The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The city of Washington, D.C. learns its police checkpoints aimed at reducing crime in hot spots are unconstitutional.

July 20 - Washington Post

In this radio interview covering high speed rail, streetcars, bicycling, and paying for the proposed $500 billion transportation bill, Chairman Oberstar of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee discusses the future of transportation.

July 20 - Living on Earth

New studies rank cities based on the extent to which they "criminalize homelessness."

July 20 - NPR

Water policies in Syria and Turkey are draining the Euphrates River dry, and neighboring Iraq is feeling all the hurt from it.

July 20 - The New York Times

<em>Worldchanging</em>'s Alex Steffen looks at the recent city rankings compiled by the Natural Resources Defense Council and says the method of measurement doesn't really prove how sustainable a place is -- or how it's improving.

July 20 - WorldChanging

BLOG POST

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July 20 - Ann Forsyth

A high rate of poverty, a large population of illegal aliens, and a next-door neighbor to one of the most dangerous cities in the hemisphere, El Paso would seem to be a hotbed of danger. But it's actually one of the safest big cities in America.

July 20 - Reason

Legislators in Oregon are making moves to allow residents to reuse graywater.

July 20 - The Statesman Journal

This post from <em>The Architect's Newspaper</em> looks at the park that just opened in St. Louis, and finds it effective at emphasizing the public art and public space that exist in the city -- even beyond the park's edges.

July 20 - The Architect's Newspaper

FEATURE

A dust-up between architects and the Prince of Wales over a speech and a £1b development is bringing the age-old battle between traditional and modern architecture to a head. Managing editor Tim Halbur summarizes the news.

July 20 - Tim Halbur

The suburbs are steadily becoming more urban, with denser development, taller buildings, and a greater mix of uses.

July 20 - USA Today

A famous beacon atop a building in downtown Pittsburgh has been broadcasting the city's name in Morse code since 1929. The only problem is they spelled it wrong.

July 19 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

<em>Grist</em> brings us this list of the top 15 sustainable cities in the U.S.

July 19 - Grist

Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is a part of transportation, whether some elected officials like it or not. In this piece from <em>Citiwire</em>, Neal Peirce writes that this fact is becoming increasingly clear.

July 19 - Citiwire

Cyclists hear a lot about how much better the biking is in Europe. The Brooklyn Paper takes a look at why, and whether or not the lessons of Amsterdam are applicable in the US.

July 19 - The Brooklyn Paper

Americans will be forced to change their lifestyles as fuel prices rise. NPR's "Talk of the Nation" talks to author Chris Steiner about the good that might result.

July 19 - National Public Radio

China's fast-paced development is making it into a major economic power. Its emphasis on urban policy is leaving the U.S. in the dust, writes Eugenie Birch.

July 18 - Citiwire

Cities from San Antonio to Singapore are resuscitating waterways that once lay buried under rivers of concrete.

July 18 - The New York Times

Tuk-tuks are mechanized rickshaws - a cheaper alternative to taxis - that can be found throughout the developing world, from Latin America to Africa to southeast Asia and India. Environmental think-tank Enviu is trying to reduce rickshaw emissions.

July 18 - New York Times

Colorado, Arizona and Texas have come together to apply for a $5m grant to research a possible high-speed rail link connecting Denver, Albuquerque, and El Paso.

July 18 - Transport Politic