The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

With more than 600 cities in the U.S. developing or having enacted formal climate plans, Nate Berg investigates disconcerting new findings that show a lack of any causal connection between greenhouse gas reductions and climate action plans.

March 13 - The Atlantic Cities

Elizabeth A. Harris explores the New York City Housing Authority's extensive underoccupied public housing dilemma and how attempts at resolving the issue delicately are failing to address the problem.

March 13 - The New York Times

The same issues afflicting transit agencies across the country, the perfect storm of declining funding and rising costs, are conspiring to challenge Portland's leadership in transit innovation and adoption, reports Ryan Holeywell.

March 13 - Governing

Lisa Donovan reports that the city of Chicago has plugged a $9 million shortfall in funding required to begin construction on the long-anticipated Bloomingdale Trail project.

March 13 - Chicago Sun-Times

After decades spent redeveloping Hollywood's starring attractions along Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, its alleyways are the focus of an on-going beautification effort, reports Jessica Gelt.

March 12 - Los Angeles Times

Diana Lind previews the 2012 Earth Summit being held in 100 days in Rio, and argues why one of the year's most significant climate change conferences should receive more attention.

March 12 - Next American City

Jeffrey Spivak reports on the federal government's pioneering efforts in net-zero building design and construction.

March 12 - Planning

A new study released today by the American Public Transportation Association shows that public transportation ridership across the United States increased by 2.31% in 2011 over the previous year, rising to the second highest level since 1957.

March 12 - USA Today

Richey Piiparinen examines the two, often antagonistic, worlds that he straddles as a mid-30′s native Rust Belt romantic, and finds fellowship with those in other legacy cities.

March 12 - Rust Wire

Vivan S. Toy examines the fate of several condo developments in New York that employed brand name architects to sell their products during the housing boom, and finds mixed results.

March 12 - The New York Times

<em>Grist</em> has asked its readers to help it compile some of the country's "most craptastic urban rebranding efforts ever." And boy have they delivered.

March 12 - Grist

Emily Badger writes of the traditional process by which developers identify what kinds of new development a neighborhood needs (i.e. by not asking anyone in said neighborhood), and a web tool in unveiled in December aimed at changing this.

March 12 - The Atlantic Cities

NYU's plans to expand further into Greenwich Village, with the square footage of four new buildings proposed in their strategic plan equivalent to that of the Empire State Building, have raised concerns for the fate of the signature neighborhood.

March 12 - The New York Times

The next wave in shareable transportation is coming to San Francisco. Ariel Schwartz reports on the "Zipcar of electric scooters".

March 12 - Fast Co.Exisit

Heather Knight reports on a trend concerning officials and family advocates throughout San Francico, the exodus of families with children who can no longer afford housing in a city that is becoming older, whiter and richer.

March 11 - San Francisco Chronicle

You think the preparations your coastal town are considering making to accommodate rising seal levels are onerous? Well read about the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, who are considering the need to move their entire populace to Fiji.

March 11 - Inhabitat

In this second and final look at how to achieve Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's promise of $2.50 gas, Marketplace's Kai Ryssdal reports on a subsidy strategy discussed in The Atlantic. Earlier he presented a price controls approach.

March 11 - Marketplace (American Public Media)

Eric Jaffe interviews Jarrett Walker, the author of a new, nonpartisan treatise on thinking rationally about transit.

March 11 - The Atlantic Cities

Though Gov. Jerry Brown still appears to be opposed to the idea, both houses of the California Legislature are pondering the possibility of bringing back tax-increment financing in a limited form.

March 11 - California Planning & Development Report

The 100,000 daily riders who depend on Detroit's bus system have been feeling the effects of public transportation cuts: commute times have doubled, paychecks have suffered. But Quin Klinefelter reports the worst may be yet to come.

March 10 - NPR