The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Industry observers are linking the emergence of place-based 3-D virtual worlds like Second Life, to the next generation of the Internet. IBM is the first major forunte 500 company to make a major investment in the technology.</p>

November 13 - eWeek

<p>The idea of mixed-use public libraries with housing on top is catching on in New York City and elsewhere.</p>

November 13 - The New York Times

<p>With growing doubt over the economic development potential for major league teams, Seattle is the latest city to reject public financing for a professional sports venue.</p>

November 13 - The New York Times

<p>Moving communities that lie in high hazard areas seems logical, but someone has to pay the bill.</p>

November 13 - The New York Times

<p>After 100 years, progress marches on to bulldoze the suburban St. Louis neighborhood of Hadley Township.</p>

November 13 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

<p>In Georgetown, a student party house seeks recognition as a religious organization to get around zoning restrictions.</p>

November 13 - The Washington Post

FEATURE

American cities suffer from outdated infrastructure that inhibits the local economy and quality of life. Those cities that can evolve to meet the needs of the information age will be the ones to prosper immensely in the next 10-20 years.

November 13 - Neil Takemoto, Mike Lydon

<p>These renderings for a new project in Denmark show how towers and open space combine to promote mass transit and reject old-fashioned ideas about monolithic design.</p>

November 13 - Streetsblog

<p>The University of Minnesota has announced plans to make use of 7,800 acres of open land by creating a utopian community laboratory, with housing for 20,000-30,000 people and an integration of agriculture, commercial space, public transit and open space.</p>

November 13 - Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune

<p>The Solaire, the first residential high-rise to earn “LEED Gold” status, is not just a premier environmentally friendly building—it’s also a big moneymaker.</p>

November 12 - The Globe and Mail

<p>Depsite a change in local laws that let businesses stay open 90 minutes later, few businesses in the northwestern Swiss city of Basel have extended hours, worrying officials that their idea of creating the "largest shopping center in the region" has fallen short.</p>

November 12 - Basler Zeitung

<p>An agreement has been reached between 18 countries to move forward on a long-sought plan to connect railways between Singapore and Turkey, creating a vast network expected to boost the economies of currently remote areas.</p>

November 12 - Armenia Liberty

<p>In Romania, construction of infrastructure was formerly a slow and inefficient process that left many in the country without access to basic needs like water and roads. But now, construction has picked up and the country's services have vastly improved.</p>

November 12 - The Diplomat Bucharest

<p>New development plans for the city center of the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik have city officials and residents looking optimistically towards a rebirth of a declining local economy.</p>

November 12 - The Reykjavik Grapevine

<p>An ordinance has been passed in Salt Lake City, Utah, requiring builders of any commercial, condo or apartment buildings to adhere to LEED green building standards if they are funded or financed by the city.</p>

November 11 - The Salt Lake Tribune

<p>This article from <em>Metropolis Magazine</em> looks at a new trend that is revisioning the playground by expanding its scope and encouraging kids to get out of the backyard.</p>

November 11 - Metropolis Magazine

<p>Residents in some of Mumbai's state-built housing complexes have agreed to solicit bids for redevelopment of the nearly half-century old housing, called Middle Income Group residential colonies. Residents and the building community alike are excited about the redevelopment.</p>

November 11 - The Times Of India

<p>The Tokyo suburb of Kakamura has shown great appeal to expatriates because of its availability of space and proximity to scenic natural resources -- attributes that sharply contrast the dense and bustling big city one hour away.</p>

November 11 - International Herald Tribune

<p>As voters in Arizona overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative to restrict the government's use of eminent domain, the state's Supreme Court unanimously overturned another court's ruling that the initiative was invalid.</p>

November 11 - KVOA News

<p>A community in central Pennsylvania is considering rezoning land currently occupied by a mobile home park into what city leaders say is much needed commercial space.</p>

November 10 - Centre Daily