The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Brazil's New Dam Opens Shipping Doors But Hurts Green Image
A new $7.7 billion dam is being built in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, a piece of infrastructure expected to ease the shipment of goods between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. But its environmental impact may hurt Brazil's green credibility.
Report Indicates Drop in Portland Bicycling
Figures from a new report indicate that cycling is on the decline in Portland, widely considered America's top biking city.
LaHood Talks Trains on the Daily Show
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood talks about the federal government's mobility plans on <em>The Daily Show with Jon Stewart</em>.
How Cities Are Using Stimulus Money
This infographic from <em>GOOD</em> tracks the top recipients of money from the federal stimulus package and how that money is being used.
CTA Opens Transit Data
The Chicago Transit Authority is opening up its transit arrival data to web developers, spurring what officials and riders hope will be the creation of new tools to make riding transit in the city easier.
Will Carpools Be Tolled in San Francisco?
The Bay Area Toll Authority is recommending carpools on the Bay Bridge be tolled, along with several other changes like different rates for off-peak hours and a steep increase on truck tolls.
BLOG POST
The NIMBY Brain, and the Abstraction of Global Warming
<p> You may have noticed that over the past few years we've learned a lot more about how the brain works. This is mostly due to advances in functional neuroimaging (fMRI), which makes brain scanning much less onerous and dangerous (no radiation involved). Researchers are using this new access to the brain to send it through various puzzles and thoughts and seeing where and how the brain reacts. </p> <p> Josh Greene is an assistant professor at Harvard, and he has used his research to explore questions of moral judgement and decisionmaking. One puzzle he's looked at is called the "Trolley Problem." Here's the setup: </p>
DJ BLDGBLOG
Geoff Manaugh of <em>BLDGBLOG</em> joins WFMU's DJ/Rupture as a guest selecter, offering some musical picks and discussion about the architecture of sound -- and the sound of architecture.
Watching Water Loss Via Satellite
NASA satellites have tracked the loss of water in California's Central Valley over the past few years, and finds that drought coupled with over-irrigation are stressing the state's supplies.
From Brothel to Floodplain
A floodplain on the Truckee River -- the original site of a famous Nevada brothel -- is being restored to its natural state.
All You Need is Louvre
A war-battered town in Frances will be the site of a new extension of the venerable Louvre museum, and locals hope the addition of the cultural site will revive the struggling city.
Life is a Two-Way Street
Vancouver, Washington's Main St. had languished for years, until city officials turned the street back to two-way traffic. Everyone was surprised at how much difference it made.
China Clamping Down on Home Flippers
The Chinese government has announced their intention to increase the stock of affordable housing and tax homes sold within five years or less of purchase.
Seattle's Big Dig Controversy
Seattle's new mayor come January, Mike McGinn, a former Sierra Club activist, withdrew his campaign threat to veto the highway tunnel planned to replace the Alaska Way Viaduct.
Privatization of City Services, or Tax for the Public Good?
That's the decision cities face, says columnist John Gurda, and his hope is that Americans will reinvest in the common good through effective taxation.
The City Solution to Climate Change
In this commentary from the UN climate talks in Copenhagen, <em>Worldchanging</em>'s Alex Steffen looks beyond the quick fixes and geoengineering and notes that making cities more sustainable will help fight climate change.
The Trouble With Modeling the Future
Demographic modeling is a critical tool in urban planning. But what happens when the model is wrong?
Home Loan Program Fueled Foreclosure Boom in Cleveland
In trying to turn people into homeowners, the city of Cleveland's participation in a federally-funded home loan program greatly exacerbated its foreclosure crisis.
The Longest and Most Frustrating Commutes
This chart from <em>The Economist</em> lists how frustrated international workers are with the commute times in their countries. The U.S. ranks surprisingly low.
'A Palace for the Age of Towering Debt and Easy Credit'
<em>Los Angeles Times</em> architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne offers a take on Las Vegas' new CityCenter mega project, highlighting the project's faux-urbanism and what in the end is disappointingly conservative architecture.
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.
