The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Fight Congestion, Boost the Economy
Reducing traffic congestion can have big economic benefits for communities, according to a new study from the Reason Foundation.
'Fuel Management' Fueling Wildfires
As wildfires rage in Southern California, some experts are calling for a revision of policies that encourage controlled burns to reduce fire risks.
Small Lot Homes Changing Face of L.A.
Christina Chan looks at the effect of L.A.'s Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance of 2005, which opened the doors for a new style of housing somewhere in between single-family homes and condos.
When Going Green Is Less Important Than Saving Green
A new HVAC system for a building in Minnesota that was expected to meet high environmental standards was going to come in at almost three times its originally estimated costs. So city officials are delaying.
Tightening the Sun Belt
The real estate growth that had been feeding itself in the Sun Belt has come to an end. Now many places like Phoenix are drying up.
Inside Havana's Urban Farms
This video from the <em>BBC</em> looks inside some of the 200 urban farms that provide vegetables for Havana and the rest of Cuba.
Parks Are Cash Cows
A new report claims that Central Park in New York added $1 billion to the economy in 2007, and the new High Line park added $4 billion in new real estate developments.
How Do We Pay For City Services?
Inspired by the revelation that Oakland, CA is stepping up their traffic and parking enforcement to make up a budget shortfall, Geoff Manaugh rethinks the entire process of how we fund our cities.
City Council Okays Wal-Mart, Calls it TOD
The City Council of Charlotte, North Carolina has signed a deal with WalMart to build a SuperCenter in place of an abandoned mall. City Councilmember Nancy Carter says it will create an opportunity for transit-oriented development.
Right-Of-Way Issues Could Delay California HSR
A Sacramento judge has ruled that the environmental review for California's high-speed rail has failed to fully account for right-of-way delays involving Union Pacific trains.
Do Not Let There Be Light
As city budgets tighten, streetlights are getting the ax in an effort to save money.
Houses That Refuse to Leave
Like in Pixar's recent movie <em>Up</em>, some people refuse to leave their homes when every lot around them is turning into a major development. This blog profiles some of these so-called "nail houses," as seen from Google Earth.
Creating an Open City Can Be Cheap and Easy
The City of Nanaimo, British Columbia is a leader in the open data and open government movement, according to this post from the <em>Creative Class Exchange</em>. Getting there is easier and cheaper than many might think.
Measuring Environmental Impacts With the 'Water Footprint'
A Dutch hydrological engineer has developed a new way to measure the environmental impact of humans: the "water footprint".
Business Buys Bikes For Commuting Workers
A brewery in Ashland, Oregon decided that the best way to incentivize employees to commute differently was to buy them bikes. A 15-minute on-street parking space was removed and replaced with a large bicycle rack to accommodate the bicycles.
Europe's Plan to Turn Sahara into Solar Power Source
Significant interest and investment has descended on a plan to create vast solar power plants in the Sahara Desert to power Europe, but the challenges are great, says Reuters.
How Much Room Do You Need?
Dan Maginn proposes some exercises for visualizing how much room you actually need to live, starting with this equation: too big = not good. Small = good. Too small = suck.
Balancing the Needs for Transportation Between Cities and Within Cities
Yonah Freemark, blogger at The Transport Politic, argues that long-distance transportation projects like high-speed rail are essential to creating a balance of intercity and intracity transit.
Utopias in Miniature
As Germany's elections near, the makers of 'Miniature Wonderland' invite political parties to use their scale models to show the public what their utopia would look like.
To Share or Not to Share? The Great Transit Data Debate
Some transit agencies keep it under wraps, while others share it widely. Three cities in the U.S. show how the availability of transit arrival data is a wild frontier.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
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.
