The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The Rise and Fall of an Arizona Exurb
This article from <em>High Country News</em> dissects the Arizona real estate collapse through the lens of one exurb.
Charlotte Considers Doubling Tax to Fund Transit
Mecklenburg County commissioners are scheduled to debate whether to add a second half-cent sales tax to fund transit in the Charlotte area.
How the Road Construction Industry is Destroying Japan
How the "road tribes" — the impenetrable scrum of bureaucrats, politicians and industry that benefit from an ever-expanding program of road construction — are literally paving the road to national ruin in Japan.
Should Cities Regulate Library Internet Use?
The city of San Jose decides against adding filters to public library computers to block websites with pornography.
Is the Canadian Housing Market in for a Shock?
Economists worry that Vancouver's tumbling housing market is an indication that Canadians could see a dramatic -- and long-lasting -- decline in the value of their homes.
Detroit Needs More Than Auto Industry Revival
As the automotive industry takes a deep hit during the current economic recession, many tie the Detroit's hopes to those of the auto industry. But Richard Florida argues Detroit needs to think beyond the car business.
BLOG POST
Post Industrial?
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Calibri">I never put much thought into the term “post-industrial.”<span> </span>In my college and grad years, the phrase seemed to be used like candy – a ubiquitous summary of the current state of cities in the US.<span> </span>The phrase implies a kind of death in our cities, an inability to retain the industries that spurred their very growth.<span> </span></span></span> </p>
Recession Forces Charlotte to Cut Down Light Rail Construction
Two new light rail projects near Charlotte were planned to get built at the same time, but the economic recession is forcing officials to choose one and delay the other.
Questioning Extravagent Architecture
Alissa Walker poses numerous questions about design, including that of buildings, and how it should reflect on the current economy.
Downtown Bar Culture to Blame for Beatings?
Iowa City's planning commission says yes, and is considering mandating that future bars and liquor stores be more spread out to stop a recent rash of violence in the area.
Doing the Waterfront Right
Philadelphia's SugerHouse waterfront development could learn a thing or two from San Francisco's Mission Bay neighborhood, according to this piece.
Plans for Retrofitting, Audits Announced for NYC
In a step toward accomplishing PlaNYC's goal of reducing the city's carbon emissions by 30% in the next twenty years, Mayor Bloomberg has announced that larger buildings will be retrofitted to be more energy efficient.
Smart Grids to Get More Funding
The Energy Department has announced that it will be increasing grant limits to implement smart grid technology. The current $20 million per grant, officials say, just isn't enough to get the technology used at a commercial scale.
Opening the 'Superfund' Can of Worms
The EPA's proposal to list the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site is getting mixed reactions from nearby residents and officials: some see the designation as a development-halting stigma, others as quite the opposite.
Fed Money Announced for CA's National Parks
Twenty-two national parks in California will get a portion of $97 million to repair historic buildings, install solar panels, and fix trails.
Silver Line Expansion Hits a Speed Bump
The second phase of a rail line extending to Dulles International Airport is slated for completion in December 2016--later than expected--thanks to delays in getting Congressional funding for the first half of the project.
How Green is Your Neighborhood?
San Francisco residents will get their first peek today at an inventive Internet-based tool that lets them track their personal carbon footprint and gauge how green their neighborhood is compared with the rest of the city.
Vatican Reveals Solar Plant Plans
Vatican City has plans to build the largest solar plant in Europe, which will supply enough power for 40,000 households in a state of 900 inhabitants.
Shrinking Cities, On Purpose
Flint, Michigan is another ailing city that is considering demolishing entire neighborhoods and returning them to nature as a way to save the rest of the city from blight.
Americans Staying Put
New census data released Weds. shows that fewer Americans moved this year than in any year since they started keeping track back in 1947.
New York City School Construction Authority
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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.
