The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Texas High Speed Rail Proposal Gaining Momentum
An article by Amy Crawford details the prospects of a plan to build a private rail connection between Houston and Dallas—the Texas Central Railway—that would be modeled on lines in Japan, and funded by Japanese interests.
Friday Funny: How Automatic Toll Technology Could Have Saved Sonny Corleone
In a fake editorial on the satirical site The Onion, Charles J. Galvin, CEO, E-ZPass Group, pays homage to the alternative path the Corleone family would have taken in The Godfather if only Sonny Corleone had been driving a car equipped with E-ZPass.
Agenda 21 Opponents Under the Microscope
Writing for Fortune magazine, David Morris examines the influence of the Anti-Agenda 21 movement, especially one of the movement's figureheads, Rosa Koire, who wrote the book "Behind the Green Mask: U.N. Agenda 21."
Light Rail Success Story for Houston's Red Line
With two new rail lines, serving east and southeast Houston, due to open later this year, early returns have been positive for the "North Line" extension of the city's Red Line.
Is the Innovation Economy a Cover for Gentrification?
According to Kyle Chayka's critique of "The Rise of Innovation Districts" report by the Brookings Institutions, "all is not right in this innovation ideology."
Air Rights Deal to Renovate Boston's Back Bay Station Includes Skyscraper
Boston is in the process of effectively privatizing the management of its largest transit hubs. The latest example: a deal that would renovate MBTA’s Back Bay Station in exchange for air rights for a skyscraper above the station.
Ballot Measure would Tax House Flipping in San Francisco
Eric Young reports on a "Stop the Flip" ordinance that will appear on the November ballot in San Francisco.
Bipartisan Plan to Increase Fuel Taxes Surfaces
A surprising and unexpected bipartisan plan to increase gas and diesel taxes by 12 cents each emerged June 18 from Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). Taxes would increase six cents a gallon annually for two years.
Vacant Properties Linger Post-Sandy in Queens and Rockaway
Still plagued by home left vacant after Hurricane Sandy, a politician and local activists are pushing for greater action to clean up the blighted properties.
Can Kickstarter Funding Help Achieve the 'Breakwater Chicago' Dream?
The strange-but-true idea for "Breakwater Chicago" has two things going for it so far—attention from the press and $38,180 in Kickstarter funding.
Highway Trust Fund Ticker Updates Path Toward Insolvency
For those who haven't been following the Trust Fund's ticker, it's a bit like the deficit clock except that it runs in the opposite direction, going towards zero or insolvency. The ticker measures the balance in both the highway and transit accounts.
BLOG POST
Destabilizing Urban Planning
How can the contemporary concepts in ecology studies—adaptability, resiliency, and flexibility—advance urban planning practices?
FEATURE
One Hundred Years of Exposure
An interview with artist and critic Jonathon Keats, who recently implemented a project in Berlin where participants will anchor pinhole "century cameras" around the city to record its changes over a period of 100 years.
BLOG POST
Self-Starter Urbanism: Small Firms Tackle Big Projects on Their Own Terms
Development and research projects allow small firms entry into large-scale design.
Planning Neglected in Philadelphia's High School Fire Sale
Inga Saffron asks the tough questions of Philadelphia's sale of University City High School to Drexel University.
Induced Demand Explained (or Why We Can't Build Our Way Out of Congestion)
In case you need an easy link to reference when encountering arguments in favor of widening roads and freeways as a solution for traffic, Adam Mann provides an accessible and clear explainer article that sums up the limitations of such strategies.
A Walk in the Woods Just Got Expensive in Washington and Oregon
The largest private owner of timberland in Washington and Oregon is now charging access fees ranging from $75 to $550 depending on the permit area. The $30 fees for National Forest and state parks passes look cheap by comparison.
Oil Shale (not Shale Oil) and Oil Sands Projects Underway in Utah
A major challenge facing oil companies in the Uinta Basin is how to transport the crude to market. Alignments have been winnowed and the mode appears to be selected - rail. Total cost: $2 billion to extract $30 billion worth of oil and gas reserves.
Great Streets? How about Healthy, Safe Streets?
Advocates and citizens in Boyle Heights, a historic and predominantly Latino neighborhood on the Eastside of Los Angeles, are hoping for more than economic development from the city's Great Streets initiative.
How to Improve America's Infrastructure in Four Easy Steps
Rob Palter shares insights from a recent round of interviews with "government leaders, private investors, and private operators in the field of infrastructure" about how the United States can improve the poor state if its infrastructure.
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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.
