The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Building Green Affordable Housing In NYC

South Bronx affordable housing goes big and goes green.

April 20 - The New York Times

New York City Faces Immense Growth

How can the city learn from other major metropolises like Chicago and Los Angeles to develop a viable growth strategy for the 21st century?

April 20 - The Gotham Gazette

$30 Billion Public Works Bond Headed For Ballot In California

Governor Schwarzenegger's $222 billion Strategic Growth Plan was derailed earlier when the legislature failed to agree on a bond package for the June ballot. It now appears that a smaller package will make the ballot in November.

April 20 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Miami Holds Strong On Urban Development Boundary

Despite growing pressure, the Miami-Dade County Commission has decided not to amend its Urban Development Boundary -- for now.

April 20 - The Miami Herald

When Good Cars Go Bad

Hybrid gas mileage decreases on the open road. Green consumers should purchase nonhybrid cars for better overall gas mileage.

April 20 - The New York Times


How The Bay Area Is Preparing For The Next 'Big One'

The San Francisco Bay Area is investing in seismic retrofit projects for public infrastructure, such as strengthening hospitals, bridges, overpasses, and water mains. But private residences remain vulnerable.

April 19 - BBC News

BLOG POST

Cities' Visionless Wireless

This came through the telecom-cities listserv by Anthony Townsend. He very succinctly summarizes the issues with municipal wireless networks. The quote below I find particularly interesting:<br /> <br /> "Discussions about the design of today's municipal wireless networking efforts have not yet addressed the way community-created content can be solicited and integrated in the splash pages and portal sites where wireless users are greeted when they connect. We do know that cities such as Long Beach, California and business improvement districts in New York City have experimented with local content.

April 19 - Scott Page


Backstory: Can The Motor City Walk?

Leaders in Detroit are starting to rethink the city's car-happy habitat and history.

April 19 - The Christian Science Monitor

Philadelphia's Patchwork Zoning Code Frustrates Residents

Philadelphia's monstrous zoning code is in dire need of streamlining; recently residents were surprised by over-the-counter permits granted for a skyscraper, while homeowners looking to install a standard fence must apply for a variance.

April 19 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Don Quixote's Impossible Energy Dream?

An op-ed column discusses benefits and costs of wind energy -- the newly developing industry behind it, the tax breaks it receives, and the logic or NIMBYism of opponents.

April 19 - The Washington Post

1906 Quake And Hurricane Katrina

Edward Epstein examines the federal response to two of the nation's worst natural disasters.

April 19 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Proposed Skyscrapers Push The Envelope Of Design

A cigarette-pack-shaped tower that will "breathe in air" to power the building? A Louisville skyscraper whose beauty is compared to the "gap between Lauren Hutton's teeth?" Proposed new towers are pushing the limits of height and good taste.

April 19 - The Wall Street Journal

Kyoto Following Its Own Protocol?

What does it mean when Japan, the most hopeful follower of the Kyoto Protocol, "acts more American" and pollutes more than expected?

April 19 - The San Francisco Chronicle

'California: America's High-Stakes Experiment'

A new book argues that one way to save the state, once proud of its preeminent physical and social infrastructure, is through help from recent immigrants.

April 19 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Gary, Indiana, Turns 100 And Hopes For Better Times

The city founded in 1906 to house U.S. Steel workers hopes its next 100 years bring a return to past glory.

April 19 - USA Today

Big Plans, Little Action In New Orleans

From cheap cottages to a new Trump Tower, urban designers have all sorts of ideas for rebuilding New Orleans -- so why is it taking so long?

April 19 - USA Today

San Francisco After The Great Quake of 1906

On April 18th, 1906, an earthquake of magnitude 8.3 rocked San Francisco. The subsequent firestorm, and efforts to contain it, destroyed 508 city blocks. But San Franciscans were eager to rebuild their city.

April 18 - The Los Angeles Times

The Myth Of Solid Ground, Reviewed

In his recent book, The Myth of Solid Ground, David Ulin looks at what earthquakes might mean, from a cultural standpoint -- including what scientific, or pseudo-scientific, techniques now hope to predict future seismic catastrophe.

April 18 - Archinect

'Stealth' Budget Cuts For National Parks?

The Bush Administration is asking the National Park Service to undertake "Core Operations Analysis" in order to trim 20 to 30 percent from the NPS budget.

April 18 - Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

The Future Of Environmentalism - 'I Have A Dream'?

A panel of experts will discuss the future of environmentalism, and the need to avoid the "I Have A Nightmare" mentality, today from 11am to 12pm PST on National Public Radio.

April 18 - National Public Radio

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.