United States
Transit Discovers Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are becoming standard components of transit agencies' strategies for outreach and keeping riders informed.
The Commercial Real Estate Crisis is Coming
Nearly half of the commercial real estate in the U.S. is underwater, according to Elizabeth Warren, Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel. She is concerned that a coming crisis could sink the current recovery.
Depaving Rural American Roads-Literally
Rather than being part of a car liberation or permeable pavement movement, poorly maintained county roads are having their asphalt ground into gravel as a cost-cutting measure to avoid costly road reconstruction. Lack of funding is the cause.
Natural Gas Will Play Much Larger Energy Role
In this WSJ Opinion, MIT professor and former under secretary of Energy John Deutch explains how the BP gusher and discovery of vast supplies of unconventional natural gas will combine to increase natural gas energy usage by replacing coal, then oil.
Property Tax Revenue Downturn Hurting Cities
The economic recession is lightening up in some areas, but cities and municipalities will continue to struggle with the downturn in the economy for years, mainly because of falling property tax revenues.
Air Conditioning and Community
A new book looks at the environmental, energy, and social consequences of keeping cool by using air conditioners. In this 4-minute public radio interview, author Stan Cox explains how to keep cool, just in time for the East Coast heat wave.
City vs. Suburbs: A False Debate
Christopher Leinberger, author of The Option of Urbanism, takes on Joel Kotkin's latest dustup on the "war between the city and the suburbs." Leinberger argues that the data Kotkin's using is dated and doesn't reflect reality.
Editorial: Time to Increase the Gas Tax - Gradually
The Gulf spill, renewed attention to federal deficit, and summer driving prompts the Washington Post to advocate for a gradual increase in the all-time low federal gas tax, while acknowledging 'fierce' opposition by the electorate and politicians.
Driving Business with High Speed Rail
A recent report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors shows that high speed rail can be a driver of business opportunities. National Journal asks its panel of transportation experts if they think those findings are correct.
Walking's Role in Home Buying Decisions
How walkable neighborhoods are is playing an increasingly important role in decisions about where to buy homes.
Mixed Use Outperforms Big Box Development
Tax revenue-per-acre figures for big box developments are only slightly higher than residential developments, and not as high as mixed use project, according to this column from Mary Newsom.
Small Cities Fill CNN's 'Best Places to Live'
Apparently metropolises are out- CNN Money's annual list of the "Best Places to Live" is filled with small cities like Eden Prairie, Minnesota and Overland Park, Kansas.
Foreclosure Rate Highest Among Wealthy
What's not known is how many of the homes are investments, or primary or secondary residences, but it's clear that the foreclosure rate for mortgages exceeding $1million is higher than for lower priced homes, according to the New York Times analysis.
Walkability Makes You Healthier and Wealthier
Conrad deFiebre sums up the benefits of living in a walkable neighborhood, from improved health to improved wealth, both via higher property values and less of hard-earned dollars paid out to oil and car companies.
Can The Feds Make Sustainability Happen?
The Obama administration is trying to rein in suburban sprawl. But is it any match for 70 years of unsustainable development?
Lowest Gas Taxes In History
USA Today does some interesting analysis of the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and comes to some startling conclusions about how historically low it is when considered with vehicle miles driven and per capita income.
Obama Announces New Urban Policy to Shelter 1.6 Million Homeless
A total of 1.6 million people experienced homelessness last year alone. President Obama has decided to attempt to remedy this sobering fact with the new Interagency Council on Homelessness' (USICH) "Opening Doors" plan.
Can an Operating System be Developed to Run a City?
Melissa Lafsky asks if citizen initiative facilities like '311' and 'fixmystreet' should be expanded into an "operating system" for cities.
Main Streets Revitalized
The Project for Public Spaces has begun to publicize improvements it has made to main streets across the country with a new web feature, reports Kaid Benfield.
A Broader Audience for Bicycles
Fast Company reports on a branding company that is working to get biking out of the "hipster ghetto" and into the mainstream.
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
