The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The South eats up more resources than the rest of the U.S., says reporter Elizabeth Daigneau. With 36% of the U.S. population, the South uses 44% of the nation's energy consumption.

June 28 - Governing Magazine

New York's Court of Appeals overturned an earlier decision that prevented Columbia University from using eminent domain to build an extension of their campus.

June 28 - The Architect's Newspaper

More first-time, energy-conscious, urban home buyers with smaller households have contributed to a noticeable reduction in home size as shown in 2008-2009 housing Census data. Concurrently, lower-priced home sales outpaced more expensive homes.

June 28 - The Philadelphia Inquirer Via Austin American Statesman

Private transit in the form of livery vans are now sanctioned as part of a year long pilot pushed by Mayor Bloomberg that will compete with public bus and taxi for areas not well-served by the city's extensive, but hard-hit transit network.

June 28 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

A political battle is brewing in Paris, where the city's mayor wants to close off sections of roadway along the River Seine, a move that President Nicholas Sarkozy is against.

June 28 - The New York Times

Planners in Indianapolis have revealed plans for an "aerotropolis" to develop around the city's international airport.

June 28 - Herald-Times

Wal-Mart is succeeding in convincing Chicago politicians that it will create sustainable "employment and revenue for the city." The predominantly suburban-based supercenter chain is trying to move into denser urban areas.

June 28 - New York Times

Households that are given affordable housing have more money to spend, which can bring more money into the economy, according to a new study from the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy.

June 27 - Crain's

Mall operators across the country were getting requests for rent relief during the economic downturn, but in a sign of possible recovery, the requests have mostly dried up.

June 27 - Retail Traffic Magazine

The first freeway in California is being renamed back to its original designation, the 'Arroyo Seco Parkway.' Known more recently as simply 'the 110,' it was considered a "marvel of engineering," when construction began in 1938.

June 27 - Los Angeles Times

A public art project that appeared in Brisbane, Australia proposes a "priority seating area for people who want conversation" in order to encourage friendly chatter on public buses.

June 27 - I (heart) Public Space

With fewer staff members to cover the workload, L.A. is redefining planners' roles, including a change that will make planners more community-focused and less centralized.

June 27 - The Planning Report

William Frey of Brookings Institution analyzes census data from 2008-2009 in a WSJ economics blog that unmistakably shows a reduction of growth within suburban parts of metro areas while the cities in metro areas have increased in population.

June 26 - The Wall Street Journal

In the face of an $800 million budget gap, the MTA just blinked, closing the W and V lines on Friday night. More than 30 bus routes are also scheduled to close in an effort to save $93 million.

June 26 - Associated Press

Philadelphia is considering renaming a stop on the Broad Street Subway 'AT&T Station' for $3 million. With transit agencies hurting, is this a solution or a sell-out?

June 26 - the transport politic

Martin Pedersen of Metropolis Magazine explains how a city ordinance termed the 'plaza bonus,' lead to the creation of more than five hundred "privately financed, privately owned, but public spaces."

June 26 - Metropolis

Will airports become the "anchors of 21st century development," as Prof. John Kasarda believes? Kasarda spoke in Edmonton, Alberta, where planners are considering developing airport-adjacent greenfields into dense development.

June 26 - Edmonton Journal

Vision California, the state's first planning document in over thirty years, was released Wednesday and concludes that planners "should focus on creating compact development in already established cities," over continued suburban sprawl.

June 25 - San Francisco Chronicle

Known as PPPs, these consortiums combine the best of public and private sectors to finance, build and operate large projects quickly and efficiently. The 23-mile rail line from downtown's Union Station is expected to start soon and open in 2016.

June 25 - The Denver Post

The 'Twilight' series of books and movies has created a tourism industry in the small town of Forks, Washington, population 3,120.

June 25 - USA Today