The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Design Process for Seattle's Planned Waterfront Park—Now Reaching Out to Native Americans
After initial designs were critiqued as inauthentic to the Seattle experience, the park's designers are reaching out to the region's Native American population for advice on how to improve the plans for a new waterfront park.
The Community Reinvestment Act Gets a Makeover
Jonathan Walters details the new thinking that is redefining how Community Reinvestment Act funds are invested.
Op-Ed: Chicago's Washington Park a Perfect Fit for TIF
An op-ed in the Chicago Tribune addresses the long history of tax increment financing abuse in Chicago, but supports a proposed TIF district for Washington Park.
MassDOT Looks to Repurpose Freeway Underpasses
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is seeking ideas for how to create active uses among the often-blighted underbelly of freeway underpasses and other elevated structures.
Survey: Suburban Life is the Good Life
The first Atlantic Media/Siemens "State of the City Poll" finds that, overall, suburban living is the happiest living.
A Primer on Innovative Parking Regulations
Writing for Smart Growth America, Neha Bhatt provides a survey of innovative parking regulation and management strategies in cities around the country.
U.S. EPA: the Clean Air Act Delivers
Phys.org shares the details of a new report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about the air quality benefits of the Clean Air Act for cities around the county.
Senators Build Suspense Regarding Gas Tax Replacement
Keith Laing of The Hill breaks the news that two influential Republican U.S. Senators predict that the federal gas tax is on its "last legs." It will be replaced with an (unnamed) user fee when the current transportation funding bill expires May 31.
Could the Las Vegas Strip Go Multi-Modal?
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada is funding a $2.7 million planning effort in anticipation of a transportation corridor for the Las Vegas Strip.
Placemaking in Communities of All Sizes
A new article from Smart Growth America portrays the successes of placemaking in communities as diverse as Soldotna, Alaska (population 4,163), Orlando, and Philadelphia.
Growing Opposition to Toll Road Plans in North Texas
North Texans aren't happy with a planned network of toll roads, claiming that they're taxed and tolled enough already. A series of public hearings is intended to spread more information about the growing network of toll roads.
Alaska Voters Reject Higher Taxes on Oil Companies
Alaskans agreed, but not by much, with Gov. Sean Parnell and not former Gov. Sarah Palin that oil companies needed to pay less taxes if they are to boost oil production. Voters rejected a tax referendum that was on Tuesday's ballot to repeal SB 21.
Pedestrians vs. Bicyclists: How to Make Peace
In this op-ed special to The Sacramento Bee, Michael Andersen of PeopleForBikes and Melissa Merson of America Walks make a convincing argument for protected bike lanes to improve both bike and pedestrian safety by getting cyclists off the sidewalk.
The Future of Urban Planning: Zoning for Drones
Efforts to regulate the use of drones within the United States have consisted entirely of banning their use, rather than taking advantage of their utility. Yet an alternative approach does exist, relying on municipal zoning ordinances.
Five Reasons Why Peak Driving is Here to Stay
The Great Recession ended in the summer of 2009. Unemployment has fallen and consumer spending has risen, as have most economic metrics save one: vehicle miles traveled. There is a list of reasons why VMT hasn't risen, and perhaps won't.
FEATURE
The Power of Public-Private Partnerships: Mobile Phone Apps and Municipalities
Private, crowdsourced mobile phone applications addressing urban mobility collect troves of data on how cities flow. So how can municipalities tap into these databases to accurately understand the movement of their citizens?
Sprawl and the 'Death of the American South'
A post by Sustainatlanta reacts to the recent study that predicted massive, sprawling growth in the South in the next 50 years. The post's concern is that sprawl will "eviscerate' the Southern lifestyle.
Developers Fail to Meet Affordable Housing Quota in Portland's Pearl District
Despite a contractual obligation, Hoyt Street Properties under-built 258 affordable housing units in Portland's Pearl District. The city has to react.
Living the TOD Lifestyle in Denver: Growing Transit and Affordable Housing
Dana Hawkins-Simons writes about how the Denver TOD Fund produces and ensures equitable, affordable development around the city's expanding transportation network.
Floods Create Trash Collection Stink in Oakland County
Recent heavy rains in Oakland County, north of Detroit, have required the local waste authority to make temporary arrangements for sewage-soaked trash. Residents are not happy.
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