United States
Friday Funny: Honolulu Tackles B.O. on The Bus
The Honolulu City Council is considering a bill that will make it illegal to bring "odors that unreasonably disturb others" onto the bus.
Biden Says Aid to Cities 'Imperfect'
Speaking to members of the Brookings Institution, Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged that there have been problems with implementing the stimulus package funds at the local level.
Cities Facing Turf Questions
Water saver or environmental hazard? Questions are compounding about artificial turf as more homeowners ditch their grass for fake lawns. Contradicting city policies muddy the issue in the arid Southwest.
Following the Path of the Meltdown
A new documentary tracks the meltdown of Wall Street and its impact on housing throughout the country. The New York Times offers this review.
Quality vs. Time in Transportation
Alex Marshall points out the fallacy of creating transportation policy based solely on figures like miles traveled per hour, average commuting times, and cost per passenger. Quality of the time spent commuting is rarely taken into account.
New Study on the Benefits of Density
A new report from the National Research Council seeks to establish the scientific basis for the relationships among development patterns, VMT, and energy consumption. So what did they find?
Pop-Up Stores Find New Popularity in Bad Economy
Pop-up stores -- stores that fill retail space for a couple of quick months, than vanish -- were once scoffed at by retail landlords. Today, they're plugging holes in the retail economy.
Recession Taking A Bite Out of City Budgets
A new report from The National League of Cities shows that declining property and sales income is impacting city coffers, resulting in layoffs and cuts to construction projects.
Chicago Schoolchildren to Ride Greener, Safer Buses
As the new school year starts, Chicago Public Schools yellow buses will be upgrading to new technologies including GPS, mobile data terminals (MDT), and adding hybrid buses.
Balancing Rail Passengers, Freight, and Sustainability
Caltrain, the California passenger rail train, intends to electrify its rail system by the time high-speed rail comes online. This is at odds with freight railroads, however, and may lead to an increase in trucks on the road.
Development Comes to a Halt, as Obscure Agency Loses Funding
Two jobs in the Howard County Soil Conservation District were cut on Friday, leaving developers with plans in for review in the lurch. Officials are scrambling to find funding to get development rolling again.
Broadband Stimulus Grant Requests Flood In
The application period has opened for federal stimulus grants to fund broadband Internet access projects in underserved areas. The response has been overwhelming.
States Cutting Economic Development Budgets
Retail Traffic Magazine reports that money-starved states like California are raising taxes on commercial property and gutting local economic development agencies, hurting developers.
Can Living in a Bad Neighborhood Make You Fat?
A new study of public high school students suggests a connection between obesity and feeling unsafe in one's neighborhood.
Tarmac 2.0
New solar road technology could both absorb solar energy for electricity and provide a changeable LED grid that could respond to traffic conditions.
Moving Beyond "Town Brawls"
The health care reform town halls are just the latest evidence that traditional forms of public engagement are no longer effective and in fact can be counterproductive, writes Sandy Heierbacher.
College Towns Stay Vibrant
Towns with universities are doing better through the economic crisis than most, attracting jobs and preserving property values.
How Do We Pay For City Services?
Inspired by the revelation that Oakland, CA is stepping up their traffic and parking enforcement to make up a budget shortfall, Geoff Manaugh rethinks the entire process of how we fund our cities.
Do Not Let There Be Light
As city budgets tighten, streetlights are getting the ax in an effort to save money.
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
