The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Caltrain, the California passenger rail train, intends to electrify its rail system by the time high-speed rail comes online. This is at odds with freight railroads, however, and may lead to an increase in trucks on the road.

August 31 - San Jose Mercury News

BLOG POST

<p> With the semester starting, students are beginning to focus on assignments and other project work. Today there is a great deal of information available for planners, but that can lead students to be overwhelmed (and use only a few available sources) or uncertain about how to use those sources that are available. Fortunately universities are coming up with resources to help students untangle these issues. My own institution just launched the very helpful <a href="http://digitalliteracy.cornell.edu" target="_blank">http://digitalliteracy.cornell.edu</a>/. The following tips are adapted from my guide for students doing final projects and theses (link at the end of this entry). </p>

August 31 - Ann Forsyth

Mary Newsom at the Charlotte Observer argues that until Charlotte residents stop calling streets 'roads', they will be stuck in a rural mindset and fail to see the broader picture of transportation in their city and county.

August 31 - The Charlotte Observer

Two jobs in the Howard County Soil Conservation District were cut on Friday, leaving developers with plans in for review in the lurch. Officials are scrambling to find funding to get development rolling again.

August 31 - The Washington Post

In Philadelphia, a number of palatial restaurants have closed due to the bad economy. In their place, several more intimate, neighborhood places have popped up.

August 31 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Randy's Donuts in Los Angeles is one of a dying breed of donut shops sporting enormous donut rings on their roofs, examples of a dying style called "mimic architecture".

August 31 - Los Angeles Times

FEATURE

August 31 - Amber Hawkes

The application period has opened for federal stimulus grants to fund broadband Internet access projects in underserved areas. The response has been overwhelming.

August 31 - USA Today

BLOG POST

<p> Planetizen readers, I have an idea I&#39;d like your opinion on. As managing editor for the past year, I&#39;ve become increasingly aware of how skilled and professional our readers are. Comments on articles are almost always civil, engaging and thoughtful, something that can&#39;t be said for the majority of websites. We have a community of experts here, which is why I bring my idea to you. </p>

August 31 - Tim Halbur

Retail Traffic Magazine reports that money-starved states like California are raising taxes on commercial property and gutting local economic development agencies, hurting developers.

August 31 - Retail Traffic Magazine

The population is expected to climb to 9 billion within the next 50 years. As a result, crucial natural resources will dwindle. This article looks at four that will be much harder to come by in the future.

August 31 - Gizmag

A new study of public high school students suggests a connection between obesity and feeling unsafe in one's neighborhood.

August 31 - ABC News

New solar road technology could both absorb solar energy for electricity and provide a changeable LED grid that could respond to traffic conditions.

August 31 - autobloggreen.com

The health care reform town halls are just the latest evidence that traditional forms of public engagement are no longer effective and in fact can be counterproductive, writes Sandy Heierbacher.

August 30 - Yes! Magazine

A review of a new book <em>Building Commons and Community</em> by Karl Linn, a landscape architect and psychologist who worked to create vibrant community spaces in abandoned lots and boring institutional settings.

August 30 - re:place Magazine

As California moves forward with its plans for a high speed rail network, one hub is coming into shape. This review looks at the new hub planned for the Southern California city of Anaheim.

August 30 - Los Angeles Times

Towns with universities are doing better through the economic crisis than most, attracting jobs and preserving property values.

August 30 - New Geography

BLOG POST

<p> Yogi Berra said that.  I also recall someone saying at some conference on smart growth or new urbanism: the more cars sharing the road, the more people get frustrated (hence all the car ads of people driving with no other cars in sight), while the more people on a well designed sidewalk, the more we tend to like it.  </p>

August 30 - Ken Snyder

Reducing traffic congestion can have big economic benefits for communities, according to a new study from the Reason Foundation.

August 30 - Reason

As wildfires rage in Southern California, some experts are calling for a revision of policies that encourage controlled burns to reduce fire risks.

August 29 - Miller-McCune