The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The economic downturn is hurting Dubai, as glitzy skyscraper projects come to a halt. But the biggest pain is being felt among the hundreds of thousands of migrant construction workers who came to the city seeking their fortunes.

May 7 - The Christian Science Monitor

In a policy shift, the Vancouver City Council voted to limit the number of new condos being built downtown in order to preserve room for office space.

May 7 - CBC News

Advances in material development have brought to the market a new type of concrete that can bend under pressure and heal cracks with the addition of water.

May 7 - National Geographic

Boxer is chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which is responsible for writing much of the language in the bill. Progressives are concerned that she won't deliver on their agenda of reform.

May 7 - Streetsblog

California's population growth slowed to 1.1% according to the state Dept. of Finance, down from 1.3% last year. Current population is 38.3 million. The LA Times looks at southern CA growth while the SF Chronicle reports on Bay Area growth.

May 7 - Los Angeles Times

Once the economy bounces back, new office space development will allow for time-sharing and flexibility, said experts at a recent forum hosted by ULI.

May 7 - ULI's The Ground Floor

A new mapping project is creating a comprehensive 3D image of the catacombs beneath Rome.

May 7 - BBC

BLOG POST

<img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Owner/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.jpg" />A common argument in favor of building sprawl-generating roads and highways is that if we just pave over enough of the United States, we can actually reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by reducing congestion.  For example, a Reason Foundation press release cited a report by two University of California/Riverside engineering professors, “Real-World CO2 Impact of Traffic Congestion” (available online at http://www.cert.ucr.edu/research/pubs/TRB-08-2860-revised.pdf ).    But if you read the report carefully, its policy impact is a bit more ambiguous.<br />

May 6 - Michael Lewyn

Nate Silver, the baseball stats guy turned election predictor, takes a look at the statistics showing that Americans are driving less.

May 6 - Esquire

Reporter Ben Adler travels to Leesburg, VA without a car and reports on the difficulties he experiences getting around. In comparison, Ben walks with ease around Kentlands, a New Urbanist development in Maryland.

May 6 - The American Prospect

A neighborhood in Buffalo, N.Y. is one of the emptiest in the U.S., according to a new analysis of the census from the Associated Press. About 1 out of every 3 homes is vacant.

May 6 - Newsday

This slide show includes pictures of unorthodox bus stops all over the world, including Yellowstone National Park, Estonia, Japan and Brazil.

May 6 - Toxel.com

The New York Times asks the question Planetizen readers have been asking for months: Who is this Ray LaHood, and how did he become the choice for Secretary of Transportation?

May 6 - The New York Times

Levels of lithium in the municipal water of Oita prefecture in Japan have been linked to lower rates of suicide, according to a new study.

May 6 - BBC

Community participation is on the rise, and many sociologists think it's related to the recession.

May 6 - The Seattle Times

London Mayor Boris Johnson has revived old plans to build a new bridge across the Thames River, complete with habitable structures and shops.

May 6 - Evening Standard

The recession digs into Dubai, where property prices fell 41% in the first three months of 2009.

May 6 - BBC

A stalled housing development in a Los Angeles exurb meets the wrecking ball as completing the development became too unaffordable.

May 6 - Los Angeles Times

The Urban Land Institute's recent report on infrastructure finds fault with the government's lack of planning and vision in regards to infrastructure. 'It's a stupid way to run a country,' says ULI V.P. Maureen MacAvey.

May 5 - Architect Magazine

Japan's four major highway operators will drastically lower their tolls, thanks to a generous government economic stimulus package aimed to encourage motoring during the major holidays. The operators are preparing for the enormous traffic jams.

May 5 - Bloomberg.com