The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The Urban Farms of New York
In the Bronx, Brooklyn, and even the Upper East Side, rooftop farming is making inroads. The City Greens profiles a handful of these urban pioneers.
Introducing the "Parklet"
The streetscape of San Francisco is changing, one tiny piece at a time. Planners are slowly taking over pieces of the streets and turning them into tiny "parklets" for pedestrians.
Israeli Housing Plan Draws Ire of Peace Negotiators
The Quartet on the Middle East (the United Nations, the US, the EU and Russia) have issued a statement denouncing the Israeli settlement plan, but Palestinian groups are disappointed that it contains no enforcement provisions.
Waterfront Rail Plans Advance in Philadelphia
Plans to construct a waterfront rail line in Philadelphia are moving forward, with the recent approval of a $6.5 million contract to perform environmental reviews.
Detroit Makes Big Hire to Aid Downsizing
Urban planning expert Toni Griffin has been recruited to help Detroit downsize and recover -- thanks to an infusion of money from a private philanthropic foundation.
Feeding the Hungry from the Backyard
One solution to urban food security is surprisingly simple: gathering fruit from backyard trees.
'Dooring' Claims Bronx Cyclist
It's yet another anecdotal reason for cyclists to bike well clear of the 'door zone' - and engineers and planners to ensure that cyclists have room to do so. Megan Charlop's bicycle ricocheted off a car door directly into the path of a city bus.
Political Skirmishes Delaying Ground Zero Construction
New York City's Ground Zero has sat as an empty hole for years. Though infrastructure work is underway, politics are holding the rebuilding back, according to this interview with <em>New Yorker</em> architecture critic Paul Goldberger.
Splicing Small Farms into Residential Development
Small farms are increasingly being integrated into new housing development proposals. One new project in Washington is betting on the growing popularity of local food to draw in homebuyers.
Disney-Adjacent Development, For Sale By Owner
Built during the height of the boom, GardenWalk in Anaheim was a can't-fail mixed-use shopping center with condos. The retail opened just as the recession hit, and this week the developer has put the condo construction rights up for sale.
The Challenges of Shrinking Cities
Mayor Bing of Detroit has announced an intention to "right-size" the city. Ed Glaeser talks about what that might mean.
The Car Reconsidered
When most people use their cars in urban settings, what sort of vehicle is optimal? MIT's Media Lab asks the question, in their quest to invent the next generation of personal mobility.
The Rise of NORCs
There are senior-living and retirement communities all over the U.S., but a new breed of housing for the elderly is emerging in cities across the world: the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community, or NORC.
High Speed Rail Sprawl
Some planners are warning that high speed rail could spur exurban growth and sprawl.
Town's Plan to Cap Residential Growth Violates State Law
A judge has overruled a voter-approved plan in the California city of Pleasanton to cap the number of new residences allowed in the city in an effort to curb the area's growing congestion.
Rethinking Urban Alleyways in Seattle
Through a new competition, the city of Seattle is looking to revive and reuse the alleys of the urban core.
Seeking Solutions to California's Drought
This piece from <em>National Geographic</em> takes a look at the three-year drought that's plaguing California's cities and farms.
CO2 'Domes' Pose Problems for Cities
New research suggests that huge domes of carbon dioxide hover over urban areas, which is prompting some scientists and policymakers to stress the importance of cities as the frontlines of the war on greenhouse gas emissions.
Houston's Light Rail Funding Woes
Too much, too fast, is the analysis from The Transport Politic. Based on a voter-approved, Nov, 2003 plan funded by a one-cent sales tax, the transit plus HOV/HOT conversion plan has run into funding problems. This article focuses on LRT expansion.
FEATURE
Freeways Responsible For Emptying Out Cities
A recent study shows that for every significant freeway that gets built in a major city, population declines by about 18%. Nathaniel Baum-Snow, author of the study, talks with Planetizen.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.
