The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Retired FEMA trailers originally sent to house the displaced after Hurricane Katrina have found new purpose in a government programs that distributes them for use by local municipalities.</p>

January 21 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

<p>Public transit systems must be closely linked with new development and projections of growth for communities to sustain themselves in a changing environment, according to this op-ed.</p>

January 21 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

<p>More than 200 acres of public land in Texas were transferred to the Department of Homeland security on the order of a federal judge. The department sought the land as part of its plan to build hundreds of miles of fences along the U.S.-Mexico border.</p>

January 21 - The Los Angeles Times

FEATURE

With little else to do, teenagers in the rural Indiana town of San Pierre have found a new place to hang out: community meetings. But they're not just hanging out, they are actively participating in the planning and revitalization of their community.

January 21 - Therese Schmidt

<p>After black teenagers from Cleveland severely beat a white man, Shaker Heights residents reconsider the safety of their community.</p>

January 21 - The New York Times

<p>A community activist in Philadelphia is rallying support to pressure the city to consider a bike-sharing program similar to the Paris Velib system.</p>

January 20 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

<p><em>Streetfilms</em> presents this brief video montage of cars infringing on the rights of pedestrians.</p>

January 20 - Streetsblog

<p>After more than a year with its funding in limbo and its future questionable, the Chicago Transit Authority has been saved from fare hikes and service cuts by an increase in county sales taxes.</p>

January 20 - The Chicago Tribune

<p>In this article, author James Surowiecki discusses the idea that -- contrary to common assumption -- there is a lot of wisdom to be found in crowds.</p>

January 20 - Scenarios

<p>Two Turkish villages illustrate the impact of radically different approaches to development.</p>

January 20 - The Christian Science Monitor

<p>California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted lawmakers to pull a nearly $10 billion bill from the November ballot that would fund a long-sought high-speed rail system, but he now wants the legislation to require private funding partnerships.</p>

January 19 - Associated Press via San Francisco Chronicle

<p>A high-speed rail connection through the busy Windsor, Ont., and Quebec City corridor has been debated for years. However, the Ontario government's $100 billion infrastructure deficit and the rising cost of land may make it economically unfeasible.</p>

January 19 - The Globe & Mail

<p>As part of a mixed use development proposal, the 1971 Marcel Breuer-designed office tower in Cleveland would become a boutique hotel and residences. The adjacent Cleveland Trust rotunda, designed by G. B. Post &amp; Sons, would become the hotel's lobby.</p>

January 19 - The Plain Dealer

<p>A new report from United for a Fair Economy (UFE) accuses subprime lenders of deliberately and aggressively targeting poor and minority households.</p>

January 19 - Agence France Presse

<p>A 24-second stop-motion animation illustrating a chicane, an inexpensive and effective way to get drivers to slow down on your neighborhood street.</p>

January 19 - Streetsblog

BLOG POST

<p>The other day, half a million plastic balls bounced down the Spanish Steps, one of Rome&#39;s most visited and historic public places. Many visitors, picture-takers and members of the media were caused to wonder &#39;what&#39;s up with all these balls?&#39;</p>

January 18 - Nate Berg

<p>Superheroes exist outside the pages of comic books, and they are committed to improving their communities. Though there are few "supervillains" to tackle, these superheroes serve their cities through civic volunteerism and general do-goodery.</p>

January 18 - City Pages (Minneapolis/St. Paul)

<p>A new report in the latest issue of the <em>Journal of the American Planning Association</em> examines how home-owning and aging baby boomers will drastically affect the housing market.</p>

January 18 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>Despite slow going at the eco-intentional community Arcosanti in Arizona, hundreds of similar "eco-villages" have popped up around the world.</p>

January 18 - E/The Environmental Magazine

<p>The Hollywood writer's strike is beginning to have ripple effects throughout the Los Angeles economy, and has already cost the city $1.4 billion in lost wages.</p>

January 18 - Observer (UK)