The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Residents say the state's smart growth policies have done little to reign in sprawl, though questions remain about what action to take.</p>

October 19 - The Baltimore Sun

<p>In Houston, the only major U.S. city with no zoning laws, plans to construct a high-rise condo complex in an affluent neighborhood have residents outraged.</p>

October 19 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>Emerging trends in five European cities suggest what could be ahead for the U.S. development environment, observes author Michael Mehaffy.</p>

October 19 - Urban Land

<p>Two years after a prior proposal failed to pass, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has once again challenged the city's developers to help solve L.A.'s affordable housing crisis by including lower-cost units in new projects.</p>

October 19 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>Toronto is positioning itself to become a world model for sustainable waterfront development and has now completed the design phase of a 30 year effort. Urban planner Mary Vogel sets out to explore whether they are meeting their mark.</p>

October 19 - Urban Land

<p>California voters are likely to decide on two eminent domain initiatives in 2008. One is a very limited measure backed by local government organizations, while the other is a far-reaching measure that would also prohibit rent control.</p>

October 19 - California Planning & Development Report

<p>This post from <em>Salon</em> shows a video of a train that travels right through a market in Bangkok.</p>

October 19 - Salon

<p>Six social housing projects built in 1920s Berlin by such architects as Walter Gropius and Bruno Taut are being considered for preservation as UNESCO sites.</p>

October 19 - Der Spiegel

<p>While other cities may be perfect examples of textbook urbanism, Toronto's diversity and rough edges makes it an especially useful model for 21st century cities, observes one planner.</p>

October 18 - The National Post

<p>A new report from the National Leagues of Cities shows that the housing market decline is hampering many cities' ability to pay for basic services.</p>

October 18 - The New York Times

<p>Climate change is bringing year-round ice-free shipping between Canada and Russia, which could change international trade routes and boost the fortunes of Churchill, Manitoba.</p>

October 18 - The Globe & Mail

<p>City officials in Boise, Idaho, are considering a liquidation of properties the city owns and operates as affordable housing. The costs of keeping the housing available is becoming unaffordable for the city.</p>

October 18 - The Boise Weekly

<p>U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters came to San Francisco to praise their proposed multi-pronged congestion pricing programs and other technologies that are designed to reduce traffic congestion increase transit usage.</p>

October 18 - The San Francisco Chronicle

<p>This report looks at a new trend in transportation financing, as communities in 33 different states have approved more than $70 billion in new transportation investment between 2000 and 2005.</p>

October 18 - Center For Transportation Excellence

<p>In an attempt to discourage urban youth from hanging out in the foyers of apartment buildings, French authorities in Le Havre built them their own faux foyer -- with mixed results.</p>

October 18 - The Globe & Mail

<p>A new report finds that the transfer of development rights from one area to another is simple in concept, but difficult in implementation.</p>

October 18 - Center for Environmental Excellence

<p>Private ownership of the site of ancient Mayan ruins in Mexico have legislators clamoring to claim the site as property of the country.</p>

October 18 - The Christian Science Monitor

<p>Los Angeles will receive $150 million from the state to improve synchronization of its traffic lights, but transportation planners say the new money won't really do a lot to ease congestion.</p>

October 18 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>New York mayor Michael Bloomberg's widely-touted plan for a greener city have left out the major energy consumer in Manhattan: the thousands of buildings not owned by the city.</p>

October 17 - The Gotham Gazette

<p>New Census data has shown that 4 out of 10 immigrants move directly to suburbs after entering the country, mainly because that's where the jobs are.</p>

October 17 - The New York Times