The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Ad Hoc Ferry System Keeps Businesses Afloat

<p>After MNDOT closed the Highway 43 bridge connecting Winona, MN to western Wisconsin, locals worried about the economic fallout from an extended closure. Within a week, a ferry and bus system was put in place.</p>

June 11 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Too Many Condos, Not Enough Jobs

<p>Planners in Vancouver are moving to curb booming residential growth to expand commercial development downtown. 'It's all good to walk and bike to work, but if you don't have offices for people to go to, that makes things rather difficult.'</p>

June 11 - The Vancouver Sun

Crime, Rising Costs Draw Concerns for World Cup Host

<p>With the first game of the 2010 World Cup exactly two years away, many in host country South Africa are concerned about rising inflation, increased violence, and skyrocketing costs of stadium construction.</p>

June 11 - ESPN

Skylines Rising in New Global Cities

<p>Cities across the world are rising higher and beefing up their skylines with high-profile skyscrapers. A building boom in emerging global cities has put a new face on the battle for the best skyline.</p>

June 10 - Der Spiegel

America's First Archaeological Suburb?

<p>Most developers dread finding archaeological remains. Normally it means months of delays and increased costs while archaeologists investigate the site. However, some savvy developers are turning archaeological finds into a marketing advantage.</p>

June 10 - The Economist


Propane: Cheaper and Cleaner Than Gasoline?

<p>The California Air Resources board is expected to approve a new propane-fueled engine this week, opening the door for an alternative fuel source for cars and trucks. Supporters say its also convenient because distribution channels already exist.</p>

June 10 - CNET News

Zoning for Amusement

<p>Coney Island fights to preserve its history of sideshows and tilt-a-whirls as revitalization steps into the ring.</p>

June 10 - The New York Times


Rewilding the West

<p>Eco-tourism in North Dakota? It's more likely than you may think, as conservationists, travel agents, and big landowners turn the dwindling population of the Great Plains into an asset.</p>

June 10 - The New York Times

Transforming Streets Into 'Urban Oases'

<p>A new San Francisco plan seeks to follow in the footsteps of cities like Copenhagen and Portland in revitalizing streets, alleys, medians, and crosswalks. The goal is to bring the city's outdoors to its 'rightful place as the center of civic life.'</p>

June 10 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Assessing Future Planning Through Film

<p>Film is much more effective than planners or architects at assessing the possible future forms of cities, according to this article from film critic A.O. Scott.</p>

June 10 - The New York Times Magazine

Boise Hopes to Bring Back Trolley

<p>Boise is hoping to follow on the coattails of Little Rock in bringing back a long de-commissioned trolley system to the city's downtown.</p>

June 10 - The Idaho Statesman

Services Lacking in the Servants' Slums

<p>Upwardly-mobile city dwellers in India are heavily reliant on the neighboring slums that house their servants. But many public services are lacking beyond the walls of the affluent developments.</p>

June 10 - The New York Times

Obsessive Behavior Saves Gas

<p>NPR reports on 'hypermilers', drivers who practice active gas-saving techniques like braking lightly and combining trips. One hypermiler says he isn't doing it to be green: 'The environment I'm concerned with is my wallet.'</p>

June 10 - NPR

Waco Debuts Nation's First 'Green' Chamber Building

<p>The Waco Chamber of Commerce is credited with inspiring a renaissance in downtown, developing their new headquarters on a former parking lot. They hope to receive LEED certification - the first U.S. chamber building to receive this designation.</p>

June 9 - Waco Tribune-Herald

June is Public Participation in Urban Planning Month

<p>Urban planning commentator Robert Goodspeed declares June "Public Participation in Urban Planning Month" and offers a four part series examining how technology and public participation might be more closely linked.</p>

June 9 - The Goodspeed Update

'Instant Cities' Are Instant, But Not Cities

<p>In this article from <em>The New York Times Magazine</em> looks at "instant cities" like Dubai and Shenzhen that have developed in hyperspeed in recent years, and discusses why they aren't yet "real" cities.</p>

June 9 - The New York Times Magazine

A Bicycle Strategy for Canada?

<p>Toronto environmental lawyer Albert Koehl believes that Canada's Conservative government should embark on a national bicycle strategy.</p>

June 9 - The Globe & Mail

Obama and McCain's Energy, Environment Policies Compared

<p>The Wall Street Journal and other publications compare the energy and environmental policies of Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain, presumptive nominees for the 2008 U.S. presidential election.</p>

June 9 - The Wall Street Journal

FEATURE

Planetizen Turns 8: A Look Back

June 9 - The Planetizen Team

Finding Ancient Cities Below the Surface

<p>This slideshow form <em>Popular Science</em> takes a step-by-step look at how to detect and uncover ancient buried settlements from satellite imagery.</p>

June 9 - Popular Science

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