The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The Fall of Windsor, Canada's Detroit
The Economist reports that the collapse of Detroit's auto industry has had a ripple effect up north, particularly in Windsor, Ontario.
Understanding Atlantic Yards
Katherine Melia explains the relevant points on the Atlantic Yards controversy in Brooklyn for those not embroiled in the controversy over eminent domain, starchitecture, and more.
Mortgage Modification Bad for Banks
James Surowiecki dispels the myth that banks are better off renegotiating mortgage then foreclosing.
Office of Urban Affairs on Tour
Adolfo Carrión, Jr., Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs, reports from a tour he's taking to spur a national conversation about the role cities and metropolitan areas should take in national policy.
Why Portland is Better than Vancouver
Typically at the top of "best cities" lists, Vancouver and Portland are highly coveted places. This piece looks at why Portland is really number one.
Climate Change May Be Greening the Sahara
The Sahara desert is becoming increasingly green, according to satellite imagery -- which scientists are attributing to rising temperatures associated with global climate change.
Park Built On Top of Contaminated Site
New public space has opened in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in an unlikely place. The new park sits a few feet above the contaminated grounds of a deactivated municipal incinerator.
San Francisco's 7-Bike Sharing System
The City of San Francisco has taken a babystep towards developing a citywide bike sharing system. The city recently hosted a bike sharing sampler, with 7 bikes being displayed and available for use at Golden Gate Park.
Metros Still Struggling With Vacancies
Housing vacancies are still rising in many American metropolitan areas.
Oil Crunch Coming
Peak oil will happen at least 10 years earlier than most governments are expecting, and an oil crunch will occur in the next 5 years, says Dr Fatih Birol, chief economist at the International Energy Agency.
Downtowns Not the Economic Engines They Used to Be
Downtowns used to serve primarily as the economic and job hub of a community, but are shifting to be more focused on providing a entertainment center and civic forum.
Chicago Suburbs See Fewer Freight Trains, Not More
Where are all the trains? Chicago suburbs worried about an expected increase in freight trains due to the CN purchase of a rail spur through their backyard, but that worry has not materialized after the acquisition.
Jane Jacobs, NIMBY?
Howard Husock reads two new books on Jane Jacobs, which he says reveal the unexplored significance of Jacob's activist side, opening the doors to protesting the entire activity of city planning.
A Unique Condo for a Difficult Site
In Copenhagen, architect David Zahle faced with a problem site. They needed to build 215,000 sq. ft. of parking and 108,000 sq. ft. of housing on one lot. The solution was a sort of artificial mountain.
Allocate High Speed Rail Full $4 Billion, Argues NYT
In this editorial, the New York Times urges the Senate not to reduce the House's high speed rail budget allocation of $4 billion to $1.4 billion. Though President Obama is a prominent supporter of HSR, he supports delaying the transportation bill.
Suburbs: The Last Frontier
As people move to cities and the outer suburbs begin to become more desolate, what will become of them? WorldChanging envisions the suburbs as the next frontier.
The Effects of the Background Noise of City Life
Urban sounds can have an effect on people -- both physically and mentally. This sonic tour through New York City examines how sounds affect urbanites.
'Disaster City' Trains Rescuers for Real-Life Catastrophes
Disasters happen. Being prepared is almost always the ideal, but rarely the reality. A disaster training facility in Texas is trying to change that.
BLOG POST
School's out, and the bulldozers are busy
<p> Summer seems to be the season to demolish old schools. There’s nothing that makes people madder than when a neighborhood school is reduced to rubble. One Portland blogger <a href="http://chatterbox.typepad.com/portlandarchitecture/2009/07/an-architectural-tragedy-riverdale-has-been-destroyed.html" target="_blank">compared the wreckage of a 1920s school to Dresden</a>. People in Beaumont, Texas, took the local school district to court to save their 87-year-old high school, and those “Greenies” are fired up on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=92556003497&ref=search" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.
Fort Meyers' 32-Story Single-Family Home
With a 32-story tower occupied only part-time by a single family, America's real estate bust may be most apparent in Fort Meyers.
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.
