United States
Diagnosing Sprawl...in 1959
A prophetic film from 1959 offers a diagnosis of the causes and emerging challenges associated with what came to be known as urban sprawl.
Land Conservation Increasing in Spite of Recession
Land trust have been able to increase their holds during the last five years. Lower land prices and conservation easements on working ranches and farms have enabled greater conservation efforts.
Good News/Bad News For GM's Volt
October saw the first time the plug-in hybrid Volt outsell the all-electric Leaf; Consumer Reports rates Volt owners the most satisfied, but the car's potential to catch on fire is being investigated, and the $7,500 EV tax credit is under attack.
Congress Mulling Extending Transit Pretax Benefits
The benefits, which allow for up to $230 a month of pretax income to be set aside for transit commuting, may dip to just $125 a month if Congress does not decide on an extension by the end of the month.
What Happens To All That Trash?
In New York, according to Urban Omnibus, "Each week, approximately 64,000 tons of household and institutional waste are collected. ... But public awareness of what happens to that trash once it leaves the curb is limited."
Security Concerns Create Opportunities for Public Spaces
With federal funding throw at homeland security over the last decade, architects and urban designers found an opportunity to develop great public spaces that are enjoyable as well as secure, writes Carol Strickland.
New Report: States Held Accountable For Their Gas Tax Policies
The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy has released a '50-state report' on state gas excise taxes - when they were last raised, the revenue loss to each state due to failure to maintain the tax, and what it would cost drivers to raise it.
Banning Cell Phone Use by Drivers Nationwide
The National Transportation Safety Board's recommendation is voluntary - it is up to the states to enact them into law. The CA state senator responsible for the ban on talking on hand-held cell phones and texting called it a 'political nonstarter'.
The Dreamers Behind the Interstate Highway System
Josh Stephens reviews Big Roads by Earl Swift, which profiles Thomas MacDonald and Frank Turner, the civil engineers who made the Interstate Highway System a reality.
Readers Respond To Leinberger's 'Death of Fringe Suburb'
The Times published three responses to op-eds by Leinberger and anti-sprawl contributor, Louise A. Mozingo. Univ. of IL urban planning professor and author Robert Bruegmann and Carnegie Endowment director Shin-Pei Tsay present contrasting viewpoints.
The Year's Hottest Design Trends for Housing and Architecture
Builder Magazine picks their top 10, including smaller apartment options, multigenerational households and... minimalist bathrooms.
How Local Manufacturing Can Rub the Rust off the Rust Belt
William Bostwick explores how locally-sourced, niche product manufacturing could help the Rust Belt rise.
The Apple Store: The City's "Seal of Approval"?
Apple stores are great revenue generators in cities, writes Brian Caulfield, but not just as a one-off. Customers tend to come back for more products and repairs, and the stores themeslves encourage plenty of cross-shopping nearby.
High-Speed Rail R.I.P.?
Between the Obama Administration's patchwork approach to funding and outright Republican opposition, high speed rail appears to be dead.
HUD Announces Sustainability Grant Winners
The 27 communities and regional planning organizations selected will receive a total $96 million to achieve their economic and environmental goals.
Dude, Where's My People Mover?
Automated monorails were the hottest invention since the wheel back in the 1960s, and the Feds wanted to see them in every city. So what happened?
Urban Parks Grew in 2011, as Employment Declines
The 100 largest U.S. cities added 120 new parks last year, but overall spending remained largely flat. Approximately half the cities experienced cuts in their parks budgets, forcing departments to defer maintenance costs even as usership grows.
Big Retailers See Benefits of Transit
At a recent conference, spokespeople for Burlington Coat Factory and other big retailers explained that they are having great success at locations on subway stops and major bus lines.
Urban Parks Go to The Dogs
According to a study by the non-profit Trust for Public Land, reporter Haya El Nasser says that dog parks are becoming the fastest-growing of city parks nationwide.
LaHood Defends HSR At House Transportation Committee Hearing
Speaking before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood defended the viability of the President's ambitious, national high-speed rail program.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
