The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A little-known USDA program offers Rural Development Guaranteed Loans, which would allow low-income residents to buy homes in "rural" areas--places with fewer than 25,000 people. Under this guideline, many suburbs in Phoenix qualify.

January 29 - NPR

Congress is expected to offer up to $16 million of stimulus money to the state of Idaho for transportation projects. But in the Treasure Valley -- home to Boise and a third of the state's population -- there aren't any projects that are ready to go.

January 29 - The Idaho Statesman

The American Society of Civil Engineers has released their 2009 report card on America's infrastructure. Its GPA is equivalent to a D.

January 29 - Report Card for America's Infrastructure

The rock after which Little Rock, AR is named will be excavated to cap off the revitalization of the city's riverfront. No one knows how much of the rock, estimated to be 300 million years old, is left, which raises the question: Is it worth it?

January 29 - The Wall Street Journal

Plans for a new bridge over the Columbia River in Oregon have local officials in a debate over lanes, tolls and sprawl.

January 29 - The Oregonian

FEATURE

The Internet is a trove of great ideas about improving cities. Filling blogs and personal websites, the vast majority of ideas out there are little more than that: ideas. New York City's Streetsblog -- now a growing nationwide force -- is transforming the conversation into action.

January 29 - Mike Lydon

BLOG POST

<p> The green marketplace is the marketplace of the future. From Wal-Mart to Toyota to the neighborhood dry cleaner, it seems like every business is going out of its way to tell us how green they are. That could either be a great thing because these businesses are actually using environmentally-friendly practices, or it could be a bad thing because they&#39;re just claiming to be green. Regardless of whether it&#39;s one or the other, what&#39;s certain is that they say they&#39;re green because that&#39;s what we want to hear.<br /> </p>

January 28 - Nate Berg

Fighting global warming could be as simple as a paint job -- a global, sun-reflecting, white-wash paint job, according to scientist Hashem Akbari.

January 28 - Guardian

New statistics show that the province of Manitoba throws out more, recycles less and conserves less water than any other province in Canada.

January 28 - The Globe and Mail

A Home Depot Expo in Charlotte, NC, is closing. Mary Newsom explains that the real problem with big boxes like this is that they don't make sense over time.

January 28 - The Naked City

It's not Blue vs. Red, but Green vs. Brown when it comes to energy policy debates on Capitol Hill.

January 28 - The New York Times

The Alaskan government has announced plans to build wind turbines in six small villages along the state's windy western coast. Locals applaud the investment.

January 28 - Anchorage Daily News

DeLuca Homes planned to build condos in Bucks County, PA- until the bottom fell out of the market. Now they're one of many developers cutting deals with governments to create open space.

January 28 - Center for Public Integrity

According to sources in Europe, the Obama Administration has sought advice from European Union officials about emulating the EU's infrastructure bank.

January 28 - The Independent

When a Somali population moved into a dying city in Maine, the benefits of the "new injection of energy" they brought with them has been clear ever since--particularly eonomic growth.

January 28 - Newsweek

The Budget tabled by Canada's Conservative government doles out billions of dollars for infrastructure and housing, but it comes with a proviso: the Provinces and municipalities have to ante up billions as well.

January 28 - The Globe and Mail

Many commuters still find buses, trains, and subways to be more cost-effective than driving. However, mass transit funds are drying up, and increased fees and decreased service may deter riders from sticking to mass transit.

January 28 - Los Angeles Times

This piece from <em>Preservation</em> magazine looks at how historic districts in Portland fall short in preventing incompatible uses.

January 27 - Preservation

With the fate of Canada's conservative government at stake, details are leaking regarding the proposed federal budget, including billions of dollars in new infrastructure spending.

January 27 - The Globe and Mail

The telecommunications industry is pressuring Congress to add language to upcoming bill that would preempt local zoning authority if they 'take too long' to approve cell phone towers or sites.

January 27 - Anvil Partners blog