The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

In a trend being seen all over the world, planners are looking to the waterfront in Plymouth, England, for redevelopment as a site worthy of international acclaim.

October 6 - BBC

After several failed attempts at urban renewal in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts, government officials and investors believe that the latest efforts aimed at reincarnation of the city's core will succeed.

October 6 - The Boston Globe

City planners in Santa Ana, California, a predominantly Mexican enclave, want diversity among types of businesses downtown to attract upscale shoppers, but Mexican business owners claim it's another form of gentrification.

October 6 - The Los Angeles Times

The U.S. population clock will reach a milestone on October 16th, 2006.

October 6 - The Los Angeles Times

The largest real estate deal in American history is underway on the lower east side of Manhattan: 80 acres and 110 buildings from 14th to 23rd Streets overlooking the East River in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village. Bids may reach $5 billion.

October 6 - The New York Times

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) reports that increasing levels of sewage in the world's oceans are a major cause of coastal destruction, and pose a serious threat to human health.

October 6 - CNN News

A new report by the Vancouver Foundation gives the city high marks for livability, but identifies housing and poverty as persistent challenges.

October 6 - The Vancouver Sun

What to do when there's no hot real estate market to drive the plot?

October 5 - The New York Times

Osaka, Shanghai, and Tokyo are considered top Asia Pacific cities in terms of real estate investment and development prospects, according to Emerging Trends in Real Estate Asia Pacific 2007, just published by the Urban Land Institute.

October 5 - Urban Land Institute

In an effort to maintain their pre-Katrina quality of life, the St. Bernard Parish Council recently imposed restrictions on homeowners from renting to those who are not blood relatives. The Parish is now facing lawsuits from housing advocates.

October 5 - The Times Picayune

Give us your strip-clubs, your benzene and dioxin-spewing chemical plants, say Sauget, Illinois officials.

October 5 - Wall Street Journal via The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In the same vein as Jane Jacobs and William Whyte, Kirk Westphal, a recent graduate of the University of Michigan's Taubman School of Urban Planning, analyzes the success and failures of downtown Ann Arbor.

October 5 - Ann Arbor News

The proposed anti-immigration fence between the United States and Mexico could prove disastrous for the region's wildlife and ecosystems, environmentalists warn.

October 5 - One World

A developer has been chosen to transform Washington D.C.'s Southwest Waterfront. The chosen firm has high hopes for making the waterfront into a world-class attraction, but also protecting the interests of the local community.

October 5 - Nate Berg

The Mormon Church has unveiled major plans for urban renewal in Salt Lake City, recently presenting its vision for a walkable and mixed-use development complete with housing, commercial uses and public space.

October 5 - The Salt Lake Tribune

A community activist tracked the location of teardowns in her suburban neighborhood, bringing attention to the problem and eventually leading to a change in zoning to help prevent further demolitions.

October 5 - The New York Times

Venezuela's oil wealth is enabling massive new investments in that country's cities that are mostly benefiting the urban poor. But there are concerns that the strategy is risky and not economically sustainable.

October 5 - The San Francisco Chronicle

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and cities such as Chicago are undertaking innovative initiatives to reduce energy use and combat global warming.

October 4 - The Los Angeles Times

The Denver metropolitan area has been a model of regional cooperation, with municipalities and counties working together to improve infrastructure and accommodate growth.

October 4 - Urban Land Magazine

Eco-conscious consumers seeking like-minded builders are waiting for the industry to catch up.

October 4 - The New York Times