Tim Campbell of The Urban Age Institute says that the fastest way to gain knowledge about how cities work is to get out and visit other cities.
Cambell says that most cities of the world understand the importance of checking out how other cities work and are sending delegations all the time:
"...city leaders spread out around the world because they have short terms of office and know that learning from others is cheaper and less risky than pursing untested ideas and ending up in false starts. Good practices in successful cities offer short-cuts. The experience of the Olympics games in Salt Lake and Barcelona in the 1990s were of enormous assistance to Turin and Vancouver this decade. In turn, Barcelona and Turin have both studied venture capital practices in Silicon Valley. And Charlotte and Denver have both studied Portland's transit system. City-to-city exchange was ranked by survey takers by far as the most effective way to learn."
Read the full story: Cities on the Prowl
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
‘Going backwards:’ Baltimore mayor, students rally against state's transit funding plan
Maryland's proposed six-year plan provides no funding for Baltimore’s BMORE bus program and reduces its road maintenance funding.
Detroit to transform waterfront with $2.2 billion investment
Developers will convert about 18 acres of unused parking lot space into civic spaces.
LA to transform part of water treatment facility into new park
By rebuilding some of the Los Angeles-Glendale Water Reclamation Plant’s infrastructure, the city will free up 18,000 square feet to create a new green space for the public.
San Antonio approves $1.1 billion transit agenda
The agency has also begun construction of its Via Rapid Green line, which will service passengers from the San Antonio International Airport.
Guerilla urbanists’ DIY benches joined by sanctioned seats in Chicago
The group behind the original homemade benches said they will continue installing them across bench-less bus stops in Chicago.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority