The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

This week, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced how it aims to spend $12.4 billion on road and transit projects over the next five years. Expansions of Boston's Fairmount Indigo Line and Green Line are planned.

January 10 - Boston Magazine

The diverging diamond interchange system planned for an exit off Interstate 70 in Grand Junction, west of Denver in Colorado, has been delayed so officials can educate the public about the new traffic pattern.

January 10 - Denver Post

BART and Bombardier Transportation have completed a two-part, $1.5 billion deal to modernize the BART fleet. The new cars are expected to test in 2015 and commence operation between 2017 and 2021.

January 10 - The Press Republican (Northeastern New York)

A growing body of scientific research shows that open office plans harm wellbeing and job performance.

January 10 - The New Yorker

California's Office of Planning & Research has been tasked with moving environmental analysis away from standards based solely on level of service. The agency has released its preliminary evaluation of alternative methods of transportation analysis.

January 10 - California Planning & Development Report

New fault maps could change the game for developments in Hollywood and nearby neighborhoods according to a 1972 law known as Alquist-Priolo Act, which forbids building directly atop active earthquake faults capable of rupturing the surface.

January 10 - Los Angeles Times

The National Journal speaks with demographer William H. Frey, with the Brookings Institution, about the three most meaningful trends that emerged in the U.S. last year, and their significance for the future.

January 10 - National Journal

Yes, and that's a good thing, say opponents of lifting the 1975 ban on crude oil exports. Brad Plumer examines this argument and explains the two other chief reasons, the environment and refinery lobbying, to maintain the ban on exporting crude oil.

January 10 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Big trucks and big cities just don't mix. But a federal panel that's developing a strategic plan for national freight transportation is reportedly paying little attention to the conflict. Tanya Snyder explains why that may not be a bad thing.

January 10 - DC.Streetsblog

BLOG POST

How to bring an urbanist slant to the Jewish holiday of Tu'b'Shevat next week

January 9 - Michael Lewyn

New York and Washington D.C. are among the U.S. cities looking to revamp the payment systems for their trains and buses over the next several years. Many will ditch paper and plastic farecards in favor of credit cards and smartphones.

January 9 - The Washington Post

The Los Angeles 2020 Commission released a report that presents a scathing portrayal of Los Angeles, including a section on the city’s broken planning process.

January 9 - Los Angeles Times

Over the last several decades, researchers have examined how our cities deplete natural resources and change the climate and ecosystems of their surrounding areas. But new evidence shows that such impacts aren't a purely modern phenomenon.

January 9 - Smithsonian

Pressure is mounting for a decision regarding the future of Crissy Field, an iconic site in the Presidio of San Francisco currently in the final stages of a design competition.

January 9 - Huffington Post

Architecture Critic Alexandra Lange, in her first op-ed for Dezeen, calls on architects to make better use of social media than just as a tool for shameless self-promotion.

January 9 - Dezeen

One of the Obama administration's most promising anti-poverty initiatives will marshal federal grants and expertise from numerous agencies to improve infrastructure, services and opportunities across a wide swath of Los Angeles.

January 9 - Los Angeles Times

The Google ferry was launched Jan. 6 at the Port of San Francisco for its inaugural trip to Redwood City, where Google workers would presumably be bussed to its Mountain View HQ. No word yet whether it was greeted by protests met by its buses in S.F.

January 9 - SF Gate: The Tech Chronicles

For many years, the astounding urban migration taking place across the developing world has been a notable global trend. But India's economic slowdown may put a dent in urbanization projections as inhabitants leave cities in search of work.

January 9 - Quartz

Signaling a shift in fortunes for Detroit’s residential market, the city is seeking investors for Brush Park, a historic, but largely vacant, residential neighborhood adjacent to downtown.

January 9 - Detroit Free Press

The stay of execution that was granted to the Museum of American Folk Art after protests from architects and preservationists has been lifted. MoMA has announced plans to demolish the celebrated building to accommodate its expansions plans.

January 9 - The Wall Street Journal