federal guidance, transportation engineers may be more willing to build cycle tracks.
Detroit Default Ripples Through Municipal Bond Market
The Motor City is the not the only victim of the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Local governments across Michigan are now encountering substantial obstacles to borrowing amid concerns about the security of municipal bonds.
Light Pollution in Rural Virginia: A Photo Essay
The End of Night author Paul Bogard works with photography student Jennifer Tremblay to showcase light pollution in the Shenandoah Valley town of Harrisonburg.
London Recycling Bins Take a Page out of NSA Spy Book
The startup Renew has taken targeted advertising to a whole new level. Its Internet-connected recycling bins look for cell phones they recognize, then alter their video displays accordingly.
The Grand Plans that Failed to Save Detroit
The $500 million Renaissance Center, a 2.9-mile People Mover, and new downtown sports stadiums are just some of the grand schemes that were supposed to help arrest Detroit's decades-long decline.
Lessons From a Model Mixed-Income Community
25 years ago, the conversion of 1950's era public housing into a mixed-income community on Columbia Point in Boston provided the template for the federal government's Hope VI program. How has this seminal project withstood the test of time?
Rising Costs Threaten to Thwart UK High-Speed Rail
Britain's grand plan to halve travel times between the country's biggest cities and expand economic growth outside London via high-speed rail is getting pushback from the very places it's meant to help.
Upward Mobility Correlates to Walk Score
New data supports Paul Krugman's contention that sprawl inhibits the American Dream.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
