The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Friday Funny: The Development Process is the Pits
Cartoonist Ben Katchor has an obsession with the built environment. In this cartoon, an architect finds inspiration in an olive, but struggles with developers who have their own ideas.
Why New Highways Get Built While Existing Roadways Crumble
A new report from U.S. PIRG reveals how special interests tilts the playing field toward the construction of new and ever-wider highways at the expense of repair and maintenance.
Architecture Is, By Definition, Corrupt
Victoria Beach, an independent architect, says that going by a recent definition by lawyer Lawrence Lessig, the entire profession of architecture is ethically corrupt.
Science City Approved in Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland, could become home to a new "science city" development that creates a hub of scientific research institutions and thousands of jobs.
Can Mass Demolitions Save Detroit?
In this video report from CNN, Detroit politicians and residents voice both opposition and support for the plan to demolish up to 3,000 abandoned homes and densify remaining housing.
California Bill Would Allow Personal Vehicle Sharing
Does your car sit unused for long periods of time? A proposed law in California would allow you and your car to be part of a unique car-sharing system.
Reintroducing Cars To Pedestrian Malls
Downtown Sacramento's 'K' St. has been one of the city's most notable economic failures. Banning cars while providing the light rail an undisturbed path never fulfilled the hopes that urban planners had for the pedestrian mall. Now cars will return.
Tech-Focused Planning for the Future of Cities
Broad thinking about the future may mean focusing on smaller, technology-based planning solutions, according to this essay from Regional Plan Association Executive Director Thomas K. Wright.
The Urban-Suburban Housing Conundrum
Marcelle Cerny describes her family's so-far-fruitless quest for an affordable, suburban-sized home in an urban area close to public transit and amenities.
Stadium in a Box
The desert nation of Qatar is trying to win hosting duties for the 2022 World Cup. A new plan to build temporary stadia is helping to increase the country's chances.
LEED-ND Officially Launches
LEED for Neighborhood Development, seen by many as a corrective to the green building rating system emphasizing sustainability at the neighborhood scale, is now official. Kaid Benfield was part of its creation, and has this report.
Are NIMFYs Next?
Converting front lawns into edible gardens is becoming popular, but some neighbors only see ugliness and worry about their property values. Are we entering the age of Not In My Front Yard (NIMFY)?
Seeking Preservation in Beijing
Wang Jun, author of two best-selling books on urban history and planning in China, became an advocate of historic preservation after watching Beijing's old city destroyed and rebuilt as skyscrapers.
More Companies Moving Back to the City
The suburbanization of business headquarters may be coming to an end.
Planning to Improve Public Health
Public health was an early impetus for better urban planning. But over the years, it has faded into the background. This piece from <em>Miler-McCune</em> looks at how health concerns are moving their way back into mainstream planning.
Georgia Transportation Bill Just the First Step
The Georgia legislature recently passed the Transportation Investment Act of 2010, which could greatly transform the urban realm in Atlanta and the rest of the state. The key phrase here is "could".
Inside the World of Maps
This series from the <em>BBC</em> looks at the art and innovation of cartography.
L.A. is Still #1
In terms of smog, metropolitan Los Angeles is still the worst city in the United States. In fact, all 10 of the smoggiest counties are in California, according to an annual report from the American Lung Association.
Won't Somebody Think of the Children?
Kids make up a big part of city populations. But often the built environment doesn't reflect a world planned with children in mind. This post from <em>Polis</em> looks at an effort to put children's needs back in the minds of planners.
FEATURE
Changing the World One Block at a Time
The neighborhood is the basic building block of human society, and successful efforts to make the world a better place often start right there, says Jay Walljasper.
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.
