The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
A Car-Free Avenue Grows in Brooklyn
<p>New York City's car-free "Summer Streets" events are proving to be popular. A three-and-a-half minute video offers a look at Saturday's Williamsburg Walks event on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.</p>
Black Flight or White Gentrification?
<p>The Wall Street Journal reports that middle-class African-Americans are leaving America's major cities in droves, leaving remaining African-American cultural and religious institutions struggling to adjust to this new demographic reality.</p>
Some Say National Mall Needs Renovation
<p>Washington D.C.'s National Mall is crumbling. Many say now's the time to start thinking about a new future for one of America's most prized public spaces.</p>
Public Housing Museum Idea Moves Forward
<p>A non-profit group in Chicago wants to open a museum dedicated to American public housing in the Former Public Housing Authority Building.</p>
Highway Funds Losing Money
<p>Yet another unforeseen consequence of high gasoline prices and less driving: the gas tax-funded federal highway trust fund is being depleted, putting states' highway project funding in danger.</p>
As Venues Sit Unused, Athens Feels Olympic Remorse
<p>Four years after it hosted the Summer Olympics, Athens is questioning whether the $15 billion investment in venues that now largely sit unused was really worth it.</p>
Neighbors Complain Plan is 'Too Urban'
<p>Residents of Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood are complaining about plans to redevelop nearby Fort Lawton which includes housing for seniors and homeless.</p>
Florida City Fights Off Cookie-Cutter Development
<p>Residents of Florida's Everglades City have teamed up to preserve their local character and keep cookie-cutter development out.</p>
Ontario Plugs into Cow-Power
<p>Later this summer residents in the Province of Ontario will be able to plug in their homes to a new source of electrical power: biogas derived from cow manure.</p>
Will Your Bank Card and Bus Pass Become One?
<p>MarketWatch reports on the rise of contactless smart cards in public transit and banking, and speculates that the time is ripe to put the two uses on the same card.</p>
Chicago Trains To Go 'Standing Room Only'
<p>The Chicago Transit Authority has announced plans to remove all the seating from some of its rush hour trains in order to deal with increased demand.</p>
Debate Rages in Columbus Over Streetcars
<p>Planners are pushing for a downtown streetcar, but detractors say Columbus already has a fabulous rapid transit system: 'It's called the freeway.'</p>
FEATURE
The L.A. River, Navigability, and the Future of Watershed Development
Planetizen's Assistant Editor Nate Berg investigates the impact of recent court decisions on the Los Angeles River, and how it may affect development on the watersheds of rivers and waterways across the country.
Not Your Father's Suburbs
<p>Next American City reflects on the changing face of suburbia.</p>
B.C. Official Releases 'Scathing' Report Criticizing Land Use Decisions
<p>B.C. Auditor General John Doyle released a scathing report this week claiming that officials have done a poor job of involving the public and looking out for their best interests.</p>
Transit Agencies Struggle with the 'Double-Edged Sword' of High Gas Prices
<p>Rising gas prices aren't just encouraging more transit use, they are making public transit more expensive, and charging more for tickets and passes hurt low-income riders the most.</p>
New Federal Rule on Public Transit Leaves School Kids at the Curb
<p>A new Federal regulation will deny funding to public transit services for routes oriented to meeting the needs of public schools, with the aim of encouraging school boards to contract with private bus operators instead.</p>
FEATURE
Debunking Connections Between Urbanism and Alienation
In response to a recent essay about an apparent relationship between urbanism and social alienation, Robert Steuteville argues that the study in question -- and its press -- twists the facts.
The Park-Poor City
<p>This article from <em>LA Weekly</em> looks at L.A.'s parks deficit and what some are trying to do to address it.</p>
Guerrilla Gardeners
<p>Guerrilla gardening- planting flowers and edibles in untended pockets of cities- is a growing phenomenon. This article looks at a group of Toronto residents who've turned ugly medians into lush gardens.</p>
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
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