The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Plans to replace Seattle's aging inner-city freeway with a $4.2 billion tunnel and expanded bus service have many lawmakers concerned about being able to raise enough money to make it happen.

February 11 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The master plan will replace an outdated, complex zoning law and address urban housing, wetlands preservation, and transit, among other things. New Orleans is finally "poised for sustained growth," according to the plan's lead consultant.

February 11 - The Times-Picayune

According to Prince Charles, Dharavi, the slum featured in 'Slumdog Millionaire,' should be considered a model for the rest of the developing world.

February 11 - The Guardian

To conduct a real life experiment with the theory, 17 of Lowell, MA's crime "hot spots" were cleaned up while another 17 were left alone. Researchers found a 20% dip in crime where conditions were improved.

February 11 - The Boston Globe

"Casual carpooling," an informal system involving commuting with complete strangers, has taken off in the Bay Area. Passengers and drivers cite money, time, and the environment for its success.

February 11 - GOOD Magazine

The Latino Urban Forum's James Rojas has made a name for himself by designing interactive planning models for some of the LA area's most famous neighborhoods. Recently, he took a crack at creating a more sustainable Santa Monica.

February 11 - Los Angeles Streetsblog

Now that the $838 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed the Senate, where will the money go? Stimulus Watch has a breakdown of every project by state, and by type. Here are links to the transit, roads, energy, and housing projects.

February 10 - Stimulus Watch

The Motley Fool says developers' stocks are rallying, and they predict that the stimulus package will also mean a recovery among realtors and mortgage brokers.

February 10 - The Motley Fool

If climate change is behind the horrific brush fires in Australia, then North Americans should be concerned about climatic changes killing off their own forests.

February 10 - Daily Kos

Theft and vandalism have crippled the citywide bike rental system in Paris, leaving operator JCDecaux uncertain of the increasingly expensive program's future.

February 10 - BBC

New Jersey launched a new express train service, ACES, to carry visitors to the bustling Atlantic City casinos from NY Penn Station. The trip will take 2 hrs, 45 minutes. Though there won’t be gambling aboard, each train has two bars.

February 10 - The New York Times

Korean photographer Hosang Park's recent series exposes tiny, unknown 'parks' that are attached to housing developments around the world.

February 10 - BLDBLOG

Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis is changing the rules of urban economic redevelopment, mainly by not handing out large tax incentives to big businesses.

February 10 - Governing Magazine

The city of San Marcos, Texas, near Austin, plans harsher measures to crack down on graffiti, including holding a minor's parents responsible and banning certain graffiti-making tools.

February 10 - Austin American-Statesman

Amid tough economic times, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman is pushing a broad redevelopment plan in the city's outdated downtown.

February 10 - The New York Times

20 years after the Columbus City Center opened its doors, the now nearly abandoned mall is slated to be demolished. The redevelopment agency plans to replace it with a park.

February 10 - The Columbus Dispatch

Most states are required to balance their budgets. The economic crisis combined with lowered expectation for federal stimulus relief means that the only option left is to start cutting budgets.

February 9 - Los Angeles Times

The New York Times reports that the renewable energy industry is hurting badly in this recession. Lack of available credit is the main reason, and while the stimulus bill may help, it will not be the solution.

February 9 - The New York Times

No drastic changes will occur in American suburbs over the next quarter century, Columbia University professor contends.

February 9 - Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy--Rutgers

BLOG POST

<p> Often, participants in public debates use words to mean things very different from their common-sense meanings, in order to manipulate the public’s emotions. Two examples in the field of urban planning come to mind. </p>

February 9 - Michael Lewyn