Arizona
Friday Eye Candy: Google Documents the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon
If you fancy yourself a modern-day John Wesley Powell, but to this point haven’t climbed on a raft headed Grand Canyon way, Google recently released a series of “Street View” style photos from the very bottom of that most famous natural landmark.
Wisconsin Struggles with Interstate Tolling Option
State transportation leaders are scrambling to increase funding as MAP-21 draws to its expiration on Oct. 1. Interstate tolling is being eyed by more than a few. While the Wisconsin Assembly likes the idea, Gov. Scott Walker rejects it.
Long Road Ahead for Las Vegas-Phoenix Interstate Connection
The planners of the 1950s didn’t foresee the growth of the Southwest’s two largest cities. Upgrading the freeway connection between the cities, however, remains a tough task.
Arizona’s Suburb of the Future
Atlantic Cities details the new urbanist vision of a master planned community called Eastmark in Mesa, Arizona. The development’s mix of uses, form-based code, and walkability create “an uncommon sales pitch for car-dependent Arizona.”
Infill Proposal in Phoenix Raises Gentrification Concerns
Bucking tradition amidst arguably the most thorough example of sprawl in the country, a Phoenix developer is investing in Grant Park—a Latino neighborhood adjacent to downtown.
Phoenix Preps for Social-Powered Bike Share
Phoenix is getting set to roll out a regional bike-share program, in partnership with CycleHop and Social Bicycles. After its initial rollout, the city will expand the service to reach Mesa and Tempe.
Innovative Energy-Storing Solar Power Plant Debuts in Arizona
Energy storage is acknowledged by many as a missing link of renewable energy, particularly by those quick to cite the intermittency of solar and wind power. A new solar thermal plant in Arizona stores energy in the form of heat for peak hour needs.
Why Phoenix's Housing Recovery Is Bad News for Some
As one of the cities most effected by the housing crash, one would think the recovery of Phoenix's real estate market would be cause for widespread celebration. But a confluence of factors is making it hard for many to find a place to live.
BART Unions Give Notice: Strike on Monday
Same drill, round two. After almost a month of apparently fruitless negotiations, the unions gave a 72-hour notice of going on strike. Unless an agreement is reached, 200,000 Bay Area rail riders will need to find alternatives for the Monday commute
Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Fees are Here to Stay, and Spreading
It may seem counter-intuitive to charge extra fees for the cleanest, most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road today - including those that qualify for a federal $7,500 credit. But ten states are doing just that to keep roads well-funded.
To Compete, Phoenix Must Grow Up, Not Out
As Wellington 'Duke' Reiter notes, for the past several decades Phoenix has shown it expertise in horizontal growth. But, as development heats up again after the Great Recession, he says the city's growth must be managed to increase density.
New Jersey Drops VMT Fee for EV Fee
NJ legislation highlights the need to ensure that those who drive EVs pay their fair share of taxes to keep roads in good repair. A bill that would have charged a mileage fee for all vehicles was scrapped for a $50 flat registration fee for EVs.
Paolo Soleri, Visionary Who Merged Architecture with Environmentalism, Dies at 93
Soleri, the founder of the experiential community of Arcosanti, who in many ways presaged the modern sustainability movement, passed away on Tuesday at Cosanti, his home in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
“Reinvent Phoenix” Seeks to Cultivate Change Along the City's Light Rail Corridor
A multi-agency planning effort is hoping to boost Phoenix's sustainability by creating a new model for urban development around the city's emerging transit corridor.
Phoenix Confronts the Challenges of Inland Climate Change
Much attention has been paid recently to the challenges that a changing climate are bringing to coastal communities. But "inland empires" aren't immune. Phoenix's struggles with heat, drought, and violent winds are a presage of things to come.
Libraries Can Help Lead the Next Economy
We think of shared workspaces as the hot trend in fostering productivity. But libraries have been incubating innovation for millennia. A new program seeks to make libraries a key cog in fostering the start-up economy.
In a City Enamored with the New, Preservation is a Hard Sell
Recent headlines over the fight to protect a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for his son in Phoenix touch upon the city's larger struggle to protect its dwindling cache of historic buildings, reports Fernanda Santos.
Arizona Activist Defends Planning from Tea Party Assault
Greg Hanscom profiles Stacey Champion, an environmental consultant and PR specialist who uncovered, and defeated, shady efforts to ban sustainability planning in Arizona.
One of F.L. Wright's Most Innovative Houses Threatened
As Vanessa Quirk reports, the house Frank Lloyd Wright designed for his son, David, is one of the renowned designer's "more unusual architectural specimens." Located in Arcadia, Arizona, the home is at imminent risk of demolition by developers.
If You Can't Stand the Heat....Stay Out of Phoenix
Already the hottest major American city, Peter O'Dowd describes how planners in Phoenix are preparing for the increased sizzle brought on by global warming.
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.
planning NEXT
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
