United States
Obama Addresses the Controversy Over "Shovel-Ready"
Since the stimulus package was announced, the emphasis on 'shovel-ready' projects elicited criticism from urbanists. At yesterday's White House jobs summit, Pres. Obama acknowledged the tension it has caused.
Liveability a "Major Priority" at DOT
Among the criteria for evaluating projects, livability is at the top, along with safety and economic competitiveness.
And the Winners Are...
Kaid Benfield offers an overview of the winners of the EPA's 2009 national awards for smart growth achievement.
Redefining Blight
From New London to the Atlantic Yards, the last month has seen a flood of news around the issue of eminent domain. Diana Lind wonders if we need a new definition of 'blighted.'
Feds Discuss Gas Tax Increase While Nixed In Jersey
Discussion of raising the gas tax is quashed in NJ by Gov.-elect Christie while encouraged in DC by DOT Secretary LaHood and Congressional Transportation Chair James Oberstar. LaHood had an open dialog on the various forms of revenue strategies.
Food Stamps Across the Country
The New York Times' has created an interactive map of food stamp usage breaking down recipients by county across the United States.
Transit Funding Blooming in the Spring
Transportation Secretary LaHood announced that this spring, bus and streetcar projects will receive $280 million as part of the administration's inter-agency sustainable communities partnership.
Will War Spending Mean Less For Infrastructure?
Robert Borosage, in response to President Obama's announcement of a troop surge to Afghanistan, points out how the misallocation of resources to military efforts will mean the neglect of the nation's infrastructure.
Conservation Legislation to Expire
Conservation legislation, which could end this year, has proven to make it easier for moderate income landowners to resist the temptations of development.
Superproject Drought?
No major public works are underway in the United States, according to this piece from The New York Times. Some say the absence of major infrastructure projects may be hurting the economy.
Obama's State-Centric Urban Agenda
Some mayors say the Obama Administration's urban agenda concentrates too much power at the state level.
The Ethanol Glut
There's a glut of ethanol on the market, and the solutions to consume it are not easy. The maximum blend in gasoline is 10% before it affects the catalytic converter, and E85 can't compete with the more efficient, though more expensive, gasoline.
Local Food Movement: Armed and Loaded
Some local food activists are taking their movement to a whole new territory: urban hunting.
Preserving 'Button Parks'
Richard Louv proposes that local groups use the land trust model to create small public spaces, or what he calls "button parks."
Tax Revenues Down in 44 States
Tax revenues were down during the third quarter of 2009 in 44 states, according to a new report from the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government.
The Fall of Malltopia
Mark Dery looks back at the birth and death of the mall, from Victor Gruen to the present collapse, then beyond to proposals for reusing and revitalizing mall spaces.
Mapping America's Fat
This post from Richard Florida looks at the geography of obesity in America, and relates state obesity rates to the rates of death from various diseases.
$70b in Freeway Funding Comes From Non-Users
A new study by Subsidyscope shows that between 1982 and 2007, federal highway revenue derived from non-users of the highway system has doubled.
Developer Goes Green To Make Up For Big Box History
Developer Jim Jacoby likes to joke that his move into alternative energy and mixed-use development is penance for a history of building WalMarts.
Subway Sociology
Because of the abundance of social interaction and diverse clientele, subways have long been the sites of sociological experiments to understand human behavior.
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
