United States
Housing Market "Years Away From Recovery"
Housing sales fell for the fourth month in a row, a bad sign for the ailing industry and the economy in general, writes Derek Kravitz.
Is Planning All About Tax Revenue?
Jeffery R. Levine asks if, given the reliance on property taxes, the planning process is truly revenue-blind.
Americans Crave the Familiar in Architecture and Design
Kaid Benfield argues that if people are going to embrace mixed-use, denser living styles, architects and designers need to "embrace the familiar."
Carpooling: What the Census Doesn't Show
Recent census data analysis shows that the number of carpoolers has been declining over the last thirty years. But further study of carpooling's history, as well as social, demographic and economic trends, shows that there is more to carpooling numbers than a downward slope, writes Cynthia Armour.
Latest Government Shutdown Threat: Disaster Relief vs. Clean Car Manufacturing Subsidy
Once again, a government shutdown looms after Sept. 30 over funding for disaster relief. House Republicans insist that the additional spending must be off-set with spending cuts, and their target is a subsidy for electric cars and batteries.
Senate Appropriations Committee Restores HSR Funding - Somewhat
It's only $100 million - the President wants $8 billion - but it acts as a 'placeholder'. In any case, 4 Senators: Feinstein (CA), Durbin (IL), Lautenberg (NJ) and Landrieu (LA), all Dems', restored the funding after the sub-committee zeroed it.
New Report: Latinos Disproportionately Impacted By Air Pollution
One out of every two Latino's live in the nation's top 25 most ozone-polluted cities according to a new report. KQED's California Report interviews one of the co-authors, the Director of Latino Outreach for NRDC, in this radio report.
Senate Sub-Committee Eliminates High Speed Rail Funding
A key Senate subcommittee has appeared to have eliminated funding for high speed rail while preserving funding for Amtrak, highway, and transit. However, the full committee may not adopt these mark-ups. And then there are the changes the House makes.
LaHood on America's Failing Infrastructure
GOOD talks to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood about the difficulty in getting funding to maintain highways and other transportation infrastructure.
In Two Housing Markets, Recession is Either Memory or Reality
There are two housing markets, "one for the rich and one for everyone else," writes Michelle Conlin. Sales and subsequent bidding wars are back in richer neighborhoods, while approximately 98.5% of the population see no end to the recession just yet.
Slow Growth in Cities May Have Lessened Foreclosures
Researchers found in their analysis of 300 California municipalities that the cities that had slow growth or anti-growth policies were less impacted by the housing crisis, writes Mark Bergen for Forbes.
Top 10 Cities for Book Worms
Livability.com complies a list of cities that have strong book store cultures. The list looks at the volume of bookstores in a city and hallmark independent bookstores.
The Mall, Your Smartphone, and You
Elaine Misonzhnik says the time is soon coming where having a smartphone at the mall will be a necessity instead of a luxury.
CA High Speed Rail: Litigation Bonanza
If the lack of funding doesn't kill it, lawsuits in northern, southern, and now central California might just do it. California Watch analyzes the lawsuits facing the CA High Speed Rail Authority in the three regions of the state.
Public Libraries are Natural Town Squares
Cities from Fayetville, AR to Pendleton, OR are taking advantage of their public libraries as places to get input on important strategic initiatives.
4th Best City to Buy a House and Find a Job: Detroit?
Homes in Detroit are certainly cheap, but are there jobs? Data from jobs site SimplyHired and real estate search engine Trulia says yes.
The Rise and Fall of the Cul-de-Sac
In the 1930s, The Federal Housing Authority embraced the trend towards cul-de-sacs, decrying the standard street grid as monotonous and unsafe. Norman Garrick and Wesley Marshall have proven otherwise.
Another Look at Bicycle Advocacy
Blue argues that bicycle advocates need to consider the economic perspective of all individuals that use bicycles as transportation. Not all who bicycle do it by choice, says Blue.
Cemeteries: A Great Place to Play Frisbee?
Aaron Hanauer and Colleen Ayers explain that the "rural cemeteries", a form that began in the early 19th century, used to be a popular place for family outings. With land in cities at a premium, could they be so again?
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
