The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The Politics of Zoning Reform: Targeting Your Communications
Zoning reform is a political campaign. Coder Susan Henderson talks about audience dynamics, with a special focus on how to communicate with property owners and the developer community.
Do You Smell Cigarette Smoke?
Smoking is physically harmful to smokers and non-smokers alike, but what about its impact on public space? Nate Berg reports on a new paper in Urban Studies based on interviews in Singapore -- where smoking has been regulated since 1970.
Honduran Charter City Loses Its Compass
An experimental plan to build a new charter city for 10 million people in Honduras has lost a key element, its expected chairman and chief founder, Paul Romer.
Why Some Cities are Using Eminent Domain to Save Mortgages
Some cities are fighting back against the mortgage crisis, using eminent domain to seize and write down troubled mortgages, keeping homeowners in their homes and keeping local economies afloat, writes Peter S. Goodman.
The Fallacy Behind the Downtown Growth Story
Wendell Cox delves into the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau that have prompted some to herald a return to America's downtowns, and argues that reports of such population growth are vastly overblown.
Cash-Strapped City? Chinese Capital to the Rescue!
Despite heated political rhetoric on the national stage, the Toledo mayor courts Chinese investors.
For Cycling Advocates, One Question Reigns: Got Networks?
As the level of sophistication in cycling infrastructure increases, the value of networks becomes even more apparent.
Private Vehicles Become Europe's Newest Form of Public Transportation
Amid widespread economic crisis, and raising environmental awareness, Europeans are embracing ride-sharing services in staggering numbers, reports Eric Pfanner.
Is it Too Soon to Consider Replacements for Redevelopment in California?
Although the state's legislators were ready to move on from the closure of CA's redevelopment agencies by approving several bills designed to replace aspects of redevelopment or otherwise help cities, Governor Brown vetoed each one over the weekend.
The Flawed Plan to Fill the Lower East Side's 'Black Hole'
David Bergman argues why plans recently approved by New York's Community Board 3 and City Planning Commission for the development of the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA) are a step backwards for the area.
Process, Rather Than Product, Distinguishes Chicago's 'High Line'
According to Kate Dries, it's not the design that sets apart the plans for Bloomingdale Trail, Chicago's elevated railway to park conversion. The way the project has evolved sets it apart from its east coast cousin and prior efforts.
Small Screens Make for Better Cities
News out last week that big-box retailer Staples plans to reduce its square footage by 15 percent heralds a larger trend of smaller screens necessitating smaller boxes. Lydia DePillis examines why this will be a boon to cities.
New Jersey's Transit Stations Serve as Beacon for State's Future
With the second highest share of transit usage in the U.S., a new study three years in the making assesses the development opportunities around the New Jersey's 243 transit stations.
Freeway Construction Was the Real Carmageddon for L.A.'s Communities
After a weekend in which Los Angeles successfully navigated the closure of one of its most clogged freeways once again, we look back at the disastrous effect that freeway construction had on L.A.'s communities during the middle of the last century.
As Other Cities Cut, D.C. Reaps a Surplus
For the second year in a row, Washington D.C. is ending its fiscal year in the black, raising hopes that prior cuts to city services can be reversed. So why are city leaders planning to bulk up the city's savings instead?
Do Benefits of Bike Helmets Outweigh Obstacles to Riding?
Elisabeth Rosenthal reflects on the deterrent to cycling, and the use of bike-sharing systems, posed by mandatory bike helmet laws. Does the rare serious injury prevented by a helmet outweigh discouraging cycling's wider health benefits?
Comprehensive Plan Needed for NYC's Urban Agriculture
With 700 urban farms and gardens in New York City, a new report calls for a comprehensive approach to managing the city's urban agriculture, and offers recommendations for maximizing coordination between city agencies and urban farmers.
Will Auckland Pass Up Yet Another Opportunity to Transform its Waterfront
After many, many, many failures-to-launch, Auckland may finally be taking its waterfront seriously. A series of articles in <em>The New Zealand Herald</em> explores the waterfront's disappointing past and promising future.
D.C.'s Metro Reaches Out to Riders to Help Plan Its Future
Beset by chronic safety problems and rising fares, Metro is looking beyond its immediate concerns by focusing on the future, and asking its customers to help it plan for how the system should grow over the next 30 years.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
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.
