The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Americans Spending More On Housing Than Ever
18.6 million American households –renters and homeowners alike – spend more than half their income on housing, according to a new study by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.
Town Bans Bikes Over Safety Concerns
Black Hawk, Colorado, population 100, has seen increased traffic since building a casino in 1991. Officials say their narrow, Gold Rush-era streets are not up to accommodating both bikes and vehicles, so bikes are verboten.
Note to Environmentalists: Stop Being NIMBYs
Some of the resistance that killed a major smart growth project in Alameda, California came from environmentalists. Josh Harkinson argues that its time for enviros to stop fighting smart growth and embrace density.
The Importance Of Locally Owned Banks
What is the toll that communities, especially poorer ones pay when locally owned banks with local ties are taken over by larger ones? This article describes how the loss of just such a bank has affected Maywood, a working class suburb of Chicago.
New York's Expensive Parks
Patrick Arden reports that "No other parks system in America relies as much on other people's money" as New York. Arden examines the public-private partnership, and problems inherent in relying on donations to maintain parks.
Tapping the Crowd to Solve America's Transportation Problem
<em>Slate</em> is soliciting ideas from its readers to improve the nation's transportation system.
Community Gardens in the Corporate World
A new community garden on the Intel corporate campus in Hillsboro, Oregon is just one of many such plots that have been added to corporate sites across the country.
Amount of Families in Shelters Increases
The number of families in homeless shelters increased by 7% in 2009, according to a new report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Funding Permanent Housing for the Homeless in Tempe
Officials in Tempe, Arizona and Maricopa County are using federal stimulus money to help end chronic homelessness by providing permanent housing options.
Bank Rule Change Could Help Struggling Neighborhoods
A new rule proposed by federal regulators would allow bank investments made for neighborhood stabilization efforts and donations of foreclosed properties to be count towards compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act.
Double-Parking, Churches, and Cyclist Safety
Double-parking can be hazardous to cyclists. But police in San Francisco aren't enforcing the law when double-parking happens during church services. Some argue that the rule of law must be followed.
Getting the Mix Right in Mixed-Use
A local Austin developer talks about the challenges of getting the right mix of services that residents can support.
Addressing Our "Addiction To Oil": Have We Heard This Before?
Jon Stewart examines Obama's and his seven predecessors attempts to end this addiction, stated in various ways, showing how popular the term is, yet how ineffectual every president has been.
Locals vs Tourists Mapped Through Photography
Eric Fischer uses Flickr geodata to visualize where photos are taken in cities, and by whom. The result is a colorful divide between tourists and locals in a variety of cities around the world.
The Gulf Oil Spill Illustrates a Corrupt Regulatory System
On the Commons criticizes the policy of 'enclosure' that has allowed "the systemic failures of the regulatory system and its political sponsors, Congress and the President," to go unnoticed.
Green Energy Economy Debate: Hot Air Or Feasible Goal?
In this Newshour video (with transcript), spokesmen from a liberal and conservation think tank debate each other on the feasibility of transitioning to clean, green energy from the current fossil fuel powered economy in light of the Gulf disaster.
Dollar Stores and Groceries Bouncing Back
A new study shows a significant increase in planned new retail stores over the past three months, and discounters and grocery stores are leading the way.
The Hidden Roadblock for Sustainability
According to Portland, Oregon Mayor Sam Adams, that roadblock is the lack of financing for clean technology upgrades for buildings. Fast Company talks to Adams about his goal to make Portland the most sustainable city in the world.
Randal O'Toole vs. the Livable Communities Act
O'Toole asks why, if there is such a demand for high-density, mixed-use housing, that the government needs to subsidize it?
City of Mt Shasta
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.
