The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Seattle's 'Rail Madness'?

A WSJ columnist blasts Seattle for its misallocation of public money to poorly devised rail projects at the expense of ‘real’ transit projects that improve mobility.

December 26 - The Wall Street Journal

Legendary Transportation Engineer Alan Voorhees Passes Away

Voorhees was instrumental in designing the roads and transportation systems in at least four national capitals, including Washington.

December 26 - The Washington Post

Susette Kelo's Story

WSJ columnist Melanie Kirkpatrick tells the story of Susette Kelo: From humble abode to eminent domain.

December 25 - The Wall Street Journal

Housing Boom Helps Lesser-Known Architects

The real estate boom has helped the fortunes of architects and developer who built in the 1960s and 70’s and who have been fairly obscure until real-estate brokers began resuscitating the reputations of lesser-known mid-century figures.

December 25 - The Wall Street Journal

Keeping Traffic Moving: The Toll Taker

If you think your job as a planner is tough, thank your stars that you're not a toll taker.

December 25 - The Washington Post


Solar Permitting Fees Plummet After Study Shows Wide Cost Discrepancies

The Global Warming & Energy Committee of the Sierra Club chapter in Silicon Valley decide to highlight the excessive permitting charges of some local cities... and results happen.

December 25 - San Jose Mercury News

The Housing Bubble Begins Bursting?

Home sales dropped in November by the largest percentage since 1994. Is this the beginning of the end for the real estate bubble?

December 25 - CNN.com


The Long Fight For A Subway In LA's Densest Corridor

A political ban on building a subway through some of L.A.'s most dense neighborhoods is being lifted as traffic slows transportaiton to a crawl. But now, finding funding for a Red line expansion may prove nearly impossible.

December 24 - The Los Angeles Times

Detroit's Finest Landmarks Receive Controversial Super Bowl Cleanup

The City of Detroit's effort to put a better face on the downtown for Super Bowl Sunday has its share of critics, as most of the $12 million set aside for streetscape and building facade improvement has gone to locations that need it the least.

December 24 - The Detroit News

Boston's Big Dig Faces Another Cost Increase

Government officials say that the cost of Boston's yet to be completed $14.6 billion dollar megaproject could increase by as much as $75 million dollars, an increase that would be absorbed by Massachusetts taxpayers.

December 24 - The Boston Globe

How Does A City Develop A Brand?

Smart City Radio investigates why the branding of cities is so often done so poorly,

December 24 - Smart City Radio

How To Privatize the Inner City

Could allowing homeowners in a community to pool their property for sale to a private developer be a suitable alternative to eminent domain powers?

December 24 - Forbes

BLOG POST

Sticky Shadows

Cool application underway by <a href="http://socialight.com/?p=index">Socialight</a>. Sticky Shadows are digital post-it notes for urban areas. I like the idea of neighborhood narratives.<br /> <br /> From their website:<br /> "How's it Used? <br /> -- I leave a note for all my friends at the mall to let them know where I'm hanging out. All my friends in the area see it. <br /> -- A woman shows all her close friends the tree under which she had her first kiss. <br /> -- An entire neighborhood gets together and documents all the unwanted litter they find in an effort to share ownership of a community problem.

December 23 - Scott Page

Stormy Transformations Along America's Battered Gulf Coast

The Orlando Sentienl presents a compelling multimedia presentation about "America's Battered Gulf," and a compilation of stories about the gulf.

December 23 - The Orlando Sentinel

Saving Robert Allan Adams 'Flexible Home' From Demolition

Demolition looms for historic home: In the era of the 1962 World's Fair, the dream of a "flexible house" became a reality for commercial architect Robert Allan Adams.

December 23 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Oil Extraction From A Global Perspective

As the environmental community celebrates in victory in preventing oil drilling in ANWR for at least another year, Peter Maas offers an alternative perspective.

December 23 - The New York Times Magazine

Britian To Track Every Car Trip

Using a network of thousands of CCTV cameras which will be able to read license plates, Britain will be first country to monitor every car journey on all motorways and main roads. Data will be stored for two years.

December 23 - The Independent (UK)

The 12 Best Public Squares in the US & Canada

In order to inspire better urban development, the Project for Public Spaces has honored some of the best public squares in American and Canada.

December 23 - Making Places

New Orlean's Canals -- An 'Open Wound'?

New Orleans debates the future of the city's canals "that betrayed this city".

December 22 - The New York Times

Striking NYC Transit Workers To Go Back To Work

A mediator reports that transit union leaders have agreed to allow striking employees to return to work while negotiations continue.

December 22 - CNN

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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.