The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A multi-millionaire is developing what some call the first true smart growth neighborhood in the city.

June 25 - Creative Loafing Atlanta

New casino promises 6,450 new jobs but residents fear social problems.

June 25 - The Montreal Gazette

A new guide, 'Choosing Our Community's Future' offers advice to citizens on how to plan better and 'tame' big box retailers.

June 24 - Smart Growth America

A Houston transportation engineer envisions an ambitious plan for ten miles of underground highway.

June 24 - HoustonPress

Rideout, a British rehabilitation coalition, is sponsoring a series of workshops between architects and prisoners to design new prisons.

June 24 - The Guardian Unlimited

The American Planning Association publishes a report that offers advice for developing high-risk areas.

June 24 - American Planning Association

While other countries and private companies are pushing for action, President Bush is advocating more research -- a move some are calling outdated.

June 24 - The Los Angeles Times

This week, 90 low-pollution Metrobuses began rolling down a dedicated lane in the congested capital.

June 24 - The Christian Science Monitor

How agriculture is changing in Idaho's Treasure Valley region where farms are giving way to new surburban development.

June 24 - The Idaho Statesman

From Pittsburgh to New York to Boston, former summer beach retreats are now being redeveloped as year-round living to satisfy the demands of the housing market.

June 24 - Wall St. Journal

Todd Litman of VTPI publishes an initial response to the 2005 Rail Disasters report, and finds the rating system flawed.

June 24 - Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Transit critic Rand O'Toole updates his 2004 Rail Disasters report to include impacts on transit ridership.

June 24 - American Dream Coalition

U.S. Supreme Court rules that local governments may seize homes and businesses for private economic development.

June 23 - CNN

Never before have housing prices risen so fast, for so long, in so many countries, according to new research by the Economist.

June 23 - The Economist

There are over 700 dog parks in the nation -- public open spaces where unleashed canines are allowed -- and the trend is growing.

June 23 - The Christian Science Monitor

An ambitious new bus rapid-transit system hits the road in Mexico City.

June 23 - The Los Angeles Times

BLOG POST

Just an added note on personal rapid transit. Some years ago, Bruno Latour wrote "Aramis" which documents the French government's attempt to create a PRT system for Paris (later killed by the government itself). Written as a cross between a socialogical study and a mystery novel, its worth a look for those interested in the subject.

June 23 - Scott Page

BLOG POST

<img src="http://www.cities21.org/bc-ms01th.jpg" alt="Cities21 proposal for PRT at Microsoft Campus" align="right" />So Steve Raney, directory of the nonprofit transit advocacy group <a href="http://www.cities21.org/">Cities 21</a>, emailed me a pre-packaged blog entry, including images and a proposed blog title, about a proposal his organization is circulating for a personal rapid transit (PRT) system on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, WA. The visualization on the site were, in fact, fascinating, and a great introduction to how well PRT can work as a transit alternative.

June 23 - Chris Steins

Margaret Carlson argues that President Bush's strategy of "denial" about global warming may have reached a turning point.

June 23 - Bloomberg

Seattle's Green Line monorail is projected to cost over $11 billion to build.

June 23 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer