The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

In an effort to draw more tourists to their ancient temples, officials in the Chinese town of Guandu has contracted tourism-savvy Shaolin monks to take over operation of the temples.

January 4 - The New York Times

Thousands of transportation projects across the country are being temporarily halted or canceled completely due to lack of funding. More than 40 states have been forced to cut back on transportation projects.

January 4 - The New York Times

Cities that have fun things to do -- so-called "consumption amenities" -- are more successful at attracting people and growing jobs, according to a recent report.

January 4 - The Boston Globe

As a new light rail system begins operation in Phoenix, Atlanta residents look on with envy. Some worry that the lack of viable public transit in Atlanta threatens the city's competitiveness.

January 3 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Job growth is slower in areas that don't have enough housing, according to a new study.

January 3 - The Boston Globe

This article from <em>Wired</em> looks at new plans to prevent massive flooding in the low-lying Netherlands.

January 3 - Wired

The party's over for what started out as a go-go year for architecture, writes Nicolai Ourroussoff.

January 3 - The New York Times

As President Elect Obama delivers his weekly address via YouTube, half of all Americans don't have the broadband access necessary to watch.

January 3 - Business Week

James Howard Kunstler predicts the Dow falling to 4000 by the end of the year, more dramatic swings in oil prices, and an overall contraction of services and the economy.

January 2 - Straight.com

Boise, Idaho and other cities in the region have adopted "percent for the arts" initiatives, and are looking to public art to reflect the region's 'maturity.'

January 2 - The Idaho Statesman

In 2008, RAND Corp. conducted a study on mitigating traffic congestion in Los Angeles. They studied two types of strategies: conventional, e.g. signal timing, and market-based, e.g. increased the price of driving. The results were surprising.

January 2 - Gristmill Blog

Mining towns in Lander County, NV are skipping the recession, thanks to a local economy based on gold.

January 2 - The New York Times

Retail analysts predict a "sea change" in the retail landscape in 2009, with a record number of bankruptcies, closures and vacancies.

January 2 - CNN Money

This column looks at President-elect Barack Obama's food politics and wonders just how sustainable his administration's food policies will be.

January 2 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Cities in California have been finding creative ways to generate funding and financing in recent years. Now, it seems lenders are coming to cities to collect on loans and many are left scrambling to pay up.

January 2 - Los Angeles Times

Cheap gas, great deals, and winter weather resulted in SUV and light trucks resuming their dominance in vehicle sales in December, climbing to 51% of all sales, as Prius sales dipped 48% in November.

January 2 - CNNMoney.com

In a continuing investigation, the Chicago Tribune reports on the bribes and corruption that have resulted from the Chicago policy of allowing local aldermen final say -- over local zoning and planning -- on what gets built.

January 2 - Chicago Tribune

Inhabitat selects their top 10, ranging from DIY bicycles to the fall of the S.U.V. Notably, transit is barely mentioned.

January 2 - Inhabitat

Alex Steffen at WorldChanging turns the climate change problem inside out to reconsider whether the form of energy is the true issue, rather than how much is wasted and how we use it.

January 1 - WorldChanging

A NYT editorial and NYT columnist Thomas Friedman both arrive at the same conclusion - some type of gas tax is essential for both the auto bailout and Obama's goal of greening the U.S. economy.

January 1 - The New York Times