The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The Dreamers Behind the Interstate Highway System
Josh Stephens reviews <a>Big Roads</a> by Earl Swift, which profiles Thomas MacDonald and Frank Turner, the civil engineers who made the Interstate Highway System a reality.
What Is Christmas Without the Department Store?
Robert David Sullivan writes that the Main Street America department store is a holiday tradition, a grand public crossroads for celebrating the season.
Tea Party Candidate Nixes Transit Center
They mayor of Troy, Mich. chooses ideology over investment, <em>The Atlantic's</em> says Eric Jaffe.
Readers Respond To Leinberger's 'Death of Fringe Suburb'
The Times published three responses to op-eds by Leinberger and anti-sprawl contributor, Louise A. Mozingo. Univ. of IL urban planning professor and author Robert Bruegmann and Carnegie Endowment director Shin-Pei Tsay present contrasting viewpoints.
The Traumatizing Effect Of Train Suicides
Caltrain, the 77-mile, Gilroy/San Jose - SF commuter railroad, is suffering an unwelcome resurgence of ‘suicide by train’--16 deaths this year, of which 11 are confirmed suicides. Bay Citizen investigates the psychological effect on train engineers.
Ice Cube's LA Vision...at the Eames
In this short video, Ice Cube waxes poetic about Los Angeles' attitude, highways, and landmarks.
The Year's Hottest Design Trends for Housing and Architecture
Builder Magazine picks their top 10, including smaller apartment options, multigenerational households and... minimalist bathrooms.
How Local Manufacturing Can Rub the Rust off the Rust Belt
William Bostwick explores how locally-sourced, niche product manufacturing could help the Rust Belt rise.
ULI Descends Upon LA With Ideas for Union Station
Carter Rubin at LA Metro’s The Source reports on ULI’s vision for Union Station, which Metro bought for a song earlier this year.
For Luxury Apts, City May Exceed Parking Maximums
As plans move forward for luxury apartments on the site of Greenwich Village's former St. Vincent's Hospital, the city is divided over whether to allow an oversized parking garage on-site. The Municipal Art Society particularly cries "fuzzy math."
London Taxi Drivers' 'Knowledge' Alters Brain Makeup
London requires more topographical knowledge of its taxi drivers than any other city in the world. Now researchers have found that acquiring 'the knowledge' required to gain certification physically changes a human brain.
New Study Finds Twitter Reinforces Place-Based Networks
A new study that explores the geography of twitter networks finds that rather than making place obsolete, their intensity can be predicted by location and proximity, suggesting they enhance location based relationships.
"Civic Action" Examines Art's Role In Development
The Noguchi museum in New York has asked four artists to take a crack at city planning by offering a new way of interpreting the construction of urban fabric. Martha Schwendener evaluates the results.
As Long as It's Flexible, No End for Urban Retail
Last week, a panel of retailers and developers discussed the challenges--and, ultimately, the keys to success--of urban retail. Susan Piperato reports.
"Millionaire's Tax" Hurts the Poor, Too
NYU Urban Planning professor Mitchell L. Moss says that the poor will bear a larger burden as a result of their dependence on an equally burdened MTA--whose finances are being leveraged to help the rest of the state.
The Apple Store: The City's "Seal of Approval"?
Apple stores are great revenue generators in cities, writes Brian Caulfield, but not just as a one-off. Customers tend to come back for more products and repairs, and the stores themeslves encourage plenty of cross-shopping nearby.
How Manhattan's Grid Paved the Way to Success
A new exhibit at The Museum of the City of New York calls New York's 1807 master plan "The Greatest Grid." Jon Meacham takes us on a tour of the exhibit with curator Hilary Ballon.
Ambitious Effort to Urbanize India
The Indian government is betting big with simultaneously building a massive high speed freight corridor between Delhi & Mumbai as well the physical infrastructure for 24 new cities that will become an industrial corridor.
Population Growth Slows Dramatically in California, Including Fewer Births
Not only are more Californians leaving the state for greener pastures than those moving to it, but the birth rate is dropping as well according to a detailed new demographic report by county on 2010-2011 growth by the state Department of Finance.
High-Speed Rail R.I.P.?
Between the Obama Administration's patchwork approach to funding and outright Republican opposition, high speed rail appears to be dead.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
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.
