Humor

This Onion TV news segment highlights Chinese pride in the country's status as the world's top producer of air pollution.

March 28, 2008 - The Onion

The town of Slough gets no respect, but it's trying.

March 22, 2008 - The New York Times

Assuming everything is fine in its long-time relationship with America, the car comes home to an unhappy surprise in this cartoon from Streetsblog.

March 21, 2008 - Streetsblog

More and more people are injuring themselves by walking into poles while looking down at their cell phones. This video from ITN News looks at an effort in England to make the streets safer for walking texters.

March 14, 2008 - ITN News via Engadget

The Onion reports on an innovative new infrastructure plan from DOT: self-cleaning special lanes for reckless drivers.

March 14, 2008 - The Onion

TV network officials have issued a formal apology for its tongue-in-cheek suggested mispronunciation of the name of the Massachusetts town of Athol in a recent ad.

March 7, 2008 - Associated Press

In this article from The Onion a New York man wandering through town suddenly finds himself in a very Chinese part of town.

February 29, 2008 - The Onion

This post from The Mish Mash shows pictures of some of the worst neighbors to have.

February 26, 2008 - The Mish Mash

Cats be zonin'.

February 22, 2008 - Cyburbia

The Onion reports on the miraculous transformation of a run-down neighborhood in Detroit, thanks to the installation of a towel-sized, $150.00 plot of grass.

February 15, 2008 - The Onion

A farmer in England secretly built a mock-Tudor castle on his property and kept it out of view for years by hiding it behind a 40-foot stack of hay bales.

February 8, 2008 - Daily Mail

A grad student in Muncie, Indiana has taken citizen involvement in traffic calming to a whole new level. He was jailed 10 hours for painting a crosswalk near his home. Now free from jail, he plans to complete the three other crosswalks.

February 1, 2008 - WRTV - Indianapolis, IN

A woman in Russia returned home form vacation recently to an empty plot of land. Her home was mistakenly demolished as developers readied a site for new construction.

January 25, 2008 - Associated Press

Superheroes exist outside the pages of comic books, and they are committed to improving their communities. Though there are few "supervillains" to tackle, these superheroes serve their cities through civic volunteerism and general do-goodery.

January 18, 2008 - City Pages (Minneapolis/St. Paul)

The satirical newspaper The Onion lists some dubious water conservation strategies being contemplated in American cities.

January 11, 2008 - The Onion

California Planning and Development Report's Morris Newman looks at the land use issue that caused the break-up of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former TV news reporter Mirthala Salinas.

January 4, 2008 - California Planning & Development Report

Forbes has published its ranking of the America's 10 Most Lustful Cities. If you're looking for love, start in San Antonio or Cincinnati.

December 28, 2007 - Forbes

Keeping track of the weird things that occur in the planning and government world – from rules prohibiting screaming on amusement park rides to “green” cremation techniques – isn't really necessary. But someone should do it anyway.

December 24, 2007 - Rick Bishop, AICP

This article from The Onion looks back at the infrastructure problems that defined 2007, asking what they signify for the country.

December 21, 2007 - The Onion

The head of traffic and parking enforcement in Rome, Italy was fired after parking illegally using a fraudulent handicapped permit.

December 14, 2007 - Reuters