The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Zoning Keeping WalMart From Eager Community
Residents of Charlotte, NC are pushing the State to change a zoning rule to allow a WalMart to go in on Independence Blvd. Land around the boulevard is being held for a possible freeway, but residents claim the area is stagnating from the strictures.
British Columbia a Model for Public-Private Partnerships
U.S. states and officials are looking North to Canada where public-private partnerships have successfully funded infrastructure projects for years in British Columbia.
The Train in Spain
By the end of the year, Spain is on course to have a more extensive high-speed rail system than both Japan and France. The system is changing hearts and minds across this usually home-bound nation.
Vatican Embraces the Power of the Sun
The Vatican has announced plans to build Europe's largest solar plant to power the state.
Inside L.A.'s High-Tech Traffic Control System
<em>Streetfilms</em> goes behind the scenes at Los Angeles' Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control office, which monitors and actively controls L.A.'s signalized intersections.
The Urban Impact of Bicyclists
As urban cycling increases, cities like Seattle are finding that they need to change the way they think about users of the road.
Buildings Going Green, On Top At Least
This piece from <em>National Geographic</em> looks at how green roofs are sweeping across the tops of buildings all over the world.
Transportation and Housing Linking Up at Federal Level
The silos are breaking down in the federal government as the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation are embarking on a shared plan to increase interdepartmental collaboration.
Nude Dude Ranch Forgets to Get Permits
Lotto winner Tim Clements followed his dream of opening a clothing-optional dude ranch in Brookings, Florida. One problem: he forgot to get any permits.
The New Survivalist Utopians
Locals in Sandpoint, Idaho are banding together to join the Transition movement, which started in the U.K. and is geared towards creating new, ecologically-planned communities to survive peak oil and climate change.
Small Airports Becoming No-Fly Zones
Until recently, small regional airports were seen as the wave of the future. But the ailing economy and a variety of other factors are hitting the industry hard, causing closures across the country.
Amenities Key to Walking, Fitness
People who live within walking distance of amenities like stores, transit stops, and parks are twice as likely to be fit as those who don't, according to a new study conducted by researchers at San Diego State University.
Peak Oil Supply Or Peak Oil Consumption?
'Peak oil' refers to a belief that growing oil demand will outstrip finite oil supplies. Peak U.S. oil consumption is premised on the belief that 2007 marked the peak, population increase notwithstanding, due to efficiency, biofuels and batteries.
Small Casino Town Preparing For Big Leagues
With new rules that are going to push it closer to Las Vegas-style gambling, the small Colorado casino town of Blackhawk is getting ready to handle the new crowds as it becomes more of a draw.
New York's Unprecedented Park
Preconceptions and lofty goals surround New York's soon-to-open High Line park. But the unprecedented inner city rail line conversion leaves much up in the air, according to this piece from <em>The Architect's Newspaper</em>.
A Monorail for the Senate?
No, it's not some stimulus package boondoggle- it turns out there truly was an underground monorail carrying public servants from the Senate Office Building to the Capitol Building. It opened in 1912 and lasted until 1961.
From Condo to Affordable Housing
Officials in New York are pushing a plan to reuse foreclosed or abandoned condo projects as affordable housing.
BLOG POST
Streets Are For People, Not (Just) Cars
At a company presentation about environmental impact the other week a colleague included a historic photograph of Scollay Square in Boston. You are pardoned if, even after visiting or living in that city, this doesn’t sound familiar because all prominent characteristics of the area were summarily obliterated in the mid-twentieth century to make way for a potpourri of brutalist-style administrative buildings and renamed Government Center. Urban redevelopment arguments aside, the photograph reveals a particularly interesting detail about the function and use of streets virtually erased from our minds over the last century. <p> <img src="/files/u20603/Scollay.jpg" width="432" height="336" align="bottom" name="graphics1" /> </p>
Why Did Burnham's Chicago Plan Work?
A thoughtful look at what made Daniel Burnham's plan for the City of Chicago so successful.
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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.
