United States
LaHood To Learn From Spain On HSR
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is visiting Spain, hoping to glean some knowledge from the country's recent successes with high-speed rail.
Best Cities for Jobs
Kiplinger's picks its 2009 Best Cities list, and in this tough economy decides to put the emphasis on job creation and stability. Number one? Huntsville, Alabama.
Underused Natural Gas Capacity
Our underused natural gas capacity could almost completely replace our current coal-generated energy, argues Sean Casten, President & CEO of Recycled Energy Development.
Rethinking Tax Abatements
Cities across the country are reconsidering tax abatement plans, in the new belief that cities just can't afford them.
School Sprawl
The American Academy of Pediatrics has released a new report focusing on the effect of the built environment on children's health. Access to parks, the ability to walk to school, and opportunities for 'incidental exercise.'
Green Developments Getting Green Light
Developers are finding it easier to get funding for sustainable building projects due to federal incentives and investor interest in green certification.
Is Smart Growth Successful?
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy has undertaken the first significant study to find out if state smart growth policies are achieving their stated goals.
AASHTO Releases A National Rail Vision
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has released a report, "Achieving the Vision: Intercity Passenger Rail" to guide investment of the $8 billion Recovery Act and future funding on passenger and freight rail.
U.S. Towns Facing Disincorporation
Small towns like Mesa, WA and larger ones like Vallejo, CA may be forced to dissolve in light of their worsening finances. Local counties will need to absorb residents.
An "Urban Presidency"?
While Mike Madden finds President Obama's approach to America's cities is a vast improvement over that of the Bush administration, he wonders why it has yet to deliver on its promise.
Fixing America's 'Food Deserts'
Time Magazine looks at the problem of 'food deserts' in America- usually low-income communities that groceries have spurned, leaving only fast food and bodegas to fill the bill.
The Discarded Landscape of Car Culture
Empty swimming pools and deserted roadside motels feature prominently in No Lifeguard on Duty, a new book of photographs.
Household CO2 Emissions Worse in Suburbs
New maps created by the Center for Neighborhood Technology show that while emissions are greater per acre in cities, they are greater per household in suburbs.
More Cities Adding Rail Connections to Airport
USA Today reports on a growing trend of cities like Dallas and Seattle that are connecting their airports to their downtowns via rail.
Closing Dealerships Spell Opportunity
Seems some developers are taking Planetizen's recent poll to heart and are looking at closing car dealerships as perfect locations for new, dense development.
Office of Urban Affairs Should Help Manage Foreclosures
Dealing with abandoned and foreclosed properties should be high on the list of priorities for the new White House Office of Urban Affairs, says Justin Hollander, assistant professor at Tufts.
PBS Doc Examines Development In Denver, Portland, and NYC
Three cities - three directions on how their transportation infrastructure was shaped by national transportation and housing legislation, and the role of influential leaders like CO Gov. Lamm, OR representative Earl Blumenauer, and NY's Robert Moses.
Orrin Hatch Says America Needs Big Trucks
While driving an electric Hummer H3, Senator Hatch proclaimed that policy for the auto industry "must address our real need for larger vehicles."
Electric Cars are Coming!
We're sorry to be buzz kills. But we've heard this one before. Like in 1990. And 1910. Do the automakers have the juice this time?
Is the Housing Market on the Mend?
The consensus seems to be that its so bad, we must have hit bottom. But "a drop in housing starts might actually be good news," says one economist.
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
