The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Supermarkets Designed to Make You Fat
Access to healthy food is a major issue in public health. But just because there's a grocery store nearby doesn't mean health will improve. One entrepreneur looking at supermarket design says the way stores are laid out negatively affects health.
Reasons That the Home Building Biz is Still Busted
Witold Rybczynski writes the epitaph for the McMansion. With the housing market in the toilet, Rybczynski says new homebuyers are going to be seeking something smaller, more affordable and possibly not a single-family home.
Mega-Events Take Toll on Brazil's Slum Dwellers
This op-ed from <em>Al Jazeera</em> looks at some of the negative ways preparations for the World Cup and Olympics are affecting the poor in Brazil.
Following Up on Dire Predictions About Water in the West
25 years after the publication of Cadillac Desert, scientists have scrutinized the predictions of the hallmark history of water in the Western U.S. and find that its dire warnings are not far off.
Do You Approve or Disapprove of Public Art?
An independent group is seeking to "ignite essential discussions about art in Los Angeles" by getting locals to put APPROVE or DISAPPROVE stickers on public art around the city.
FEATURE
Charles Moore's Los Angeles
Architect Charles Moore was an intellect and practitioner that loved Los Angeles, pushing the envelope of the city's nostalgia and utopianism while simultaneously embracing them, says urban designer Vinayak Bharne.
Revitalizing Buffalo's Waterfront
Buffalo, New York is restoring portions of its historic waterfront into a 2-acre, walkable, mixed-use neighborhood.
Self-Driving Cars Coming Soon to A Street Near You
...particularly if you live in Nevada, where Google is pressing hard to convince lawmakers to allow their autonomous vehicles on public roads.
The Architect of Aquatecture
Koen Olthuis is an architect of floating structures, from floating condominiums in the Netherlands to a floating mosque in the United Arab Emirates. Inhabitat dates to ask, why? What is the relevance of aquatecture?
Can Different "Greens" Mix?
Governing Magazine identifies a trend: States consolidating their various environmental agencies (parks, wildlife, energy, etc.) to less than stellar effect.
Urban House Boats Offer Escape from City Life
WebUrbanist covers a trend in urban habitats: urban house boats. In this piece they profile three particularly impressive works of architecture.
Effort to "Green" the Empire State Building Paying Off
A $550 million plan to retrofit the Empire State Building pays off by attracting a new high-profile tenant, the social networking giant LinkedIn.com.
The Problem With "Most Livable Cities" Lists
Edwin Heathcote of the Financial Times says that lists of the "Best Cities" often fail because they select cities that are the most "livable", ignoring what makes cities "lovable".
Jane Jacobs' Complex Legacy
On the occasion of Jane Jacobs' birthday (and the international "Jane's Walks" held in her honor), Stephen Wickens muses on Jane Jacobs' legacy and the ways in which her ideas are used -- and misused -- in an age of superficial mass media.
Germany Bets Big on Its Own HSR Network
Eager to see the national train system (the Deutsche Bahn) regain its prestige and reputation for efficiency, the state-owned rail operator has pledged to invest 6 billion euros to acquire 300 of the most advanced high-speed trains in the world.
New Orleans as a Laboratory for Architecture and Urban Planning
An article in <em>The Architect's Newspaper</em> describes post-Katrina redevelopment plans and calls the city a lab for architecture and planning.
The Planner Behind the Parklets
Andres Power, an urban designer for the San Francisco Planning Department, is the driving force behind the city's now-popular Pavement to Park program. Streetsblog's Bryan Goebel sat down to talk with him about the process.
"There Aren't Nearly Enough People Here."
That was David Motzenbecker's thought as he began a public meeting of the Minneapolis Planning Department, which inspired him to re-think how the city engages the public.
Has Canada Botched "the Mother of all Data"?
The 2011 Canadian Census marks a new era in population information: it is now a brief and voluntary household survey, which has led to widespread concern that Canadian public policy will be left fundamentally crippled, writes Sean Kilpatrick.
Philadelphia Leads the Largest Cities in America for Bicycle Mode Share
A new report from The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia shows that Philadelphia's bicycle mode share is more than double that of Chicago's (the big city with the second-greatest share).
City of Charlotte
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
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.
