United States
Back With A Vengeance: The Mall Returns
The regional mall has been declared dead for a decade, but Elaine Misonzhnik says the behemoths weathered the recession well and are poised for a comeback.
Buffalo's Plan to Become "the Berkeley of New York"
Once the 8th largest city in the United States, Buffalo, NY is now ranked 70th (with 261,000 residents). After several failed attempts at urban renewal, the city leadership is trying a new approach - namely, to recast Buffalo as a college town.
$2 Billion in New High-Speed Rail Grants Announced
U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood announced this morning which high-speed rail projects would get funded out of the nearly 100 applications they received. The Northeast Corridor was again the big winner.
U.S. Mayors Get Crash Course in Planning
Tom Wright, Executive Director of the Regional Plan Association, traces the history of the Mayors' Institute on City Design from its creation 25 years ago to last week's conference which was attended by some of the country's most important mayors.
What Downtown LA Would Like Without Cars (VIDEO)
Three architecture students from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo teamed to make this video which aims to show what an auto-free downtown LA could be.
Breaking Barriers With Legos
Urban planner James Rojas takes his public participation concept to Avondale, Arizona, encouraging people to be part of the urban design process through pipe cleaners, Legos and Tinkertoys.
Obama's Transportation Reauthorization Bill Leaks Out - Somewhat
A draft is circulating within the Beltway showing the president's transportation reauthorization bill. High Speed Rail is in, as is a 'Livability Program'. Goodby Highway Trust Fund - Hello Transportation Fund.
The Zeppelin-Filled Future is Nigh
Zeppelin technologists have cracked one of the central barriers towards widespread use: the difficulty of staying bouyant while moving forward in a straight line.
The Most Walkable Cities In U.S., And Why
Cities of all population sizes were ranked by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Key to top-rated Seattle was its management of parking. 19 cities were cited from throughout the country.
Cities for Single Moms
Zillow has created a list of the top ten places in America for single moms to live, based on five metrics including women's earning rates, violent crime rates and walk scores.
Does Density Pay?
Does having more density in a city means more people to pay property taxes, and thus, less of a tax burden on residents? Sam Newberg and a colleague run the numbers.
Sprawl is Driven By Our Collective Unconscious
Richey Piiparinen argues that Americans don't necessarily want sprawl, but they are driven by unconscious motives, fears and hopes that haven't been properly dealt with yet.
Community-Focused Sustainability Programs Thrive Amid Budget Cuts
Sustainability-focused programs offered at the federal level have received overwhelming support from communities and protection from budget cuts, even in an age of tightened budgets.
Subtle Changes in American Density
Density -- either high or low or somewhere in the middle -- is a key defining element of our cities. In this essay, Witold Rybczynski looks at the relative densities of U.S. cities and suggests that things may start to change subtly.
Megabus Makes Money
A private bus company with an internet-based reservation system is succeeding wildly, perhaps paving the way for successful bus transit (and away from rail).
New World Population Peak Forecasted: 10.1 Billion
The U.N.'s population division has increased their world population projection, previously set to peak at mid-century at 9 billion. Now they say it will continue growing to reach 10.1 billion by 2100, with Africa tripling its numbers.
Transmission is Key for Wind Energy From the Sea
Building wind farms in the ocean is an ideal way to generate electricity, but it's not so easy to get that energy back to shore efficiently. This article looks as a transmission project that could address that issue.
Does the U.S. Need More Highways?
National Journal asks its panel of experts whether the U.S. needs more highways, and if they should or shouldn't be a major part of transportation funding in the near future.
Funding Issues Keep American Tranposrtation Infrastructure Down
This article from The Economist explains why America's transportation system is failing, and how the federal government's infrastructure funding mechanisms are contributing to the decline.
The Chaos of Los Angeles
Conor Friedersdorf writes that Los Angeles is made up by 88 different municipalities, 10 million residents and a lot of unincorporated territory, making it difficult to decide who controls what.
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
