The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Protesters Blast Wisconsin's Refusal of Rail Money
Protesters in Wisconsin are trying to reverse governor-elect Scott Walker's opposition to stimulus-funding for high speed rail projects -- $810 million that the government would have paid the state.
Jersey City's 'High Line' Spurs Controversy
A proposal to redevelop an abandoned rail embankment in Jersey City has pitted preservationists and smart growth proponents against each other.
Billions to be Invested in Infrastructure Ahead of 2018 World Cup
As Russia prepares to host the 2018 World Cup, officials are predicting that infrastructure projects will see a major boost.
Animal Overpasses
Highways can be deadly for animals, especially when they cut directly through habitats. A recently completed design competition sought ideas for creating animal-safe bridges over highways.
Vancouver Considers Higher Skyline
The city of Vancouver is considering a plan to increase maximum building height restrictions in certain parts of town by 100 feet and more.
Jobs on the Rise in Rural America
More than two-thirds of rural areas in the United States have seen growth in jobs since 2009, according to this article from <em>The Daily Yonder</em>.
Troubles Persist in California's Delta
The process of re-designing California's Delta to protect endangered species, feed the state's farms and serve freshwater to its residents has become further complicated.
The Nation's Best and Worst Commutes, By Cost
<em>TheStreet</em> and <em>Bundle</em> have ranked the best and worst commutes in 90 American cities, based on costs and time.
Immigrants' First Stop: Suburbia
New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that new immigrants have been heading to small towns and suburban areas rather than big cities over the past decade.
The Larger Importance of Small Parks
A new book shows that even small parks have the potential to engage social and ecological issues through thoughtful design.
High Speed Rail Debate Comes Down To Voters
Consumer Affairs looks at high speed rail's future in the U.S. by first looking at rail's domineering past, noting the huge change after the Interstate Highway Act along with the land use changes the auto brought, but concludes it all comes down to..
Your Next Car Might Run on Air
CNN profiles the "Air Pod", a tiny three-wheeled vehicle that runs on compressed air [Video]
Where are the Black Urbanists?
Urbanism tends to be an interest of a small group: the young, the male, and the pale, according to Kristen E. Jeffers who wants to see more groups and more people of color engaged.
India Plans 24 'Green' Cities
India, in partnership with Japan, is planning to build 24 "green" cities along a corridor between the major urban areas of Delhi and Mumbai.
Moving Towards a Melting Pot
According to data from the most recent Census, segregation along racial lines has hit an 100-year low in seventy-five percent of U.S. metropolitan areas. Southern and Western cities have showed the most noticeable integration trends.
BLOG POST
The Federal Interest in Non-Highway Transportation
As Congress begins to draft transportation legislation next year, fiscal scarcity may induce a fight between transit and highway advocates over federal funding, rather than the cooperation of the last few years. And if highway advocates seek to tear down federal support for other forms of transportation, they will probably rely heavily on federalism considerations, arguing that highways are inherently an interstate concern while transit and non-motorized forms of transportation are a nonfederal concern.<span> </span>For example, Alan Pisarski writes: “If sidewalks and bike paths are federal then <em>everything</em> is federal.” <p class="MsoNormal"> There are two flaws in this argument.<span> </span>First of all, highways are not always primarily an interstate concern
The Office Goes Urban
Motivated by factors such as municipal incentive packages and the changing preferences of younger workers, many companies are relocating to central business districts, reversing a post-war trend that based the American workplace in the suburbs.
Local Govts. Step to the Plate on Climate Change
With politics tangling up action on the Federal level, cities and local governments are adopting climate action plans to combat global warming. Smart growth is high on the list of action items.
Walmart vs. New Yorkers
Walmart has met enormous opposition in its attempts to open stores in New York City in the past, but that isn't stopping the big box behemoth. The City Council is hearing new arguments this week.
Livable Communities Act Faces Uncertain Future
The mid-term elections have created even more uncertainty for the Livable Communities Act, which has stalled in the House and has yet to be taken up by the full Senate. Critics worry about government spending and housing affordability.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
