The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

BLOG POST

<p> Census data is already in for a couple of dozen states, and already blogs are starting to speculate about their lessons for American cities.  Some commentators look at the continued decline of Rust Belt cities like Chicago and St. Louis, and suggest that suburban sprawl continues (and will forever continue) unabated.  But reality is not quite so simple. </p>

March 3 - Michael Lewyn

Writing for <em>Newsweek</em>, George Will claims that the real reason that progressives are gung ho for high-speed rail is because it suppresses the individualism of Americans and makes them more subservient to government.

March 3 - Newsweek

Joel Kotkin recently argued that America is becoming more suburban. Tim Evans says that it's easy to draw that conclusion "when you define 'suburb' so loosely that it includes just about everything."

March 3 - Garden State Smart Growth

The foreclosure crisis and economic meltdown have left many American cities struggling to cope with thousands of properties being abandoned -- not just by owners, but by lenders as well.

March 3 - Huffington Post

If no solution is made by the end of this week, a government shutdown will grind Washington to a halt. As <em>Steetsblog</em> reports, that shutdown could cost the transportation sector $100 million per day.

March 3 - Streetsblog

The new plan is touted by Alissa Walker of Good Magazine as "perhaps the most ambitious pro-cyclist action in L.A. history."

March 3 - GOOD Magazine

A study of Twitter-use patterns found that some cities are far more active early in the morning, while others showed higher activity at night or on weekends.

March 3 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Colleen O'Connor, a writer for <em>The Denver Post</em>, uses the case of Colorado to demonstrate what she sees as an inadequate supply of affordable housing across the country.

March 3 - The Denver Post

<em>Streetfilms</em> has begun a ten-part video series looking at non-automobile transportation in cities across the U.S.

March 3 - Streetfilms

As floods increase and the tourist-focus of the city pervades, Venice, Italy is losing much of its charm -- and its native population.

March 3 - Der Spiegel

Despite recent state actions to counter the federal government's efforts, President Barack Obama has called on the nation's governors to make infrastructure projects a priority.

March 3 - Governing

There are many challenges facing cities and suburbs across the country. How they handle such issues may determine if they thrive or fail in the 21st century, writes Mary Newsom.

March 2 - Citiwire

ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd talks to Richard Florida about cities and talent migration in the sports world.

March 2 - ESPN Radio

In an attempt to lure more employees of high-tech companies to use public transit, the Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority has proposed buses with wi-fi, reclining seats, and even a concierge to coordinate dry-cleaning services.

March 2 - GOOD Magazine

With the Second City experiencing a 7% decline in the population over the past decade, the newly elected Mayor Rahm Emmanuel must adapt to a suburban-dominated environment.

March 2 - Chicago Tribune

As housing costs rise and supplies dwindle in Caracas, more than 2500 squatters have occupied a downtown skyscraper.

March 2 - The New York Times

A landscape urbanism biennale in an unlikely suburb of Tel Aviv offers its working class citizens a look how their city can change for the better.

March 2 - The Architect's Newspaper

BLOG POST

<p>Most trends are fleeting, some of them mercifully so. Some last no longer than a Lady Gaga wardrobe change. But urbanism is still, by and large, a leisurely exercise, so it&#39;s no wonder that planners still embrace fashions on a nearly generational basis. It often takes that long just to see if something works. Or not.  <br /><br />So, while Gaga would inspire us to attach telephones to our heads and light our bustiers on fire, planners who ascribe to the principles of smart growth are still rhetorically swaddling cities in the urban equivalent of flannel. For better or worse, this age may finally be coming to a close. Don&#39;t cry, Monster.</p>

March 2 - Josh Stephens

The city of New York has been trying to encourage an increase in bike lanes throughout the city. But the issue has become increasingly political, and progress has been slowed.

March 2 - The Gotham Gazette

Canada's suburbs don't have to be a problem, according to architect Drew Adams, who proposes a plan to densify them by developing unused space.

March 2 - The Toronto Star