The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Environmentalists in Russia are fuming over plans to construct a resort in the middle of a nature preserve near the 2014 Winter Olympics host city of Sochi.

February 8 - Der Spiegel

In an effort to cut transportation maintenance costs, some cities are ditching their asphalt roads and going back to gravel.

February 8 - USA Today

Vancouver is playing host to the Winter Olympics beginning later this week. It's a city admired across North America. But it's also home to a pocket of severe poverty and homelessness.

February 8 - The New York Times

BLOG POST

<p> &nbsp; </p> <p> When faced with the costs and logistics of rail, planners and city officials increasingly seem to favor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a trend likely to continue through the current recession.  But even with the many persuasive arguments for BRT, the nagging question remains:  why not rail? <br /> <br />

February 7 - Diana DeRubertis

Food trucks are becoming an increasingly visible part of streetlife in many cities, but few have figured out how to deal with them from a policy standpoint.

February 7 - The City Fix

Transportation officials in Los Angeles have approved the extension of one of the city's light rail lines out to Santa Monica. The new 7-mile link will connect the oceanside town to downtown L.A.

February 7 - Los Angeles Times

Obama's brand new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities admits to being inspired by Portland's groundbreaking urban planning policies.

February 7 - The Oregonian

The latest news in the impact of the built environment on health: A new study says that children who live within 150 meters of congested roads have higher body mass indexes than kids that do not.

February 7 - Streetsblog

Last week, five NYC departments released a new publication on "Active Design Guidelines," presenting ways to address public health considerations through the built environment. Urban Omnibus takes a look.

February 7 - Urban Omnibus

Prospect Plaza, three public housing towers in Brooklyn, were vacated in 2003 for refurbishment. NYC has long renovated their public housing towers instead of tearing them down, so the announcement marks a major change for the city.

February 6 - The New York Times

Detroit revitalizes urban farming to replace dying industry.

February 6 - Chicago Tribune

A secret Russian military facility abandoned by the Russian military when the Soviet Union collapsed was sold at auction on Friday by the Latvian government. Officials celebrated the sale and hoped it could bring new life to the empty town.

February 6 - The Huffington Post

Custom Home Magazine reports that not only are home sizes down for the first time in 30 years, but the number of bedrooms and bathrooms is down in new homes as well.

February 6 - CustomHomeOnline

America 2050 releases a new video imagining what a commute in future Detroit could look like, including car sharing, high-speed rail, and a light rail connector.

February 6 - America 2050

BLOG POST

<p> Followers of Vancouver city planning will remember that in 2008, as part of the approval of the EcoDensity Initiative, our Council approved what remains (we think) the highest green standard for private sector building design in North America. The 2008 policy requires that buildings that go through rezonings (representing most buildings built in Vancouver) must establish that their design, at approval, is capable of achieving LEED™ Silver. We actually nick-named it &quot;Silver Plus&quot;, because we mandated that there be a minimum of 3 energy points, 1 water point, and 1 storm water point, emphasizing the things that matter most to us.

February 5 - Brent Toderian

HUD announced this week the formation of a new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, along with $100 million in grants for regional integrated planning initiatives.

February 5 - The Seattle Times

Froma Harrop responds to Joel Kotkin's view that booming centers -- mostly in the Sunbelt -- represent the future of American urbanism.

February 5 - Truthout

This essay from <em>The Urbanophile</em> looks at the economics behind greenfield development.

February 5 - The Urbanophile

Underused since the end of the 2008 Summer Olympics, the Beijing Water Cube swimming stadium will be converted into a water park.

February 5 - Agence France Presse

Voters in Colorado Springs, Colorado voted against an increase in property taxes in November. Now they're getting a lesson in what taxes pay for, as city services cut back on water, electricity and maintenance.

February 5 - Denver Post