The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Advocates Push for Tearing Down Freeway Through Olmsted Corridor
Buffalo's Kensington Expressway cut the Humbolt Parkway neighborhood and its Frederick Law Olmsted-designed corridor in half in 1958. Activists are pushing the state to consider tearing it down and replacing it with a pedestrian-friendly boulevard.
America in 2050: More Decentralized
The U.S. is expected to grow by more than 100 million people over the next 40 years, and much of that growth will occur in urban areas. Joel Kotkin says that this growth will highlight the inefficiencies of centralized power.
Why the Census Needs Adjustment
The Census is going to be wrong, according to this column from <em>The Washington Post</em>. Statistical adjustments help get undercounts closer to reality, but many opponents prevent their use.
Some Say Tysons Corner Density Plans Create Too Many Disincentives
Citizens in Tysons Corner worry that plans to densify the city don't offer enough incentives to developers to come to town.
BLOG POST
The Power of the Kindergarten Art Supplies in Planning
<p> PlaceMatters has partnered with the <a href="http://www.charretteinstitute.org" title="National Charrette Institute">National Charrette Institute</a> on a number of occasions, providing trainings and giving panel presentations at conferences. One of our common themes is "High Touch, High Tech Charrettes." During the sessions we talk about the advantages of low tech and when it makes sense to bring in high tech. Below I have embedded a video that is a montage of clips filmed during a downtown revitalization Charrette in Wichita Kansas. In this project, PlaceMatters partnered with Goody Clancy to help residents go through a series of exercises including keypad polling and mapping exercises to brainstorm about the future of downtown Wichita. </p>
Carrion to Leave Urban Affairs Post
Adolfo Carrion, director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs, has announced plans to leave his position, trading it for a post in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The Key to Livability May Be Education
Pittsburgh and other college towns top Forbes Magazine's annual Most Livable Cities list of 2010.
Turning Excess Heat Into Energy
'Waste heat' is a hot area of research as an alternative energy source. Providers say they can turn excess heat produced by machines in factories into clean electricity.
Why Toronto Will Never Be A Great City
<em>Toronto Star</em> architecture critic Christopher Hume writes that a recent controversy in the city over a proposed waterfront sports complex highlights why Toronto will never be a great city.
Deepwater Horizon Disaster May go Global
The incredible pressures at work three miles below the ocean may prevent capping or relieving the oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico. If it continues for months or years, the scope of the disaster could be global, warns James Moore.
South Africa's Crumbling Urban Rail Network
More than a third of the rolling stock in South Africa's urban rail network will go out of service within the next three years, creating a looming rail catastrophe across the country.
Unlike Beijing, Shanghai Preserves Some History
The government of Shanghai was ahead of the curve with preservation, creating 12 historic preservation zones in the city in 2004.
I'm Not A City Planner, But I Play One in Video Games
Today IBM is releasing a new video game called CityOne that reportedly is like SimCity but with more serious environmental and economic issues at stake. And yes, the gamer plays the role of a city planner.
The Urban Jungle, Expressed Literally Through Art
Los Angeles developer Barry Shy commissioned a muralist to paint an "urban jungle" in the lobby of his new residential high-rise. He got lions and waterfalls snuggled up against the downtown LA skyline.
"Rezoning Madness" in Ireland
Local authorities throughout Ireland have rezoned ag land into residential at a ridiculous rate, according to a recent study that shows a demand for fewer than 300,000 units where 800,000 units are now allowed.
Billions in Transportation Funding Needed in PA, Says Panel
Pennsylvania's Transportation Advisory Committee says the state desperately needs to boost its budget for transit, roads and especially bridges by $3 billion.
Economic Woes Decimate Planning Departments
The budget crisis in California, as elsewhere, has forced planning departments statewide to bid farewell to valuable staff members and come up with creative ways to handle caseloads.
The Return of the "Local"
Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance summarizes some of the key positive trends in re-localization.
The Impossibility of Vertical Farming
Stan Cox and David Van Tassel point out that skyscraper farms will never work as promised because of their inability to provide natural sunlight.
Lessons From NYC: Congestion Pricing
In April 2008, the NYS Assembly rejected NYC Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing proposal for Manhattan. A subsequent attempt to toll the free East & Harlem River bridges also failed. Bruce Schaller (NYC-DOT), involved in both efforts explains why
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Clovis
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
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.
