The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Is Starchitecture Over?
The Nottingham Contemporary, a stark new museum building in London, exhibits none of the architectural excess of the past several years in contemporary architecture, says critic Tom Dyckhoff.
Minneapolis-St. Paul Residents Get A New Commute
$320 million dollars and 13 years after construction began, the Northstar commuter rail began running today between Big Lake and Minneapolis.
A Look Back at the Urban Impact of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz
As termed-out Mayor Manny Diaz leaves office in Miami, <em>The Miami Herald</em>'s Andres Viglucci takes a look back at the impact Diaz had on the city's growth.
The Most Musical Cities in North America
This chart from the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto looks at North America's musical epicenters -- cities where the most music is produced.
Transit Expansion is Streetlife Expansion in L.A.
An extension of one of L.A.'s light rail lines opened this past weekend. <em>Los Angeles Times</em> architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne offers a hopeful prediction that the extension will inspire an improvement in streetlife.
BLOG POST
Learning from TTI
<p> This week, I finally got around to looking at the latest (2009) Texas Transportation Institute study on traffic congestion. (1) </p> <p> Two facts struck me as interesting. First, the great congestion surge of the past decade or two is over. In most large metropolitan areas, congestion (measured as hours lost to congestion per traveler) peaked around 2005, and actually declined in 2005-07. For example, in Atlanta, hours lost to congestion peaked at 61, and decreased to 57 by 2007. Congestion increased in only three of the fourteen largest regions (Washington, Detroit and Houston)- and in each of these by only one hour per traveler. </p>
The Remarkable Rezoning of NYC
Recently the NYC Planning Dept. announced its 100th rezoning since Bloomberg took office. This article takes a spin through the city's remarkable shift in the last 50 years away from industry to business and tourism and a sustainable approach.
Extreme Makeover Makeover in Buffalo
The planning staff of Buffalo, NY lobbied ABC to bring their program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to Buffalo - and change their suburban standards to New Urbanist ones.
Penalosa Critical of Gujarat BRT
Enrique Penalosa, famed as the "Father of Bus Rapid Transit," pays a visit to the Ahmedabad BRTS in Gujarat, India. Penalosa was positive, but doesn't think it goes far enough in catering to pedestrians over cars.
VMT Fee May Replace Car Taxes In Netherlands
Imagine this: Replacing the sales tax on purchasing a new vehicle and annual, 'fixed' fees with a VMT fee based on size, weight, and CO2 emissions of the vehicle. This is the plan of the Dutch government to reduce congestion and greenhouse gases.
Fed Seeks More Control Over Transit Safety
In light of recent transit accidents, especially the Red Line crash in Washington, DC suburbs, the Obama Administration is seeking legislation to set and enforce safety standards on transit systems nationwide.
FEATURE
From Policy to Implementation, CNU Transportation Summit Examines "The Greatest Place"
Mike Lydon reports from the CNU Transportation Summit in Portland, Oregon, the country's laboratory of smart growth. "Change is imminent," says Congressman Earl Blumenauer via video.
Faring Well
Wealthier transit riders demand more expensive rail services and commute at peak hours; the poor commute using all modes, at all hours. Eric A. Morris argues that the MTA's new policy of off-peak pricing would help even out the inequity.
BLOG POST
Automobility and Freedom: Conflicts and Resolutions
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman">Much of my work involves developing </span><a href="http://www.vtpi.org/tdm"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman">transportation demand management and smart growth policies</span></a><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman"> which improve travel options (walking, cycling, public transit, carsharing, etc.), reform pricing and transport planning to encourage travelers to choose the most efficient mode for each trip, and create more accessible, multi-modal communities.
Light From Garbage
A new concept streetlight from Yanko Design would use garbage cans built into the base as fuel tanks, converting the trash to light.
Cities With the Shortest Commutes
U.S. News and World Report selects "15 Cities for People Who Hate Driving and Long Commutes," choosing the cities with shorter than average commuting times and high percentages of non-auto commuters.
All Eggs in the HSR Basket
California Governor Schwarzenegger has ordered state officials to seek federal funding only for the state's high-speed rail project--at the expense of efforts to make Metrolink trains safer, some say.
US, Canada and Mexico Collaborate on Wilderness Preservation
A new agreement signed this week by all three governments creates an international committee to collaborate on wilderness management.
BLOG POST
Somewhere Between Blight and Gentrification...
<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"> Is there a happy medium between the run-down liquor store and the gourmet shop? </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> What is the best form of Main Street retail, as people move back to the city and re-emergent neighborhoods acquire shops and services that were once lacking?
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.
