Car Culture
Bypassing L.A.'s Fixation on Cars
In two new exhibits on Los Angeles's modern architectural history - part of the sprawling Pacific Standard Time Presents initiative - the city's infamous infatuation with the automobile is examined and then left behind in the rear-view mirror.
Vietnam Tries to Head Off Rising Car Culture by Building Transit
Lien Hoang looks at efforts by Vietnam's government to get ahead of rising living standards, and the auto congestion that often accompanies, by building modern transit systems in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Emerging Street Life of So Cal's San Fernando Valley Threatened
L.A. Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne reports on the changing nature of Lankershim Blvd., which appears to be at a crossroads between integrating transit into a multi-modal future or turning to outdated planning strategies.
Top Cities With the Worst Drivers
Washington D.C. drivers are the most accident prone out of 200 largest U.S. cities, according to a study by Allstate Insurance Co. The greater a cities population increases the chance of drivers getting into accidents.
Realligning the Libertarian Stance in the Urban Planning Culture Wars
Libertarians opposition toward government backed light-rail ignores the longer history of government's pro-car policies, says Timothy B. Lee, contributor for Forbes.
Britons are Driving Less
British cities report 9% fewer car trips per person and a 5% decline in distance traveled by car. That's because fewer young people are deciding to learn how to drive, says Prof. Phil Goodwin of the University of West of England.
Which Was Worst: Katrina, or Car Culture?
Toronto architecture critic Christopher Hume visits New Orleans, and concludes that "the devastation wrought by Louisianans upon Louisiana far outweighs anything a hurricane can do."
Adios Automobile!
TheCityFix looks at the future of the automobile in cities and the possibilities of moving people in to alternative modes in times when car ownership rates are still exploding.
Carjacked: The Culture of the Automobile and Its Effect on Our Lives
Planetizen talks with Anne Lutz Fernandez, author of the new book Carjacked: The Culture of the Automobile and Its Effect on Our Lives, about how Americans feel about their cars, the Starbucks Effect, and the built environment.
The Discarded Landscape of Car Culture
Empty swimming pools and deserted roadside motels feature prominently in No Lifeguard on Duty, a new book of photographs.
Americans Driving Less- Temporary, or Permanent?
Nate Silver, the baseball stats guy turned election predictor, takes a look at the statistics showing that Americans are driving less.
What Should The Carbon-Free Futurama Look Like?
The Futurama exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair excited an entire generation about suburbia. At a meeting of the Citistates Group, policy wonks wondered whether it's possible to create a new vision of a Carbon-Free Futurama.
SoCal Residents Overcoming Fear of Transit
Southern Californians, facing some of the worst gas prices in the country, are experimenting with taking public transit, as these personal stories from the Los Angeles Times attest.
State Farm on the Humiliation of Biking to Work
A new 30-second television commercial from State Farm insurance suggests that commuting to work by bike is humiliating. But is the ad sending a more subversive message?
Pagination
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.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello