The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The Bull Behind LA's Air Pollution

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

Decline in Recycling Hurts New Jersey's Environment and Budgets

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

Harnessing the Power of Water on Its Way to Your Tap

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

Transportation Reauthorization: Being Responsible Means Not Raising Gas Tax

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

Owning up to NYC's Subway Map Mistakes

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


Should Public Art Be Censored?

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

An Argument for Housing Choice

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


Farmers Markets Become Key Weapon in Combating Food Deserts

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

In the Wake of Foreclosures, Nationwide Rents Hit All-Time High

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

May 10 - Los Angeles Times

America's Greenest Colleges

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

Manufacturing Makes a Comeback

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

Is Vienna the Quintessential Smart City?

Adie Tomer looks at how Vienna contributes to Europe's smart city movement through innovations in sustainability, place-making, and data utilization.

May 10 - The New Republic

Lessons Learned from Parking Pioneers

Jeremy Nelson and Jason Schrieber identify six communities that are paving the way in utilizing smart parking management to simultaneously solve their parking problems while reinvigorating their neighborhoods and downtowns.

May 10 - APA

Between Recess and Lunch, a Lesson in Landscape Architecture

Lisa Foderaro explores a program underway in select New York City schools to guide children through the eco-friendly redesign of their own playgrounds.

May 10 - The New York Times

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Urban Design Graduate Study for Planners

Each year a lot of students ask me "how can I get a degree in urban design?". This is a very big question but in this blog I outline some key questions that those interested in urban design in planning need to consider.

May 9 - Ann Forsyth

Bike + GPS = Digital Doodling Over the Streets of Baltimore

A Baltimore schoolteacher uses his phone and his bicycle to construct whimsical sketches on digital maps of the city, Nate Berg reports.

May 9 - The Atlantic Cities

Ranking the Most Economically Powerful Cities in the World

Kicking off <em>The Atlantic</em>'s special report on the past and future of the world's global capitals, Richard Florida has ranked the world's most economically powerful cities.

May 9 - The Atlantic

The Real Story Behind NYC's Bike Share Coup

Neighborhoods skipped, sponsorship indifference, the entire program imperiled? Read what Andrea Bernstein has to report about the items left out of Monday's splashy announcement.

May 9 - Transportation Nation

Why the Military Matters in the Fight for Clean Energy

Reese Neader and Daniel Goldfarb discuss military-driven innovation in technology, and how it will ease our transition away from dependence on foreign oil.

May 9 - Good

Orange County Center Gets Stay of Execution

While proponents for the preservation of Paul Rudolph's Orange County Government Center won a reprieve last week, Anthony Paletta is more concerned with the types of civic architecture the Rudolph building's critics would hope to construct.

May 9 - Metropolis POV Blog

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