The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

New Census Numbers Detail Surprising Facts About Urban Density

John King considers a new report released by the Census Bureau on Monday, which finds that of the ten most densely populated urbanized areas in the United States, nine are in the West.

March 27 - San Francisco Chronicle

Imagining An Alternative to the Parking Lot

Eran Ben-Joseph pens an opinion piece in <em>The New York Times</em> calling for the transformation of the parking lot to capture its true value as a public space.

March 27 - The New York Times

House Transportation Extension Pulled As Deadline Nears

Late yesterday House Republicans withdrew plans to hold a vote on a proposed 90-day transportation bill extension, dragging Congress closer towards gridlock as the March 31st deadline nears, reports Todd Zwillich.

March 27 - Transportation Nation

Is the Electric Car Running Out of Juice?

Despite a number of factors conspiring to make electric cars more attractive than ever, John Broder believes the technology is experiencing a potential crisis.

March 27 - The New York Times

How to Disappear Completely - In the Middle of a City

Kelly Chan shares some delightful photos of Chinese artist Liu Bolin's efforts to make himself completely invisible in different urban settings.

March 27 - Architizer


Tracking the Good and Bad News on California High-Speed Rail

Dan Walters reported over the weekend that recent efforts to appease various constituencies nervous about CA's HSR plans have paid off with the project likely to get the green light from the Legislature soon. But don't book your tickets just yet.

March 27 - The Sacramento Bee

Why are City Dwellers Mean?

Will Doig probes the reasons why people in cities are less likely than people in rural areas to intervene to help a stranger or confront wrongdoing.

March 27 - Salon.com


Designing Solutions for Urban Noise

Emily Badger, examines the efforts of researchers and engineers to design quieter cities, which will be necessary to overcome barriers to city living.

March 26 - The Atlantic Cities

Does Improved Walkability Reduce Crime?

Adam Davies writes about the results of an experimental policing project in the Netherlands that seems to demonstrate that improvements to the pedestrian environment have reduced crime in Rotterdam.

March 26 - Walkonomics

Previewing London's Layered Approach to the Olympics

With only four months to go until the opening ceremony, Gwen Webber checks in on the progress of London's Olympic preparations, and the wider redevelopment effort that the games have sparked.

March 26 - The Architect's Newspaper

Europe's Largest Civil Engineering Project

London kicks-off the beginning of a massive new rail line linking the city's western suburbs, including Heathrow Airport, through the city, and into the eastern suburbs in Essex.

March 26 - NPR

Walking New York

Jed Lipinski profiles Matt Green, an intrepid pedestrian whose goal is to traverse every street in every borough in New York City on foot.

March 26 - The New York Times

Chronicling Seattle's Booming Downtown

Jon Talton reports on the recent upswing in development in downtown Seattle, as new jobs and residents signal a quick rebound from the Great Recession.

March 26 - The Seattle Times

New York City's 'Most Acrimonious Land-use Battle'

<em>The New York Times</em> architecture critic weighs in on New York University’s proposed 2.5 million square foot expansion of its Greenwich Village campus.

March 26 - The New York Times

U.S. Moves Toward Energy Independence

You'd never know it from the hype on rising gas prices, but the U.S. is moving toward that elusive goal of oil independence due to the convergence of two factors: falling oil consumption and increasing domestic production over the last half-decade.

March 26 - The New York Times

Did the Built Environment Contribute to the Trayvon Martin Tragedy?

In an opinion piece for <em>Better! Cities & Towns</em>, Robert Steuteville argues that the Sanford, Florida, case is partly about what happens to a gated development when residents find themselves on the same side of the gate as people they fear.

March 26 - Better! Cities & Towns

Recolonizing the Lower Ninth Ward

Nathaniel Rich reports on a different kind of urban regeneration that has taken place in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward where the "cartoonish pace of vegetation growth" conceals an ecology of wild animals, tires, and occasionally humans.

March 26 - The New York Times

Social Media's Challenge to Planning

Michael M. Grynbaum reports on NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's dubious relationship with social media, and his unease with its tendency to shift the public discourse away from long-term thinking.

March 25 - The New York Times

Mapping the Top Job Markets

Richard Florida ranks the U.S. cities with the highest job growth in 2011 and finds some surprises, based on an analysis of the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics by Aaron Renn.

March 25 - The Atlantic Cities

Laying a Brick Foundation for Success in Rwanda

Benita Hussain describes an innovative architecture project serving Rwandan women in their quest to rebuild the country.

March 25 - Good

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