The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

An influential Vancouver Realtor has proposed a density bonus scheme that he says would get developers to provide more housing affordable to first-time buyers.

May 15 - The Province

<p>To make North American cities more bicycle friendly, planners should look to Stockholm, Sweden and Freiburg, Germany -- two European cities were bikes and cars happily co-exist on the street.</p>

May 15 - The Ottawa Citizen

<p>Typically considered a poster child for sprawl, Atlanta's leaders and residents are now trying to steer the city's growth and development down a greener path.</p>

May 15 - Grist.org

<p>If jobs and services are reoriented and public transport rethought, sprawling cities like Melbourne can mitigate the consequences of dwindling energy supplies, argues a recent column.</p>

May 15 - The Age

<p>In a report back from the APA conference in Las Vegas, Daniel Lerch worries that planners are not concerned enough about planning for a constrained-energy future.</p>

May 15 - Post Carbon Cities Blog

<p>Aging sewage systems in municipalities across the country are falling into disrepair, resulting in massive leaks and spills that threaten drinking water and public health.</p>

May 15 - USA Today

<p>Flashing lights on the walls on train tunnels that display a 15-second video to passengers have been introduced in L.A., bringing new revenue to the area's transit agency, but bothering some riders. Some say the ads intrude on public space.</p>

May 15 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>Flemish nationalists in small-town Belgium are hoping to keep immigrants out by requiring that all schoolchildren speak Flemish -- an attack on the droves of French-speaking immigrants that have descended on the country.</p>

May 15 - The New York Times

<p>Cyclist wins a "race" across Philadelphia, beating a car and city transit in fight through morning traffic.</p>

May 15 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

<p>Quebec is notorious for its lavish subsidies designed to lure business. But with transparent accounting and a cost-benefit ratio of 3.74 to 1, the province's economic development agency makes sure taxpayers know what they are getting for their money.</p>

May 14 - New Brunswick Business Journal

<p>Planners in Arlington, Virginia want to allow rental units in single family neighborhoods, but residents are strongly opposed to the proposal, many of them worried that the units will attract low-income immigrants.</p>

May 14 - The Washington Post

<p>Architects in Baltimore are arguing that the city should build its new arena near its other sports facilities, freeing up the old location for redevelopment that can help revitalize its downtown.</p>

May 14 - The Baltimore Sun

<p>After an avalanche drastically cut the supply of electricity, residents the Alaskan capital of Juneau cut their power consumption by almost 40 percent in a few weeks. Now the city is gaining attention as a leader in energy conservation.</p>

May 14 - The New York Times

<p>North Carolina bills itself as the "good growth state." But as North Carolina's population heads toward 10 million, the state's low-density pattern of development is straining the infrastructure.</p>

May 14 - California Planning & Development Report

<p>Rising gas prices are pushing more and more Oregon drivers out of their cars. High public transit ridership figures and a reduction in vehicle-miles traveled suggest former drivers are now using transit instead of driving.</p>

May 14 - The Oregonian

<p>This article from <em>Grist</em> looks at the city of Phoenix as it teams with Arizona State University to shift the city's direction from endless sprawl to a smarter, more environmentally-conscious growth pattern.</p>

May 14 - Grist

<p>This article from <em>Governing</em> looks at the role of higher education and medical facilities in keeping urban areas alive.</p>

May 14 - Governing

<p>The city of Omaha, Nebraska, has announced plans to build a network of bike lanes throughout the city, boosted by private contributions of more than $600,000.</p>

May 14 - KETV

<p>With high foreclosure rates and growing numbers of residents delinquent with their dues, many homeowners associations are having a hard time paying for repairs and amenities.</p>

May 14 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>The automaker has announced plans for a fully-electric vehicle by 2010, and says it wants to lead the industry towards zero-emission vehicles.</p>

May 13 - The New York Times