The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

FEATURE

Say you're a big city. But right next door is an even bigger big city. What do you do to stand out? Josh Stephens explores the unique plight of America's so-called stepsister cities.

April 14 - Josh Stephens

<p>One Philadelphia councilman wants his city to follow the lead of more pedestrian-friendly New York and ensure that construction projects don't interfere with sidewalks.</p>

April 13 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

<p>Mixed-use projects are all the rage, but often times, the ground floor retail storefronts remain empty long after residents have moved in.</p>

April 13 - Dallas Morning News

<p>Green roofs offer an opportunity for outdoor space and gardening for people with little or no yards.</p>

April 13 - The Hartford Courant

<p>As the site adds more transit systems to its database, some hope that Google's transit route planner could become as useful as its car route mapping software.</p>

April 13 - Wired Magazine

<p>Across the country, burst, leaking and corroding water mains are indications that much of the country's water infrastructure is reaching the end of its life expectancy. Repairs and replacements could cost hundreds of billions of dollars.</p>

April 13 - The New York Times

<p>Short on funding, Toronto's waterfront parks agency is considering a plan to sell the naming rights to the park's amenities, allowing corporate sponsors to add their name to such public features as walkways and play areas.</p>

April 12 - The Canadian Press

<p>With one of the world's higher rates of air pollution, Mexico City is cracking down on one type of emission: cigarette smoke. Smoking has been banned in all public places in the city, including office buildings and restaurants.</p>

April 12 - Reuters

<p>Old subway cars are being dumped off the coast of Delaware, creating a manmade reef. Life is flourishing in this new underwater subway cemetery, but officials worry the reef may be too successful.</p>

April 12 - The New York Times

<p>England's plans to build 3 million new homes by 2020, and much emphasis has been placed on making them environmentally friendly. The push for "eco-town" draw a strong parallel to the "Garden Cities" of the past.</p>

April 12 - The Times

<p>A New York developer is unveiling plans for a fleet of luxury homes that aim to comply with LEED environmental standards. But this article from <em>The New York Times</em> wonders whether that really makes the homes green.</p>

April 12 - The New York Times

<p>142 years after it was first proposed and with $235 million spent with nothing to show for it, the unrealized link between Sicily and the Italian mainland might be planning at its worst.</p>

April 11 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>A rundown of the largest parking structures on the planet -- complete with photos and plans for a new 40,000 car structure in Dubai that is slated to take the crown when completed.</p>

April 11 - Forbes

<p>Hot technologies like blogs, mashups, YouTube, Flickr, and social networking are among the most notable of new Internet technologies that are collectively known as Web 2.0. These technologies offer great possibilities for planners.</p>

April 11 - Planning Magazine

<p>Rural communities in Ottawa are being wiped out as urban trends take over the minds of developers and consumers. Rural residents are looking at ways to preserve the character of their communities.</p>

April 11 - The Ottawa Citizen

<p>London Mayor Ken Livingstone wants to increase the central city's congestion charge from $16 a day to $50. Drivers in the city are not too happy about it.</p>

April 11 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>A year-late plan by the Army Corps of Engineers to restore the Louisiana Gulf Coastline is being slammed by critics.</p>

April 11 - New Orleans Times-Picayune

<p>Popular Mechanics offers a slide show of the nation's top 10 most pressing infrastructure problems needing urgent attention.</p>

April 11 - Popular Mechanics

<p>Sacramento Bee's political columnist Dan Walters discusses the California growth debate amidst the temporary development lull and questions whether the state is ready to embrace smart growth, despite recognizing that it reduces global warming.</p>

April 11 - The Sacramento Bee

<p>California water quality regulators continue to levy ever-tougher standards for stormwater runoff. But the standards could impact development and cities in a way that is not best for the environment at large.</p>

April 11 - California Planning & Development Report