The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Los Angeles has topped the American Lung Association's list of the most polluted American cities.</p>

May 2 - The York Dispatch

<p>Engineers have unveiled a massive plan to let the Mississippi River flow out of several of its levees to reduce the amount of sediment that flows into the ocean. Proponents say the $50 billion plan would reclaim much of the land-building sediment.</p>

May 1 - The Washington Post

<p>In a truly unusual array of political forces, developers have joined with environmentalists and housing advocates to oppose a bill sponsored by realtors that would eliminate the use of transfer fees to finance open space and affordable housing.</p>

May 1 - Capitol Weekly

<p>Investors are flocking to Berlin gambling that the city's economy will catch up with its image.</p>

May 1 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>Citing the popularity and success of closed-circuit television cameras that have been installed in many public places for crime-fighting purposes, politicians in the UK are considering attaching microphones and even loudspeakers to these cameras.</p>

May 1 - BBC

<p>According to the new study by the Center for an Urban Future, Staten Island needs its own comprehensive plan. But the Deputy NYC Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding disagrees.</p>

May 1 - The New York Times

<p>Local residents are fighting against plans to build condos and redevelop a historically black section of Los Angeles, a move that they fear will gentrify their neighborhood.</p>

May 1 - The York Dispatch

<p>Some security experts are using the recent collapse of a Bay Area bridge due to an overturned oil tanker to highlight the dangers of routing hazardous cargo through cities.</p>

May 1 - The Christian Science Monitor

<p>Using a steel dock-like structure and blocks of Styrofoam, a Louisiana professor has designed housing that avoids flood-damage by moving with rising water.</p>

May 1 - The Seattle Times

<p><em>NPR</em> profiles a development company that is Florida's largest landowner, and looks at its New Urbanism-tinged plans for developing more than 800,000 acres in the rapidly growing Florida Panhandle.</p>

May 1 - NPR

<p>Politicians in Scotland are trying to gather support for a plan to build a high-speed magnetic levitation train between the country's two biggest cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh. But opponents worry the proposal would hinder other rail development.</p>

May 1 - BBC

<p>Investors are lining up to bid on American's transportation infrastructure, with many public sector managers happy to solve their budget woes.</p>

April 30 - MSNBC

<p>D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty recently stated his desire to investigate the feasibility of a congestion tax, sparking immediate debate about the possible effects on the region.</p>

April 30 - The Washington Post

<p>If communities are serious about creating more affordable housing, laws against accessory units should be changed.</p>

April 30 - The Washington Post

<p>A new survey finds that neighborhoods experiencing gentrification have a high number of people blogging about their community.</p>

April 30 - The New York Times

<p>California governor cites other pressing transportation needs.</p>

April 30 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>While San Jose's light rail ridership has soared, its bus ridership has plummeted over 33% in six years. In an unprecedented effort to restore ridership, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has decreased day and monthly pass prices.</p>

April 30 - San Jose Mercury News

<p>Despite a crumbling toll road that many call a failure, Mexican President Felipe Calderón is pushing measures that would create numerous toll roads in the country. With little money to invest in infrastructure, his plans rely on privatization.</p>

April 30 - Los Angeles Times via The Seattle Times

FEATURE

While many local governments have been utilizing the eminent domain powers granted to them by the Kelo case, the American Planning Association hasn't been successful in finding ways to limit the decision's negative effects. But as Richard May, FAICP explains, there are many ways to reduce any damage done.

April 30 - Richard May, FAICP

<p>In California, a huge team of volunteers is building the nation's largest playground for disabled children, equipped with slides and ramps wide enough for wheelchairs, rubber ground padding, and textured play surfaces for blind children.</p>

April 30 - The San Francisco Chronicle