The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>A land subdivision in Oregon approved under the state's Measure 37 is going forward, despite the fact that it should have been significantly scaled back after the passage of Measure 49 in November. Many view this case as a test of what 49 will allow.</p>

January 8 - The Oregonian

<p><em>The Guardian</em> has released a list of the "50 people who could save the planet," including some urban innovators who are changing the way the world thinks about cities.</p>

January 7 - The Guardian

<p>Johnson County's rural residents fear the expansion of nearby Overland Park is a land grab that will perpetuate suburban sprawl, thereby diminishing their quality of life.</p>

January 7 - The Kansas City Star

<p>In this column, Neal Peirce argues that the country needs to take a step back in time to the regulations and policies of the early 1970s to solve the current mortgage meltdown.</p>

January 7 - The Denver Post

<p>Years of low rainfall are causing many in California to think hard about diminishing supplies of water. In this commentary, author Peter Gleick argues that wise water use and management -- not big-scale infrastructure projects -- is the solution.</p>

January 7 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>This op-ed by Eduardo Peñalver, a Cornell professor of property and land-use law, suggests that escalating gas prices and declining home prices may drive development inward, presenting a great opportunity to end sprawl using regional planning.</p>

January 7 - The Washington Post

<p>Seattle was recently named as one of the most walkable cities in the country, but one local disagrees.</p>

January 7 - Crosscut

<p>An upscale mixed use development near downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, has been blocked by a city council vote, leaving many to wonder if the ruling was really the correct decision for the city.</p>

January 7 - The New York Times

FEATURE

Two high-profile Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) systems are currently under construction, and their implementation could serve as a model for how cities can better connect their existing transit systems to improve mobility.

January 7 - Jerry Schneider

<p>The reservoir at China's Three Gorges Dam will fill to capacity this year, flooding more than 400 square miles of land, including some precious historic sites.</p>

January 7 - NPR

<p>The city of Milan, Italy, has instituted a congestion pricing system.</p>

January 7 - BBC

<p>Suburban and sprawling neighborhoods have been connected with disease and obesity in a new report.</p>

January 7 - The Globe and Mail

<p>The tornado-ravaged Kansas city of Greensburg has announced plans to become the first city to require that all city-owned buildings achieve the Platinum rating level of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED building standard.</p>

January 6 - U.S. Green Building Council

<p>As the population continues to drop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, many in the city are looking to the arts as a way to revive and rebuild the community.</p>

January 6 - The Next American City

<p>L.A.'s regional transit system needs a spine, and the "Subway to the Sea" from downtown to the westside could be that spine. But to make it happen, the city needs to think about a public-private partnership, according to this commentary.</p>

January 6 - The Daily News

<p>A private firm has announced a proposal that would create a free wireless Internet network in the entire city of San Francisco.</p>

January 6 - The San Francisco Chronicle

<p>Washington Governor Chris Gregoire has vowed to dismantle Seattle's crumbling inner city freeway in 2012, putting extra pressure on transportation planners, local officials and the public to agree a replacement solution.</p>

January 6 - Nate Berg

<p>A $1.7 billion high-rise development proposal that would jut out into the Brisbane River has prompted the protests of many planners and architects in Brisbane, Australia.</p>

January 5 - The Australian

<p>This animation from <em>Good</em> looks at the etymology behind the names of some global capital cities.</p>

January 5 - Good

<p>A visit to Toronto -- Canada's largest city -- reveals what urban life can and should be, writes Olga Bonfiglio.</p>

January 5 - CommonDreams