United States
Ideas to Outmode the Strip Mall
In a contest sponsored by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, architecture firms nationwide competed to show off how they would best use land currently devoted to strip malls. Bustler provides the winning entries.
Developers Can't Find The Money
Commercial real estate developers go into detail on the impact of the financial crisis on their ability to make projects happen.
News Summary: Cities and the Financial Crisis
How is the financial crisis impacting urban planning and land use policy? Managing Editor Tim Halbur takes a look at some early indicators drawn from recent news headlines and conversations with planning professionals.
Navigating Shared-Space Streets in the US
At a time when motorists have a smorgasbord of distractions to contend with, select US streets take a taste of a Scandinavian recipe for street design, where pedestrians, cyclists, other motorists, and even trees are blended together intuitively.
Creating A More Wildlife-Friendly Interstate
Roads are to blame for interfering with and "boxing in" various animals' migratory patterns, sending ecologists on the hunt for new solutions to get wildlife moving.
Will Cheaper Gas Cause Increased Driving?
As oil prices plunge to well below $100/barrel, will Americans reverse all their fuel-efficient behavior learned from $145 oil seen in July? It appears that the economic crisis may continue where the energy crisis left off.
Subdivisions Becoming Ghost Towns
As foreclosures spread throughout the suburbs, subdivisions are rapidly becoming modern-day ghost towns, according to this column from The Seattle Times.
Transportation Infrastructure Now
Mariia Zimmerman of Transportation for America makes the case for a significant investment in transportation infrastructure, from bike paths to inter-city trains.
Is Farmland Preservation Worthwhile?
Preserving farmland has always been a major issue in the U.S. But as Bill Fulton discusses, the local economic results don't quite justify the efforts.
Bailout Will Try to Save Suburbs, But Can't
Despite the $700 billion financial bailout plan, the suburbs will continue to lose population and value, according to Peter Katz. He says it's time for the government to prevent suburban development that is only doomed to fail.
T. Boone Meets Gov. Palin To Talk Energy
Oil, gas and wind man T.Boone Pickens is clearly interjecting himself and his plan into presidential, and vice-presidential politics. Recently, he sat down with Sarah and Todd Palin to promote his plan of using natural gas as a transportation fuel.
Bailout Gives Tax Break to Bicycle Commuters
The $700 billion bailout bill includes federal tax benefits for people who commute by bike.
Americans Continue to Migrate to Metropolitan Regions
Professor Richard Morill of the University of Washington maps population growth over the past seven years, which shows a continuing pattern of movement towards large metropolitan regions.
One-in-Six Homeowners 'Underwater'
Some 12 million households now owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, leading economists to worry that foreclosures will continue to rise.
Ike's Devastation Underreported
The media's inattention to Hurricane Ike has hidden its devastating impacts on infrastructure and the environment, as well as a poor response on the part of the federal government.
McCain's Mortgage Buyout Plan Draws Criticism
Media analysts and economists are confused about presidential candidate John McCain's proposed "Homeownership Resurgence Plan," which would see Washington spend up to $300 billion to become a "lender of last resort."
Under McCain, Homeowners to Get a Direct Boost
Upon gaining the presidency, Senator McCain would make the federal government spend part of its bailout money on bad home mortgages, allowing homeowners to stay put and make payments that reflect their homes' lessened values.
Three Perspectives on CA's 'Smart Growth' Bill
The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Sacramento Bee editorialize on the signing of SB 375, California's new landmark law that is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing vehicle miles traveled through better land use.
Disparities of Going Green
In this article, Deneen Borelli argues that elite environmentalists are blocking access to natural resources that are abundant and in urgent need. As a result, higher costs of stricter energy requirements hit poor black communities the hardest.
The Fight for the Front Lawn
Greg Beato looks at self-expression via the front lawn. In places that lack homeowners associations, he suggests, individualized lawns have great potential to strengthen the surrounding community.
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
