The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Mostly unmentioned during the very public removal of Chinese leader Bo Xilai was the ambitious urban development program he led in Chongqing. Julia Zhou looks at those efforts and their uncertain future.

May 12 - Architizer

For their "Work Wear" series, <em>The Wall Street Journal</em> looks at the fashion habits of the employees of Richard Meier & Partners Architects.

May 12 - The Wall Street Journal

Last week's record setting premiere of the Avengers movie franchise inspired the launch of a planning and design themed legion of superheroes on Twitter. Sommer Mathis interviews the urbanist behind the mask.

May 11 - The Atlantic Cities

Diane Cardwell reports on the creative ways in which solar installers are taking advantage of government subsidies, creative financing, and cheap Chinese-made panels to make solar power accessible to the mass market.

May 11 - The New York Times

On the occasion of the 20th Congress for the New Urbanism, running through the weekend in West Palm Beach, Anthony Flint looks at what happens when a revolutionary movement becomes part of the establishment.

May 11 - The Atlantic Cities

A parking garage in downtown Vancouver is scheduled to be the first structure in North America to host a "paradigm shifting" 6,000-square-foot vertical farm.

May 11 - Designing Healthy Communities

John Gallagher provides an update on the elements being considered for remaking the city's neighborhoods by Mayor Dave Bing's Detroit Works long-term planning team.

May 11 - Detroit Free Press

BLOG POST

<p class="MsoNormal"> People love statistics. They let us understanding the world beyond our own senses. <em>USA Today</em> publishes a daily <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/snapshot.htm">Snapshot</a> which presents a graph of random statistics. Sports talk and business analysis are dominated by statistics. We measure our progress, or lack thereof, and compare ourselves with others, based on statistics about our size, activities and accomplishments. </p>

May 11 - Todd Litman

We learned earlier this week that New York deserves to be called the world's most economically powerful city. On Monday night, four cultural critics discussed whether the city should be considered the world's cultural capital as well.

May 11 - The New York Times

So you think cars are to blame for L.A.'s air pollution problems? That might be bull excrement, literally, reports David Biello.

May 11 - Scientific American

Once at the cutting edge of the recycling revolution, the last decade has seen a precipitous drop-off in recycling in New Jersey. James M. O’Neill reports on the reasons for the decline and its effect on municipal finances.

May 11 - The Record

Jim Dwyer takes a look at a proposal to produce clean energy by tapping into New York's extensive and abundantly fed water delivery system.

May 11 - The New York Times

Responsible funding for transportation may no longer be the conventional "pay-as-you-go" user fee system whereby drivers pay for projects through gas taxes. House Transportation Chair Mica wants to fund the bill responsibly, but rules out new taxes.

May 11 - The Hill's Transportation Blog

Matt Flegenheimer reports on how newly found errors in New York's vaunted subway map have reignited a battle over who deserves credit for its design, and who should own up to its mistakes.

May 10 - The New York Times

As public art proliferates as a strategy to engage disaffected youth and enliven neighborhoods, Philip Langdon argues that an additional standard must be considered when evaluating such projects -- their content.

May 10 - Better! Cities & Towns

Trying to thread the needle between those who celebrate the demise of the exurb and those who bemoan smart growth policies, Edward Glaeser argues that we can, and should, have it all when it comes to housing choice in America.

May 10 - Bloomberg View

Rachel Cernansky reports on the federal government's recently announced plan to expand access to healthy foods by increasing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) acceptance at America's farmers markets.

May 10 - Grist

Struggling families and young professionals are competing for a dwindling supply of ever more pricey rentals, Alejandro Lazo reports.

May 10 - Los Angeles Times

The sustainability of an institution is becoming an increasingly important factor in decisions of where to attend college. As a result, Princeton Review has teamed up with the USGBC to produce a green guide to 320 U.S. colleges, writes Ben Schiller.

May 10 - Fast Company Co.Exist

A new report from the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program documents the rise in manufacturing employment during the recovery. Motoko Rich parses the findings, their geographical implications, and whether a long-term turnaround is in the cards.

May 10 - The New York Times