The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Baltimore Water Wheel Takes out the Trash—40 Tons since May
Part innovative urban design solution, part historic and simple design solution, the city of Baltimore's trash-collecting water wheel has been an unmitigated success at mitigating the trash in the Jones Fall River.
Public Projects at Crossroads: Bellwood Quarry and Atlanta Civic Center
While the plan to transform the Bellwood Quarry into Westside Reservoir Park waits, as it has done for eight years, an Atlanta councilmember proposes locating the endangered Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center near the site.
Reinventing the Suburban Office Park
The need to update aging facilities, as well as competition coming from once-dormant urban rivals, is compelling many suburban office parks to invest in the trappings of more urban settings.
The Incredible, Rising Cost of Forest Fires
The kicker in a recent article about the current realities of forest fires—and the cost of fighting them—in the United States: The federal government spends 624 percent more on fires than it did 20 years ago.
Are We There Yet? Affordability in the 'New Normal'
In the new normal, an affordable lifestyle is suddenly of interest to a larger circle of us. Here's what some interesting innovators are doing about it, between now and when our politics and legal structure fully align with our needs.
Modeling the Explosive Growth of the Southern Megalopolis
A new study, "The Southern Megalopolis: Using the Past to Predict the Future of Urban Sprawl in the Southeast U.S." predicts urban sprawl and warns of its possible consequences over the next 50 years.
Explaining the Connections between Physical Mobility and Economic Mobility
A new post by Danielle Kurtzleben explains the complicated mix of infrastructure considerations that must be in place for transportation to benefit economic mobility.
Mapping Drone No-Fly Zones
While the FAA sorts out regulations for commercial drone flights in the United States, cities, states, and other groups have already restricted the flight of drones. Mapbox is working to compile a comprehensive map of prohibited air space.
Applying Moses to Modern-Day Green Space Projects
Could the Los Angeles River use its own 'power broker'?
An Anti-Fracking Initiative...in Texas?
The fracking rebellion has finally spread to The Lone Star State. Citizens of Denton have had enough with environmental woes from fracking close to homes and gathered signatures. Plus: the outcome of litigation against Colorado 's first fracking ban.
Quantifying the Benefits of Congestion Pricing
In a recent blog post, Michael Brown of Metro Analytics sought to quantify the benefits of congestion pricing.
Rules of the Road: Reckless 'Driving' Brings Dire Penalties for Bicyclist
A California Court of Appeal wades into the history of driving laws to determine if a drunken cyclist who maimed a jogger can be charged with reckless driving. The cyclist was not charged with drunken driving. Not all laws are applied the same.
'El Barrio Tours' Tells of Gentrification in Working Class Neighborhoods
Documentary filmmaker Alex Padilla tackled gentrification in East Harlem with the film, El Barrio Tours. Now Padilla is touring cities to tell the story of gentrification's impact on working class immigrant neighborhoods.
Place Mobility: Sometimes Good Transportation Is Slow
Streetcars are expensive and slow, and that drives Matthew Yglesias crazy. He fails to grasp Place Mobility, which can be an excellent transportation investment for a city.
Senate Showdown Expected on House Highway Funding Bill
The Senate will hear four amendments to the House bill, passed July 15, in the last week of July. Sens. Boxer, Carper, and Corker want the funding extension to terminate on December 19 rather than May 31. On August 1, DOT reduces payments to states.
New from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: $10 Billion Rural Investment Fund
As pension funds and institutional investors, faced with low interest rates, are searching for non-traditional investments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will play matchmaker for a new $10 billion rural investment fund.
Los Angeles Housing and Incubator for Artists Hopes to Grow to Every Community
A review of Art Share LA by Los Angeles County planner Clement Lau.
New Study Predicts Vehicle Travel Saturation Levels
A new RAND Corporation study models motorization growth rates and saturation levels, and identifies potential policies to encourage more efficient transportation in developing countries.
Competition Addresses the Design Challenges of Placemaking in Rural Communities
In its annual competitive funding effort, the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) has selected four small towns and rural communities to host a two-and-a-half day rural design technical workshop.
Will Benefits from $1 Billion Climate Change Resilience Fund be Limited to 'Believer States'?
A review of the federal government’s recent announcement of a $1 billion competition to provide funding for communities affected by disasters by Dave Hampton, a natural disaster resilience consultant.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
