The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>In Massachusetts, some cities are changing their zoning rules and restrictions, encouraging more developers to building higher density "cluster" developments in traditionally low-density areas.</p>

January 2 - The Boston Globe

<p>Residents near Seattle are upset after transit officials altered plans for proposed extensions of the area's light rail system. Concerned citizens claim that the transit authority's decision to scrap two lines puts politics above effective service.</p>

January 2 - The Seattle Times

<p>Smart City Radio features a show focused on the impact of transportation on land use, including interviews with Robert Puentes and Katherine Perez.</p>

January 2 - Smart City Radio

<p>Over security concerns, the U.S. government has moved some of its federal offices outside the "nuclear blast-zone" of Washington D.C. The move of offices about 75-miles from the D.C. ground zero is bringing an economic boom to the area's small towns.</p>

January 2 - The Washington Post

<p>A battle is raging in rural Illinois over a proposed multi-county water authority that would control the use and tax of water within the heavily farmed region. Many farmers fear a loss of control, and developers anticipate more restrictions.</p>

January 1 - The Chicago Tribune

<p>Curbed Los Angeles names its hysterical 2006 winners for "The NIMBY Award", "Dumbest Planning Scheme", "Broker Boys &amp; Babes Awards", and our favorites, the "Most Horrendous McMansion of the Year" and the "Worst Garagemahal."</p>

January 1 - Curbed Los Angeles

<p>The New York Times offers a fascinating insider's view of the massive $5.4 billion purchase by Tishman Speyer Properties of 80 acres of Prime Manhattan land -- Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village.</p>

January 1 - The New York Times

<p>Arizona State University will launch the nation's first School of Sustainability next month.</p>

January 1 - The Christian Science Monitor

<p>A traditional neighborhood development planned near St. Petersburg, Florida, is having trouble getting approved because its proposed density is twice as high as the city wants to allow.</p>

January 1 - The St. Petersburg Times

<p>Demand for locally-grown food is increasing in Canada, but the number of organic growers has shown a national decline. A shortage of organic processing plants -- especially those used for meats -- is a limiting factor in the 'slow food' movement.</p>

December 31 - The Tyee

<p>L.A. transit officials hope the new smart card system, in the works for more than a decade, will make riding buses and trains more customer-friendly.</p>

December 31 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>The new high tech meters allow drivers to take their unused time to another parking spot in the city.</p>

December 31 - The Examiner

<p>This article from Seattle-based publication <em>WorldChanging</em> describes regional planning efforts to protect sensitive fisheries. This regional planning is not based on political boundaries, but rather on biological boundaries.</p>

December 31 - WorldChanging

<p>The New England region's population growth rate continues to drop below that of the nation as a whole, measuring at a rate of just 0.2 percent between July 2005 and July 2006. This compares with a national growth rate of about 1 percent.</p>

December 31 - Portland Press Herald

<p>Plans for making Paris a greener and more pedestrian friendly city are infuriating motorists in the city.</p>

December 30 - NPR

<p>The Vauban neighborhood on a former military base in Freiburg, Germany was not designed around the automobile. In fact, some streets are too narrow for them. And unlike much of Europe, this is a city made to accommodate young families with children.</p>

December 30 - The Christian Science Monitor

<p>A study released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that nutrient pollution in New England and the Gulf of Maine has increased over the last 15 years, due to pesticide use, stormwater runoff, and sewage leaks.</p>

December 30 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

<p>A recent survey of California farmers and members of the state's Farm Water Coalition reveals that the majority of farmers place the highest importance on securing a dependable water supply for the state.</p>

December 30 - Western Farm Press

<p>FBI statistics that identify Kansas City as having the most violent crime in the nation fortify results from a recent survey of residents who are more concerned about crime than residents of the reigning "most dangerous city in America", St. Louis.</p>

December 30 - The Kansas City Star

<p>Home prices in the British capital have made London the most expensive place to buy a home, supplanting New York City.</p>

December 29 - San Jose Mercury News