Decades after its founding, New Urbanism design movement retains a serious reputation problems among American urbanists. Despite a broad-based interdisciplinary membership, for many the movement is defined by a handful of large, high-profile green field projects like Celebration and Seaside, Florida, and The Kentlands in Maryland. This view ignores its other successes, ranging from overhauling obsolete zoning codes, developing sensitive infill projects, and improving the quality of public housing through the HOPE VI program. However, much more than an unfair stereotype of the movement, the reputation problem runs to the core of intellectual life among American urbanists, speaking to the way our cities our developed and studied.
Smart Growth
Smart Growth Success Stories of 2008
Kaid Benfield, Director of the Smart Growth Program at the NRDC, picks some if his favorite success stories of smart growth transformation, from Atlanta's Beltline to Berlin's Hackesche Hofe.
NRDC Switchboard
Planner Confesses Love for Driving
It's hard to give up driving, even when you're professionally committed to sustainable transportation.
The Globe and Mail
Surprise - Affluent Long Island Hit Hard By Subprime Crisis
Editorial: Long Island is one of the nation's most affluent suburbs. With very high housing values and located by NYC, it would be not expected to be hit hard by the subprime crisis. But it has - and its roots lie in its racially segregated past.
The New York Times
The High Cost of Smart Growth
Washington instituted a Growth Management Act in the 1980s to help the state grow smarter. But recent studies show that the GMA has made housing increasingly unaffordable.
Washington CEO
A Smart Growth Report Card
The Modesto Bee does a thorough ranking of cities and town in California's Central Valley and how 'smart' their growth is. Oakdale, CA comes out on top, while Gustine is the dunce of the group.
Modesto Bee
Want Smart Growth? Break Out the Carrots and Sticks
To paraphrase B.F. Skinner, if you want positive behavior, either reward it in return, or remove something unpleasant in response; to paraphrase R. Steuteville's commentary, if we want a green economy, we need to do the same thing with development.
New Urban News
Canada's Most Sprawled City Reconsiders- Developers Protest
Calgary has the largest ecological footprint of any large Canadian municipality. The city council is trying to fix that history with Plan It Calgary, a new land use and transportation plan- and developers are none too pleased.
Fast Forward Weekly
Can Good Urbanism Transcend Politics?
At a recent bipartisan panel on public transportation and energy policy sponsored by the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis, panelists made the Conservative case for urban density and public transit investments.
The American Prospect
Smart Growth Isn't Smart Without Transit
California's SB 375 could have a big impact on the way the state grows, but without more funding for public transit, any gains would be offset by continued congestion and traffic problems.
Beyond Chron
Rewiring America's 'Energy Crisis'
Sun, 08/17/2008 - 20:19
In a much discussed speech, ‘A Generational Challenge to Repower America,’ Al Gore challenged America to hit the off-switch on foreign oil and re-power itself with home-grown carbon-free energy– namely wind, solar and geothermal.
The predicted outcome Gore said would be a bold, energy independent nation ready to lead the world into the 21st century. However, such an effort, he asserted, would require “commitment to changing not just light bulbs, but laws. And Laws will only change with leadership.”
Three Cheers for the Automobile
Former Congressman Ernest Istook discusses why the automobile is the ultimate manifestation of freedom, mobility, and personal choice, and argues for a re-allocation of public spending away from mass transit and other alternatives.
WorldNetDaily
Hercules Backs 'New', 'Smart' Waterfront
Plans for a "new urbanist/smart growth" development on the waterfront of the San Francisco Bay Area town of Hercules has received unanimous approval from the city council, eliminating the need for inclusion on the November ballot.
The Contra Costa Times
Smart Growth in Sacramento
The Wall Street Journal looks at this "smart growth" thing, and considers the model of Sacramento, CA (actually, most of the footage is of neighboring Davis) in an article and accompanying video.
Wall St. Journal
CA's Climate Change Mandate Will Drive Smart Growth
In what may be the silver lining of the current economic climate, high fuel costs and carbon restrained economies may spell the end for unsustainable planning and development patterns in California, according to Rick Cole, City Manager of Ventura.
The Planning Report
U.S. House Debates Smart Growth
The House Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming met Thursday to discuss smart growth and its ability to reduce energy use and emissions.
Grist
An Italian View of U.S. Planning
An Italian city planner visits San Diego to analyze sprawl-fighting techniques first-hand.
The San Diego Union-Tribune
G is for Grocery
The City of Palo Alto, CA concludes that grocery stores are a lynchpin of walkable neighborhoods, and votes to establish new "grocery" zoning districts.
Palo Alto Online News
Killing Culs-de-Sac and Growing Smarter for Seniors
The senior population of Erie County, New York, is rising. A 2006 storm revealed difficulties in providing medical services to these seniors because of the sprawled out and cul-de-sac heavy development model. A bill seeks to make that model smarter.
ArtVoice
Vermont Passes Smart Growth, Affordable Housing Bill
The Vermont legislature passed a bill that encourages residential construction in village and town centers by offering tax credits and reducing permitting requirements. 20% of the homes and rental units must be affordable.
Barre Montpelier Times Argus Online
