The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Pitching a Queens-Brooklyn Streetcar
Michael Kimmelman resurrects an old plan by Alex Garvin to build a light rail connection between the waterfront neighborhoods of Queens and Brooklyn, except Kimmelman would build a streetcar line.
Natural Gas Terminal Expansion Might Mean the End of Quintana, Texas
The town of Quintana, Texas, located along the coast to the South of Houston, provides a "unique chapter in the story of the American energy renaissance," according to Ryan Holeywell. An expanding energy company’s facility might wipe it off the map.
Two Kinds of Migration Drive Urban Growth
A new post by Richard Florida distinguished between the two different types of migration—domestic and international—driving the influx of residents in urban centers around the country.
Which States Best Prioritize Walking and Biking?
The most recent coverage of the Alliance for Biking and Walking’s 2014 Benchmark report compares each of the states for how much federal transportation funding they devote to active transportation.
Strengthening the Bond between People and Placemaking
A research team at MIT Urban Studies and Planning, led by Susan Silberberg, released a paper examining “the interactions between placemaking, community participation, and the expanding ways communities are collaborating to make great public places.”
Can the Garden Suburb Save the Suburbs?
“Can Paradise be Planned?” asks Allison Arieff in a recent op-ed. The article discusses new books by architect Robert A.M. Stern and photographer Christoph Gielen to look for reasons for optimism with regard to suburbs and planning.
Questioning Hotel Tax Subsidies in Los Angeles
Desperate to build hotel capacity in the neighborhood surrounding the Los Angeles Convention Center, the city has granted hundreds of millions in tax breaks to hotel developers. Some are asking the city to rethink the subsidies.
On the State of Architecture Criticism
Inga Saffron recently joined a very small group of architecture critics to win the Pulitzer Prize. What does her victory say about the state of criticism, especially built environment criticism, today?
Atlanta Streets Alive Hopes to Shift City’s Perceptions
Maria Saporta reviews the latest Atlanta Streets Alive event, which shuts down streets to vehicle traffic and turns them over to people, held over the past weekend in the historic neighborhood of West End.
Washington D.C. Getting a Giant Greenhouse
A company called BrightFarms is developing a 100,000 square-foot greenhouse on a vacant lot in Washington D.C. The farm will provide jobs for locals and reduce the environmental footprint of the food sourcing process.
Top 10 Reasons for a New American Dream
For three generations, the American Dream was largely defined by continual suburban expansion. A new urban dream has emerged, and it is here to stay.
California High Speed Rail Authority Denied Request to Overturn Lawsuit
Seems like it's nothing but bad news for the rail authority since a judge ruled in November that the project was not in compliance with the proposition that the voters approved in 2008. This appeals court ruling means that a trial will move forward.
Should Tesla Buyers Receive a $2,500 Rebate from California?
Currently, California residents who purchase plug-in electric vehicles can receive up to $2,500, depending on the type of electric vehicle, with all-electrics receiving the maximum rebate. However, the Air Resources Board is proposing a change.
BLOG POST
New Research On Smart Growth Benefits
New research indicates that smart growth helps residents become wealthier and healthier.
Which Way, Dallas?
Architecture critic Mark Lamster describes Dallas as a city at a defining moment in its history. He poses the following questions: “What are our goals, and how do we achieve them? What exactly do we want Dallas to be?”
Ranking the Most Resilient Cities
Resilience has entered into the planning and urbanism lexicon as a large challenge for all places pursuing prosperous, sustainable futures. A new study examines the world’s leading cities for lessons in resilience.
Biking Boom Takes to the Sidewalks
The city of Santiago, Chile offers a cautionary tale for cities amidst a biking boom that don’t rethink the mode balance on their streets: there’s nowhere for bikers to go except the sidewalk.
BLOG POST
Finding Authenticity
The coveted creative class is in search of neighborhoods and communities with lots of character. Why are such places so hard to find? Maybe it is because we are trying too hard.
BLOG POST
Billboards, Big Money, and (Political) Blight
Planners typically pay attention to the Supreme Court when a Fifth Amendment case, like Kelo v. New London, comes along. The recent McCutcheon decision is a case in which the court could have paid attention to planners.
Study: Active Commutes Correlate to Positive Public Health Outcomes
The Alliance for Biking and Walking’s 2014 Benchmarking report found a strong correlation between active commuting rates and health outcomes like diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.
Ada County Highway District
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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.
