United States
What Cities Can Do to Encourage Electric Cars
Maury Blackman of Accela writes that local governments will have a significant effect on whether electric cars take off or not, because they will be approving and building the necessary infrastructure.
Friday Funny: Environmental Disaster Looms as Tanker Docks Safely
The satirical newspaper The Onion reports on how the safe transfer of millions of barrels of oil into the energy infrastructure of the United States will result in environmental calamity.
Bring Cars In, Or Keep Cars Out?
In some cases, argues Yonah Freemark, it makes more sense to bring cars into your downtown than to keep them out. Freemark visits Raleigh, North Carolina, where the city opened its pedestrian-only downtown to cars with some success.
Beyond the Priesthood
In 1995, author and planning authority Peter Katz wrote an article scolding planners for being "planners who talk" rather than "planners who draw". The original article generated much controversy, and appears here with a postscript added by Katz that reveals a glimmer of hope for the planning profession in the U.S.
Connecting Coders and Cities
Urban Omnibus talks with Jennifer Pahlka of Code for America, a group looking to get the youth involved in developing computer programs and applications that help improve urban areas.
'Density Lobby' Helps Rail Kill Bus
Investments in rail systems in cities across America are pulling crucial funding away from better-used bus systems, according to this column from Joel Kotkin. He blames the "density lobby".
The BP Cleanup and Environmental Justice
In the aftermath of the BP Gulf cleanup, tons of toxic oil waste are being sent to municipal landfills near communities with majority low-income and people of color populations.
Preserving Rurality
Rural areas across America are trying to figure out how they can improve their economies but still maintain their rural qualities.
Budget Crisis Taking Toll on City Services
State and municipal governments across the United States are facing an unprecedented financial crisis, prompting many of them to cut back drastically on public services in order to reduce costs.
Score One For Livability
Senator Dodd's Livable Communities Act passed a milestone on August 3 by passing the Banking Committee on a party line vote: 12-10. Known as a "smart growth planning" bill, it would integrate transportation with housing and economic planning.
214% More Farmers Markets
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture says that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of farmers markets in the United States, with a 214% increase since 2000.
Is There Enough Room For Everyone On America's Roads?
Tom Madigan asks: "is it still possible to promote new bicycling and walking options in harmony with vehicular traffic? Or as city space gets more limited, will planners have to take sides?"
Removing a Racial Slur From Place Names in Oregon
The word "squaw" is considered a racial slur by Native Americans. In 2001, women from the Warm Springs Tribe convinced Oregon lawmakers to take the word out of state place names, but little has happened so far.
Resale Value No Longer the Key Factor in Homebuying
Alison Arieff asks, "At what point did the house become more about the future tenant than the current resident?"
Friday Funny: Elder Speaks of Bygone Suburban Ways
A family elder tells tales of the old ways when the family was "not enticed by the frappucinos at the Starbucks that just opened," and there were park-and-rides as far as the eye could see.
Inception Portrays Architecture As Fantasy
With the exception of Charles Bronson’s architect-turned-vigilante in Death Wish, "to be an architect in a Hollywood film is to inform the audience of certain characteristics: sensitivity, vulnerability and an innate romanticism."
Gas Tax for Highways Only?
The gas tax is being spread too thin on a broad range of transportation projects, according to the Reason Foundation. They say the gas-tax should be directed towards its original recipient: highways.
Urban Lifestyle Preference On The Rise
Using the 15-year-old transformation of Rockville, MD's mall-centered downtown to a mixed-use town square as an example, the real estate industry sees the suburban-to-urban lifestyle change spreading across much of the country.
Can Bikes and Transit Lead to U.N. Control of our Cities?
Colorado gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes thinks so. He's telling voters that Mayor John Hickenlooper of Denver's sustainability initiatives aren't as harmless as you'd think. "That's exactly the attitude they want you to have," says Maes.
Bikes and Peds A Threat to the Car?
National Journal asks its panel of transportation experts whether the car is really threatened by the rise in policy focus on pedestrians and cyclists.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
