The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>"Street View," a new feature of Google Maps, offers panoramic street-level views of major urban areas. Where do you draw the line between public &amp; private?</p>

June 4 - The New York Times

<p>What it will take to provide needed shelter before the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games?</p>

June 4 - The Tyee

FEATURE

Most cities and planners seem unprepared to deal with the land use issues surrounding the nation's burgeoning cemeteries.

June 4 - Debbie Woodell

<p>In the case of a national emergency such as a Katrina-type storm or an act of terrorism, the White House will assume control over the other branches of government, according to a new Presidential Directive.</p>

June 4 - The Progressive

<p>Rather than down-sizing to a more economic vehicle, many commuters are instead choosing to up-size their car ‘fleet’ to include the smaller vehicle, rather than trading-in their gas-guzzler, resulting in an explosion of three-car households.</p>

June 4 - The New York Times

BLOG POST

<p><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Two years ago I saw John Norquist, former Mayor of Milwaukee and current President and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism, give a presentation on the state of America’s cities. During the slide show, Norquist used two sets of images to effectively convey a point about urban disinvestment in America. The first set of images was of Berlin and Detroit circa 1945. Unsurprisingly, the Berlin image displayed a war-torn and rubble-strewn city, while the Detroit image revealed why it was once called the Paris of the Midwest -- it was simply elegant. <span> </span>However, the second set of images displayed the same two cities 60 years later. It was as if Detroit had been through an epic war and not Berlin.

June 3 - Mike Lydon

BLOG POST

<p> It’s great that global warming is finally getting its day in the media spotlight. But with all the buzz about c<em>arbon footprints </em>and <em>carbon offsets</em>, I wonder whether the average American now believes that carbon dioxide is the only pollutant that we need to worry about? <br />

June 3 - Diana DeRubertis

<p>Center City’s narrow streets and dense concentration contribute to an exciting and walkable urban center. Yet, the increase in visitors and residents has resulted in an increase in the number of vehicles and delivery trucks in search of parking.</p>

June 3 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

<p>In order to accommodate the inclusion of light rail, the City of Portland decided to temporarily move its bus lines a block away. The lines have been so successful that many are starting to question if the move should be permanent.</p>

June 3 - The Oregonian

<p>Subprime lenders appears to have deliberately targeted some of America's poorest communities. The resulting wave of foreclosures could eliminate more homeowners than were added.</p>

June 3 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>With the fallout of Kelo v. New London, its critical that planners rethink how redevelopment happens, and who it serves.</p>

June 3 - Real Estate Issues

<p>The pace of construction in oil-soaked Alberta is so intense that projects dogged by labour shortages are drawing inexperienced workers from across the country -- and complaints about shoddy construction.</p>

June 3 - The Globe and Mail

BLOG POST

<p><em>City Limits</em> magazine recently completed a <a href="http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/viewarticle.cfm?article_id=3343&amp;content_type=1&amp;media_type=3">review</a> of the 18 presidential candidates&#39; stances on urban issues, and the major news is that there is no news. Most domestic issues, let alone those related to cities, don&#39;t even appear on the candidates&#39; -- or the media&#39;s -- radar screens. Their article quotes a p<span class="content2">olitical scientist who &quot;says 2008 is shaping up as &#39;yet another gigantic referendum on Bush and Iraq.&#39;&quot; The bright spots? Although <a href="/node/23153">Bill Richardson</a> has advocated for greater energy conservation and public transportation, John Edwards has articulated an intriguing <a href="http://www.johnedwards.com/about/issues/poverty/">plan</a> to end poverty in the U.S. by 2036 and <a href="http://johnedwards.com/about/issues/housing/">overhaul</a> the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">

June 2 - David Gest

<p>The UK releases a summary report on the growing need in the country for greater 'Community Cohesion' -- or how to promote community citizenship based on greater knowledge and contact between different cultures.</p>

June 2 - IDeA Knowledge

<p>Not all energy alternatives are created equal. In fact, some are twice as bad as gasoline from a global warming perspective. This editorial points the finger at coal-to-liquid as the worst of them and cautions Congress not to subsidize the technology</p>

June 2 - The New York Times

<p>Transportation Secretary Peters and the head of Georgia's Dept. of Transportation chatted about grandchildren during a recent visit, but forgot to discuss the region's stalled commuter rail project.</p>

June 2 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

<p>Tom Engelhardt explores the architectural and political significance of the mammoth US embassy construction project in Baghdad.</p>

June 2 - TomDispatch

<p>On the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, small towns are grappling with plans to develop more than 4,500 housing units. Of the most concern to residents is the increased traffic and strain on roads, so they have proposed a circulation plan.</p>

June 2 - Honolulu Star Bulletin

<p>Portland, Oregon, is pushing stricter regulations on the city's waste, mandating that residents and businesses recycle 75% of their waste by 2015. Many businesspeople are upset about the costs that would be associated with compliance.</p>

June 1 - Portland Business Journal

<p>The first issue of a new journal on aging features a discussion on planning and rezoning of a suburb in response to the desires of an aging suburban population for a walkable community with mixed use and better transit services.</p>

June 1 - CCQ Capital Commons Quarterly: The Dynamics of Aging and Our Communities