The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
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.
Beloved Bicycles, in Oil and Acrylic
Artist Taliah Lampert paints portraits of bicycles, particularly well-used and loved bikes. She sees them as symbols of freedom and empowerment.
Counting Bikes in Copenhagen
Streetsfilm reports from Copenhagen during the UN climate summit, looking at the city's innovative bicycle infrastructure, including a prominent bicycle counter next to a lane to inspire civic pride.
Boxcars Getting in the Way of High-Speed Rail
In Chicago, plans to make passenger and commuter trains faster are limited by the freight trains that share the tracks. The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) is working to improve that relationship.
Historic Preservation vs. Revitalization?
In Willmar, Minnesota, city officials were not pleased when a mandated environmental review concluded that the 68-year old airport building they wanted to demolish was historically significant.
Streetcars: Old is New Again in Rockford
Rockford, Illinois used to have a system of streetcars, interurban rail and long-distance passenger trains like many cities. Planners now say the time is right to consider rebuilding.
Rivers Reworked in South Korea
South Korean officials have begun work on a $19.2 billion effort to remake the country's four largest rivers. The project would slightly reshape the rivers and add towns and bike trails to their waterfronts.
Is Riding Transit Necessarily Better For The Environment Than Driving?
In the third of a 5-part "Rethinking Green" series, the National Post casts doubt on public transit's ability to reduce global warming while praising driving; applying similar scrutiny to recycling and aquaculture in the first and second installments
U.S. Megaprojects Are Not in the U.S.
Some say the age of mega infrastructure projects is over in the U.S., but this piece from <em>Foreign Policy</em> argues the U.S. megaproject lives on -- just not inside the U.S.
3D Motown
The team at Google has released a 3D model of Detroit.
Land Use and Medical Marijuana
Like many cities in California, San Diego is struggling to form a policy around the booming medical marijuana dispensaries that have popped up around the city. The first place they're starting is with land use restrictions.
Green Retrofits Required in New York City
The New York City Council has passed a suite of bills hat require green retrofits on the city's buildings.
Old Buildings See New Life As Schools
School officials in the UK are increasingly looking at old office buildings and other existing facilities that can be converted into school houses more affordably than building from scratch.
Ancient Irrigators
Irrigation canals dating back to the year 1200 B.C. were discovered in Arizona this year, answering a long-asked question about how natives were able to farm the arid land.
Banning the Cul-de-Sac and Building Bike Highways
From bicycle highways to a ban on the cul-de-sac, the built environment is the focus of many of <em>The New York Times Magazine</em>'s ideas of the year.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.
