The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Jumping On The Jitney
<p>Rising gasoline prices are breathing new life into the Miami's niche jitney service.</p>
Capitalism Sprawls Into Russia's Frozen Expanse
<p>American-style malls are cropping up in Siberia, and gobbling up land, to enable once-isolated Russians to consume in ways that might have been unimaginable a generation ago.</p>
BLOG POST
The Public Mis-Education of Transit Oriented Development
<p> In 2004, voters in Denver approved the FasTracks ballot to build a regional rapid transit system. Now that planning is underway to construct about 120 miles of new rail and 60 new train stations, planners are beginning to focus on transit-oriented development (TOD) around many of these new stations. While much excitment exists in Denver for creating one of the top 21st century cities, some fears for TOD are unfounded. Mr. Ferguson's "<a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/13/four-fallacies-transit-oriented-development/" target="_blank" title="Rocky Mountain News article">Four Fallacies of 'transit-oriented development</a>'", published May 13, 2008 in the <em>Rocky Mountain News</em> is typical of a common mis-education about TOD. What Mr. Ferguson does not realize is that TODs can help protect the rural and suburban nature of communities surrounding Denver. He proposes four tenets about why TODs are bad for the future. Below, I address each of these.
The New Milwaukeeans: Making Sense of Population Growth In The Cream City
<p>After forty years in the statistical doldrums, what does Milwaukee make of a sudden, slight increase in population? Local expert and urban enthusiast Dave Steele reports.</p>
Back in the (Bike) Saddle Again?
<p>While Americans have not turned to the bicycle as a mode of transportation in the same numbers seen elsewhere in the world, some predict that soaring gas prices and increased infrastructure investments could change that.</p>
More Cities Face Naturally Decreasing Population
<p>More people die than are born in Pittsburgh every year -- seriously impacting the city's schools, laborforce and healthcare infrastructure. Other American cities will soon follow, say demographers.</p>
Living Well In The Era Of High Gas Prices
<p>Want to learn how Americans can maintain a high standard of living in an era of sky-high gas prices? Just look at Europeans, who've been going it for decades, argues economist Paul Krugman.</p>
Trading Planning Tips With Shanghai
<p>While the city's regional approach is the envy of many American planners, Shanghai is also guilty of top-down planning that may end up encouraging sprawl.</p>
Did Smart Growth Policies Save Oregon's Housing Market?
<p>Oregon's housing market has faired far better than other areas of the country, with some experts agreeing that the state's more restrictive land-use policies helped to prevent an oversupply of homes during the free-wheeling mortgage years.</p>
Cars Don't Cause Traffic, Drivers Do
<p>Some planners hope that driverless car technology can finally put an end to traffic jams.</p>
Coping With Vacant Big Boxes
<p>To deal with the problem of vacant big-box stores that have proliferated across the country, one Milwaukee suburb is levying a fee on developers to help pay for demolition. Other cities are exploring similar options.</p>
Debunking The Myths About TOD
<p>Responding to critics of Denver's planned TOD developments, TOD expert John Renne responds to four common misconceptions about transit-oriented development.</p>
The Importance Of Street Parking
<p>New research from the University of Connecticut shows that on-street parking is a key ingredient in a vibrant and pedestrian-friendly downtown.</p>
California Land Conservation Agreement Will Create Sprawl
A recent agreement between developers and environmental groups puts the conservationists in the unfortunate position of not being able to oppose a plan that is the epitome of sprawl, according this editorial.
Virginia Governor Seeks Sales Tax Raise For Transit Projects
<p>Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has proposed a plan to raise sales taxes in the state to help fund public transportation projects -- a plan similar to one voters turned down in 2002. But this time, voters won't be involved in the decision.</p>
Dirty Politics Keeping Sprawl Alive in Florida
<p>This commentary claims that dirty politics have prevented Florida voters from being able to control sprawl in their communities.</p>
Saving and Improving Slums
<p>This article from the <em>Harvard Design Magazine</em> looks at slums in Latin America and discusses the important role they play in their cities. Preserving the positive qualities of these communities is increasingly preferred over slum clearance.</p>
Container Condos Planned in Detroit
<p>Developers in Detroit are planning a condominium project completely made out of used shipping containers. But city approval is needed before the project can move forward.</p>
BLOG POST
The Case Against Flexibility
A few weeks ago, I was reading yet another think-tank paper arguing against new rail projects.<span> </span>Amidst the sea of technical detail, one assertion bothered me: the common claim that bus service is more “flexible” than rail.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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