The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>A <em>Los Angeles Times</em> columnist hears about the Los Angeles density controversy and sees its implications during a recent drive around town with County Commissioner Zev Yaroslavsky.</p>

March 23 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>Dysfunctional and wasteful practices have defined the army Corps of Engineers for years. Despite being caught in the act many times, the Corps continues to propose and push forward unnecessary projects, according to this article.</p>

March 22 - Grist

<p>The planning process has taken a little longer than expected for a Chinese investor looking to create Germany's first Chinatown.</p>

March 22 - Der Spiegel

<p>The city of Long Beach, California, has initiated a bike sharing program for city officials. The program consists of 16 shared bikes, usable by city employees for short trips and errands around the city.</p>

March 22 - Press Telegram (Long Beach, CA)

<p>The town of Slough gets no respect, but it's trying.</p>

March 22 - The New York Times

<p>Why Americans don't cycle in the cold and rain, and why they do in Amsterdam.</p>

March 22 - Streetsblog

BLOG POST

We all know there&#39;s a lot of planning going on around the world. Much of it is poor, short-sighted and generally just no good. But there are also some really great ideas being developed and adopted, and they should be considered by cities and communities all over the world as instructive examples of good planning. Here are what I think are some of the best ideas in urban planning from the last week.

March 21 - Nate Berg

<p>In a classic Hollywood showdown that could only happen in California politics, Gov. Schwarzenegger axed actor-director-former Carmel, CA mayor Clint Eastwood from the Parks Commission at the expiration of his term after his 'no-vote' on a toll road.</p>

March 21 - The San Francisco Chronicle

<p>Assuming everything is fine in its long-time relationship with America, the car comes home to an unhappy surprise in this cartoon from <em>Streetsblog</em>.</p>

March 21 - Streetsblog

<p>The mortgage crisis is devastating many communities far from urban centers, while 'inner cities', regionally speaking, are weathering the financial storm far better thanks to their urban form that makes them attractive to those that can afford them.</p>

March 21 - The San Francisco Chronicle

<p>The slowing economy is causing Forest Ratner to re-think buildout plans for their controversial Atlantic Yards development. New York City history tells us it won't be the first time a large scale project goes the way of the economy.</p>

March 21 - The New York Times

<p>A new master plan for Los Angeles's Century City attempts to undo some of the shortcomings that typically plague Modernist master-planned edge cities. Its goals include walkability, greening, and a more appealing public realm.</p>

March 21 - Planning Magazine

<p>The nation's housing downturn has spread to the fastest growing counties in the sunbelt, where most saw reduced domestic migration in the year ending July 1, 2007, while more rural counties experienced population losses.</p>

March 21 - USA Today

<p>With a growth rate of more than 75% over the last seven years, Kendall County, Illinois, is changing fast and the local farming community is struggling to adapt.</p>

March 21 - The Associated Press

<p>A proposal to place tolls on many of the highways around Washington D.C. is being blasted by critics, who say planners should place more emphasis on providing better transit services than charging commuters left with few options.</p>

March 21 - The Washington Post

<p>The vast levee system under construction by the Army Corps of Engineers may not be sufficient to protect New Orleans as the climate continues to change.</p>

March 21 - Grist

<p>High rates of accidents and few bike lanes make Indianapolis a dangerous place to ride a bike, according to this article.</p>

March 21 - The Indianapolis Star

<p>San Diego's downtown trolley service is becoming too popular, causing officials to propose equipment upgrades to handle the rising crowds. But the bigger trolleys will take out some car lanes and affect traffic lights, and many are unhappy about it.</p>

March 21 - San Diego City Beat

<p>Although Tucson has only about 6 percent of the population of metropolitan Los Angeles, residents of the Arizona city fear California-style sprawl and water problems. So where are Tucson residents looking for answers? That's right, California.</p>

March 20 - California Planning & Development Report

<p>J.P. Morgan's federally-back purchase of Bear Stearns holds billions in dubious "mortgage backed securities," and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are pumping hundreds of billions into the market. Time may be running out for the Federal Reserve.</p>

March 20 - The Huffington Post