The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The small community of Tofino on Vancouver Island is looking to ban all future franchise retail establishments from moving into town.

March 11 - The Vancouver Sun

Most of the new housing units being occupied in New York City are illegal basement spaces. Bringing those spaces up to code could create thousands of units of affordable housing in the city.

March 11 - Urban Omnibus

Can historic preservation make room for evolution, and even change? UNESCO's Cultural Landscapes designation attempts to leave room for places to evolve without losing their character.

March 11 - ASLA's The Dirt blog

A new book explores the disconnect between how a "mega-city" region is portrayed through statistics, demographics, etc., and how it is perceived by the public.

March 11 - re:place Magazine

FEATURE

March 11 - Scott Doyon

Officials in Reynoldsburg, Ohio are pushing through strict design guidelines with expensive requirements in an attempt to encourage high-end condos over rental apartments.

March 11 - The Columbus Dispatch

The director of the Cincinnati Art Museum says in order to prepare for the future, the city should rebuild its streetcar system and build on its strengths in the arts.

March 10 - Architect Magazine

According to the latest census data projections, Canada will become a remarkably diverse nation in the coming decades, with increasing ethnic and racial mixing being concentrated in the nations' cities.

March 10 - The Globe and Mail

The latest addition to Google Maps is a bicycle service, helping cyclists plan routes, find bike trails, and avoid hills.

March 10 - Chicago Tribune

Grist writer Lisa Selin Davis argues that now is the time to make public transit a priority in serving outer suburbs, because the rebounding economy will inevitably lead to increased demand.

March 10 - Grist

A European report shows that high-speed rail is creating social cohesion and accessibility for remote places. Could the same effect happen in the U.S.?

March 10 - Brookings blog

Dwindling tax revenues force fiscal restraint in Maryland, where planners are shifting money from highway expansion to infrastructure maintenance.

March 10 - Baltimore Sun

Carl Anthony suggests that emerging land use policies (such as high speed rail) could threaten to exacerbate trends towards racial segregation, unless there is broader participation from people of color in planning processes.

March 10 - Yes! Magazine

Slate continues its series on wayfinding with the little-known story of the symbolic conflicts among the U.S., the former Soviet Union and Japan over how to direct people in a time of crisis.

March 10 - Slate

Already criticized for its sprawl, the largest city in New Zealand is putting on its game face as it prepares to host its largest sporting event ever - the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

March 10 - The New Zealand Herald

$1 will buy you one square inch of a vacant lot in Detroit, and membership in Jerry Paffendorf's club of "inchvestors." It may sound like a scheme, but Paffendorf calls it a way to network, invest in Detroit, and attract entrepreneurs.

March 10 - NPR

Harvard economics professor Edward L. Glaeser argues that the United States has a long, pervasive pattern of anti-urban behavior that needs to change.

March 9 - The Boston Globe

How grassroots organizers beat out commercial bidders, and overcame zoning hurdles to redevelop Catholic church into affordable housing.

March 9 - WBUR - Boston public radio

The don't bite. They don't need much space. They follow kids around like a dog. We're talking about miniature goats. Planning commissions across the country are being asked to moved the hooved animals into the "pet" category.

March 9 - USA Today

About half of commercial mortgage defaults in Las Vegas last year were for vacant land. With loans impossible to get and construction at a halt, vacant land is a hard sell.

March 9 - Las Vegas Review-Journal