The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Is Any City Truly Unique?
As new research data on cities pours in daily, interesting patterns emerge regarding income, green space and urban growth. Like people in their genetic make-up, are cities fundamentally all the same?
The Diminishing Meaning of "Urban" and "Suburban"
To some, "the suburbs" mean bland neighborhoods outside of a vibrant city life. But demographic and land-use changes are making Lakis Polycarpou and others rethink the definitions of "urban" and "suburban."
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The Ecological Value of Lawns
I appreciate natural environments. I have always enjoyed walking in wilderness and cycling on rural roads, and I understand the ecological value provided by undeveloped lands, which include clean water, air and wildlife habitat. I also enjoy local fresh vegetables and fruits and so appreciate the value of preserving regional farmlands. Planners call these "greenspace," or more generally "openspace" since some, such as deserts and waterways, are open but not necessarily green.
The Future of Transit, According to France
Yonah Freemark investigates France's new love affair with the tram, which is spreading like wildfire in cities across the country, supplanting major bus routes and giving transit ridership a healthy boost in the process.
Are These the Next 15 Hot Cities?
No, we're not talking about climate change - this list from Business Insider imagines which U.S. cities will be the best cities to live in in the future of 20 years from now.
Los Angeles Digs In with City Farming
A Los Angeles-based farming company aims to bring fresh, locally grown food to communities all around the city and transform their work into a political statement to shine a spotlight on sustainable practices.
A New Kind of Planning for a New Kind of Africa
Ernest Harsch interviews UN-Habitat Director Joan Clos on the challenges facing African cities in an age of unprecedented urbanization, from the abundance of slums to the threat of natural disasters.
Octagenarian Artist Bequeaths Plans for 'City of Tomorrow'
Futurist Orville Simpson envisioned a hyper-efficient city housed in a single, interconnected mega-complex. Lauren Boettcher explores plans by the University of Cincinnati to take on Simpson's legacy.
Solving the "Bus Bunching" Problem
Everyone has seen the phenomenon of "bus bunching" - no matter what the schedule, buses end up clustered together in packs, resulting in some full buses and some empty ones and a long wait for some. Two professors say they have a solution.
The Conservative Group That Seeks to Destroy Zoning
Anthony Flint reports on the actions of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative lobbying group that is working behind the scenes to weaken the power of local zoning restrictions.
What's the Opposite of Gentrification?
Richey Piiparinen says that in one obvious way, gentrification isn't a problem in the Rust Belt (that being housing prices, which are comfortably low pretty much everywhere). A true intermingling of racial and ethnic groups is happening, he argues.
A Departure from Traditional Airport Design
Back in 2001, Jim Starry proposed a radical rethink of airport design, with inclined runways and gates on top of terminals and parking lots. Lost in the 9/11 shuffle, Sarah Rich takes a second look at the idea.
Bleak Future for Huntsville's Historic Home
Preservation officials fight to save a storm-worn historic house, but the ongoing battle with local home owners leads to major negative impacts on the neighborhood.
Cities Selling Out to Maintain Public Services
As Baltimore wrestles with the difficult decision between closing fire stations or selling adspace on fire trucks, Michael Cooper reports on an approach more and more cities are taking to curb budget shortfalls.
Census: The Top Bike Commuting Cities In U.S.
The League of American Bicyclists updated their webpage with a link to the American Community Survey's data on bike and pedestrian commuting for the 70 largest cities and 375 more cities where data was available. Portland, OR and Davis, CA are tops.
In China, Are Bikes Going the Way of the Dodo?
Matthew Stevenson anticipates the end of the bicycle in China's major cities, now overrun with scooters and scrambling for Western status symbols – in spite of ever-worsening traffic.
The Glass Godzilla in the City
The Museum Tower in Dallas, a giant glass condominium, rears its ugly head as it reflects glaring light onto the site it was named after.
A Friendly Look at Invading Urban Plants
Benjamin Wellington, Student ASLA, favorably reviews Peter Del Tredici’s field guide to naturally-growing plants in urban areas.
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Nothing really pays for itself (except maybe toll roads)
<p> Arguments over transportation policy often run as follows: </p> <p> HIGHWAY SUPPORTER: Highways pay for themselves! Buses/trains don't! So highways good and everything else bad bad bad! </p> <p> TRANSIT SUPPORTER: But highways create bad externalities like pollution and climate change! So if highways were taxed at their true cost gas would cost a zillion billion cajillion dollars per gallon! (followed by numerous counterarguments and counter-counterarguments that I won't bore you with, except as written below...) </p> <p> It seems to me that these arguments miss one point: even if the highway system as a whole pays for itself, the system is so chock full of cross-subsidies that each individual road doesn't (except for toll roads). </p>
Undersea-Oriented Development
Expo 2012 is happening now in Korea, and features a panorama of a futuristic underwater city as part of a focus on future sustainability.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
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)
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.
