The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>A small Delta town near Sacramento is pushing a state commission to loosen barriers on development in an area set aside in the '90s to protect agricultural land, the area's migratory bird life, and water resources that provide for much of the state.</p>

January 15 - The Sacramento Union

<p>Smyth Lai, a reference librarian in Portland, Oregon, offers his review of leading resources for planning students and scholars.</p>

January 14 - Association of College & Research Libraries

<p>Citing real estate growth for both the decadent and the practical, urban planners are predicted to be in high demand for 2007.</p>

January 14 - Fast Company

<p>Despite all the problems associated with urban sprawl and city growth, Christopher Flavin of the environmental research group Worldwatch Institute says they hold the key to solving climate change in this audio report from <em>Marketplace</em>.</p>

January 14 - Marketplace

<p>Proposed design standards in Fayetteville, Arkansas, have developers concerned about rising costs and requirements. Many in the state's third most populous city fear the standards will hamper new development, especially smaller projects.</p>

January 14 - The Morning News

<p>R.T. Rybak, mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota, has pushed for budget funding to look into the possibility of building streetcar lines in the city's downtown. This article discusses the varied responses of the city's residents.</p>

January 14 - Southwest Journal

<p>Dialogues in Urban and Regional Planning (Volume 2) offers an international perspective on planning and seeks to overcome regional isolation in planning research.</p>

January 13 - Routledge / Global Planning Education Association Network

<p>This editorial from the <em>San Francisco Examiner</em> discusses why the planning system is not public-friendly, and by reducing public hearing and reporting requirements, the process will be less intimidating to the public.</p>

January 13 - San Francisco Examiner

<p>Transportation consultants prepared an analysis of where Manhattan's traffic originates, reasons for commuting by car, and why motorists drive through Manhattan (it's not only to get to Manhattan destinations). No solutions were offered, just data.</p>

January 13 - The New York Times

<p>This audio report from NPR describes "smart elevator" technology that is slowly moving its way into the U.S. in places like elevator-dependent New York City. These new elevators group passengers into different elevators based on their destination.</p>

January 13 - National Public Radio

<p>A German engineer has developed small, individually-powered rail cars which he hopes to put into use on the country's old railroad tracks. The systems is a new fusion of trains and taxis, operating automatically for on-call use by small groups.</p>

January 13 - Der Spiegel

<p>A local businesswoman is building her 8,000 square foot dream home, modeled after a European castle, in the midsts of the city's downtown.</p>

January 12 - The Albuquerque Tribune

<p>Given a history of environment problems, some wonder if the 2008 Olympics in Beijing will showcase the world's worst pollution as well as world-class athletes? A marathon runner dies as the City's pollution index hits 149 (100 is unhealthy).</p>

January 12 - Knowledge@Wharton

<p>Hailed by many as setting a new fuel standard to reduce carbon emissions and questioned by others as to its effect on smog levels and gas prices, the new regulation will reduce the carbon content of transportation fuels 10% by 2020.</p>

January 12 - The San Francisco Chronicle

<p>A new report from the World Watch Institute warns that uncontrolled urbanization in the form of slums is contributing to serious social and environmental consequences.</p>

January 12 - World Watch

<p>Hawaii's housing boom and other factors like high rents and a shortage of developable land mean that housing is often out of reach for the state's working poor. As a result, Hawaii has one of the nation's largest homeless populations.</p>

January 12 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>With Southern California's strictest urban growth rules and a commitment to preserving open space and agriculture, Ventura County has become the region's hotbed of smart growth.</p>

January 12 - The Planning Report

<p>As current city management professionals inch toward retirement, a shortage of younger candidates may mean tough times ahead for professionally managed cities.</p>

January 12 - The New York Times

<p>With its downtown booming, Austin, Texas is trying to help homeowners who are feeling the squeeze from rising property values -- by buying their land.</p>

January 12 - The Austin Chronicle

<p>Redevelopment officials are looking at the southern frontier of downtown as the next potential neighborhood for revitalization and new transit-oriented development, but some locals are worried about the area's gentrification.</p>

January 12 - The Los Angeles Times