The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

With the news this week that Toronto police have in their possession the video that allegedly shows him smoking crack, Mayor Rob Ford has been thoroughly disgraced. Marcus Gee argues the scandal threatens "the success of Canada’s biggest city."

November 2 - The Globe and Mail

Subway conductors, especially in New York, can be a gruff lot. And not without reason: they have a serious and essential job to do in very public, often stressful, conditions. To show their appreciation, two riders devised a way to make them smile.

November 1 - Gawker

The AIA is pushing Congress to establish an AmeriCorps-like program for young architects. With the potential for aiding underserved communities, reducing student loans, and providing recent grads with real-world experience, what's not to like?

November 1 - AIArchitect

To his critics, Mayor Bloomberg's initiatives aimed at decreasing smoking, increasing active lifestyles, and tackling obesity add up to the creation of a "Nanny State". A new article challenges the critics by framing him as a public health pioneer.

November 1 - The Atlantic Cities

A new report published by the Netherlands Environment Assessment Agency and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre sees the slowing growth of global CO2 emissions as an indication that we may be headed towards an eventual emissions decline.

November 1 - BBC News

As migration puts growth pressure on Denmark’s largest city, Copenhagen is promoting the conversion of under-utilized attics into apartments as a way to create new housing while maintaining the city's built form and character.

November 1 - The Copenhagen Post

Jaime De La Vega, the General Manager of L.A.'s Department of Transportation announced his resignation yesterday effective Dec. 1st. During his two years on the job, the department shifted away from an auto-centric focus to embrace alternative modes.

November 1 - Los Angeles Times

Cities and businesses are looking to reduce waste from demolition sites and increase the amount of recycled material used in new developments.

November 1 - Future Cities

Hurricane Sandy served as a wake up call for many cities to the dangers of rising seas and more extreme storms. To prepare for these threats, officials in Boston have proposed zoning rules that would require developers to detail mitigation measures.

November 1 - The Boston Globe

At $100 million, it is the largest of the five bonds on the Nov. 5 ballot. While six other transportation bonds were voted on (and approved) since 2000, the need for this bond comes from a 2011 law that eliminated the indexing of the state gas tax.

November 1 - Portland Press Herald

Ever travel to a foreign country and gaze longingly at their sleek modern rail stock? Pardon my wandering eye, but passenger trains in the U.S. are undeniably ugly. New rules being developed by the FRA could ease the import of foreign beauties.

November 1 - Next City

As localities increasingly pursue public-private partnerships to fund much-needed infrastructure projects, Ryan Holeywell explores the promise and pitfalls of this popular financing arrangement. Are dissenting voices being stifled?

October 31 - Governing

Apparently ghost towns aren't only found in America's Old West and at former nuclear test sites. Lifestyle website Thrillist has collected seven of the world's creepiest ghost towns.

October 31 - Thrillist

Kaid Benfield muses on the question of whether architects are more interested in making statements than serving people, a topic raised in a recent commentary by Christine Outram. He uses Toronto’s deconstructivist “Crystal” as an entry point.

October 31 - NRDC Switchboard

In honor of Halloween, the Geographic Information System (GIS) software company ESRI has mapped the locations of more than 200 of the top-rated horror films of all-time.

October 31 - ESRI

One of the first portions of the World Trade Center PATH station has opened beneath West Street in Manhattan. The 100-foot-long pedestrian passageway provides a taste of Santiago Calatrava's design and what a seemingly unlimited budget can buy you.

October 31 - Next City

Haunted houses are benign. If you want real evil, suggests Keith Eggener, look to the sentient houses in fiction and film that are "born bad". From Poe to Siddons, he explores examples of "architecture gone terribly wrong".

October 31 - Places

This week, San Diego's City Council voted to resurrect the city's moribund Planning Department. A government-wide reorganization and energized leadership seem certain to ensure the department won't become a zombie.

October 31 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Jonathan Hull, a 37-year-old graphic designer from Salt Lake City, has assembled an horrific catalog of America's "demonic, hellish, and Satan-flavored" appellations.

October 31 - The Atlantic Cities

Could a 1,300-mile bike path along the length of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline quell the concerns of environmentalists? A "tongue-in-cheek" design put forth by SWA group doesn't appear to have won admirers on either side of the debate.

October 31 - Bloomberg