The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Recounting a recent trip to Great Barrington, Massachusetts, writer Philip Langdon shares the pleasure of the small town's main street.</p>

June 27 - The Hartford Courant

<p>A district appeals court ruling has invalidated the housing element of San Francisco's general plan, arguing that the environmental consequences of the plan's increased density were not considered.</p>

June 27 - The San Francisco Chronicle

<p>Federal Section 8 subsidies are set to expire for nearly 1,000 units of low income housing in Portland between December and 2013. Officials are looking to partner with private and non-profit groups to buy the housing before owners can raise rents.</p>

June 27 - The Portland Tribune

<p>The idea of expanding the influence of the metropolitan planning organization in Minnesota's Twin Cities region has been around for a while. But increasing growth and congestion may finally push the idea forward.</p>

June 27 - Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

<p>The ancient palazzos of Rome are being transformed by a flood of restaurants and bars catering to a growing population of drunken tourists. Many locals and preservationist worry about what they see as social and historical decay.</p>

June 27 - International Herald Tribune

<p>Despite the attention that global warming has received in the U.S., most Americans aren't choosing more eco-friendly commutes.</p>

June 27 - The Christian Science Monitor

<p>The second largest mall owner in the nation will redevelop over 200 of its properties into mixed-use centers.</p>

June 27 - New Urban News

<p>A recent column cites the phenomenon of subdivision walls as an example of how Americans are neglecting and shunning the public realm.</p>

June 27 - The Charlotte Observer

<p>Several communities have used ordinances to favor masonry over vinyl siding, but the practice is being challenged by a lawsuit arguing that the added cost prices out low-income minorities.</p>

June 27 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

<p>Bogota, Colombia, has turned itself around by focusing on using the public realm to promote the greatest amount of happiness. First stop? Car-free days.</p>

June 27 - The Globe and Mail

<p>Developers are hoping that by putting private colleges and universities within new developments, communities will be more likely to loosen land use approvals.</p>

June 26 - The Sacramento Bee

<p>The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that the federal Clean Water Act takes precedence over the Endangered Species Act when considering approval of development plans. The ruling is seen as a victory for developers.</p>

June 26 - The Business Journal of Phoenix

<p>Having funded Jane Jacobs' groundbreaking research in the late 1950s, the Rockefeller Foundation has created a $100,000 prize in her name.</p>

June 26 - The New York Times

<p>In California, plans to build nearly 1,000 miles of carpool lanes are being reconsidered as a new report reveals that the lanes are not meeting federal standards for flow and effectiveness.</p>

June 26 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>For the coastal California city of San Diego, the threat of global warming and rising sea levels is on the minds of many local officials and planners.</p>

June 26 - San Diego Union Tribune

<p>In exchange for a discount on oil for London's bus system, city transit officials will lend their expertise to the city of Caracas, Venezuela, in an effort to reduce the city's crippling congestion.</p>

June 26 - The Guardian

BLOG POST

<div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Let&#39;s begin by killing off one of the cherished half-truths about Vancouver.</span></font></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Vancouver, it is said, is the only major city in North America without freeways.</span></font></p>

June 26 - Gordon Price

<p>With more homeowners looking for creative ways to finance their home or house relatives, Los Angeles is experiencing a revival of interest in duplexes.</p>

June 26 - Christian Madera

<p>Fear of hurricanes, high housing costs, and prohibitive insurance premiums are driving coastal Florida residents north to Atlanta. Real estate agents and developers are happy, but the region is already strained by growth.</p>

June 26 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

<p>Through a myriad of efforts -- including helping residents install picket fences -- the once ailing suburb of Paramount, California, is now on the rise.</p>

June 26 - The Los Angeles Times