The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The 10 Highest Profile Infrastructure Projects in the US
Ryan Holeywell and Daniel Lippman evaluate the country's five biggest on-going infrastructure projects, and the five biggest ones in jeopardy. See if your region's project made the cut.
UN Issues World Happiness Report
The first ever World Happiness Report, published by Columbia University's Earth Institute, reflects a new worldwide demand for more attention to happiness and absence of misery as criteria for government policy.
Do Urban Minds Think Alike?
Ryan Sager looks at the results of two recent studies that explore the ways in which cities, commonly lauded as bastions of diversity, actually incubate groupthink.
A Precipitous Price Drop for California's High-Speed Rail
Knowing that a $100 billion project stood a poor chance of passing muster in a budget-conscious state legislature, Gov. Jerry Brown shaved off $30 billion by using a "blended rail" strategy in the Bay Area and South Coast, i.e. sharing tracks.
What is the Future for Tradititional Neighborhood Design?
John Handley looks at the popularity of New Urbanism over the past two decades and asks whether traditional neighborhood design will continue to flourish in the 21st century, as the housing market rebounds.
What Would an Independent Republic of Texas Look Like?
With mockumentary-style coverage, NPR's John Burnett imagines the trials of a state's secession.
Are Retro Ballparks a Thing of the Past?
Twenty years ago, Oriole Park at Camden Yards began a revolution in baseball stadium design when it opened in downtown Baltimore. Two decades onward, Mark Byrnes asks if the retro ballpark movement is officially over.
Provocative Images of Cities Without People
The <em>Daily Mail</em> shares the wonderfully scary work of Paris-based artists Lucie and Simon, who have created "Silent World," a series of enchanting but disturbing images of the world's major cities, bereft of people.
As the Global Population Explodes, Experts Ask Where They'll Live
A conference held in London last Tuesday, called "Planet Under Pressure," provided a forum to begin to answer the question, reports Roxanne Palmer.
Public Water Works! to Grow Jobs, Protect the Environment
With a $600 billion investment gap facing the tap, citizens, organizations, and elected officials call for a renewed commitment to protect access to safe drinking water on World Water Day at Los Angeles City Hall.
Council for European Urbanism Analyzes Paris High-Rise Proposals
David Brussat, architecture critic for the Providence, RI, Journal, describes a new report from the Council for European Urbanism, which finds that the high-rises planned for Paris will not live up to their promises.
Romney Addresses Mayor’s Conference, Praises Building Heights
“I love being in cities,” said GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, at a recent Conference of Mayors gathering in Miami. “All of your buildings are just the right height.”
Desperate Dems Invite Japanese Station Master Cat to Lobby for Transportation Bill
Committee Member, Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) said she was encouraged by reports that Tama's popularity back home in Japan has generated an economic impact estimated at ¥1.1 billion for the area surrounding Kishi Train Station.
California Redevelopment Officials Suffering Redevelopment Withdrawal
Since the dissolution of California's redevelopment agencies earlier this year, at least 20 former redevelopment officials have been admitted to a special facility to treat their "redevelopment withdrawal."
Occupy Movement Calls on Planning Officials to Create 'Occupy Zone'
Sensing the potential for the movement to gain a toehold through land use regulations, leaders of New York City's Occupy movement have called on city planning officials to create an official 'Occupy' zoning designation.
Anti-Urban Presidential Candidate Now Anti-Suburban, Too
After bemoaning cities as the domain of Democrats, GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum tries to appeal to his party by extending his criticism to suburbs, calling them "too close to cities."
Pop-Up Store Qualifies for Historic Preservation Protection
Bluto's Artisanal Olives has only been open for three weeks, but historic preservation officials in San Francisco have rallied to include it in the city's official list of historic places.
Lacking Funds for Bike-Sharing, City Launches Bike-Stealing Program
City leaders in Cleveland had hoped to build a bike-sharing program throughout the downtown area. But with unexpected reductions in the budget, the bike rental plan has been altered to a theft-based system.
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Net Positive Urban Retrofit - Is It Possible?
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Green Zoning Advances in New York
Tom Stoelker reports on the progress of New York City's Zone Green initiative, a comprehensive effort to make it easier to construct green buildings and retrofit existing ones, that passed the City Planning Commission unanimously this past week.
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.
