The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>Amtrak is riding high after reporting the highest revenue of any month for November, with 2006 revenue up 11 percent. The costly, long-distance routes appear to be safe from possible dismantling, according to Amtrak's new president.</p>

December 26 - The New York Times

<p>With federal aid money wasted or tied up in the bureaucracy, and post-Katrina recovery promises left unkept, New Orleans remains an "open wound" and many of its residents are suffering from homelessness and a lack of basic services.</p>

December 26 - Truthout (from New York Times)

<p>Developer and national homebuilder Robert Toll of Toll Brothers discusses his company's decision to expand its homebuilding from the suburbs into high density urban development.</p>

December 26 - Austin American Statesman

<p>A report by the Brookings Institution looks at city and suburban poverty trends over the last 6 years using American Community Survey and Census data. One finding is that since 2005 more impoverished people live in suburbs than in cities.</p>

December 25 - The Brookings Institution

<p>Thousands of protesters in the Indian state of Goa have turned out to voice their concerns against the Goa Regional Plan, a government move to open up much of the state's lands for construction.</p>

December 25 - NDTV.com

<p>The successes of mass transit and light rail in similarly car-oriented cities should be enough of an excuse for Atlanta to give it a try, according to this opinion piece from the <em>Atlanta Journal-Constitution</em>.</p>

December 25 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

<p>The Southern California city of Simi Valley is opposing recommendations from a regional association of governments that suggest the city should increase its housing stock. The city council sees the increase as unrealistic, citing a lack of land.</p>

December 25 - Simi Valley Acorn

<p>Ecuadorean President-Elect Rafael Correa has announced dedication to building a port on his country's Pacific Coast in a plan to create a cross-continental river corridor to Brazil, an effort to ease transport of Asian goods throughout South America.</p>

December 25 - Business News Americas

<p>A new light rail project connecting several towns to downtown Portland, Oregon, is highly expected to boost the area's economy. Transit-oriented housing and retail development is expected to contribute significantly.</p>

December 24 - The Oregonian

<p>A number of suburban developments in Alabama are taking cues from regional planners and making efforts to improve their livability by building sidewalks.</p>

December 24 - The Birmingham News via Columbus (AL) Ledger-Enquirer

<p>A reporter goes a week without a car in the San Francisco Bay Area in this article about the pros and cons of non-car transport. Though the monetary costs were lower, the cost of time was much higher, especially for an inexperienced transit user.</p>

December 24 - The Contra Costa Times

<p>Borrowing rhetoric and programmatic ideas from U.S. efforts, the Blair administration in Britaan has managed to cut the nation's child poverty rate by more than half. But anti-poverty policies have not been without their critics.</p>

December 24 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>With new development threatening quirky non-chain restaurants and other retail stores, the City of Austin wants to create a fund to support and attract certain types of downtown businesses.</p>

December 24 - Austin American-Statesman

<p>To make downtown more livable, cities across the nation are converting one-way streets to two-way streets.</p>

December 23 - USA Today

<p>A new report from <em>The Classical City</em>, a journal dedicated to preserving St. Petersburg, Russia, describes the destructive effects of the city's new plan and calls for architecture that is consistent with the city's character.</p>

December 23 - The Classical City

<p>The U.S. Census Bureau reported it's findings for the year ending July 1, 2006: Arizona overtook Nevada to grow the fastest; Texas grew the most, followed by Florida and California, which remains the most populous state.</p>

December 23 - The New York Times

<p>Across America, small towns are struggling to get by economically as many residents move out and businesses follow. But some small towns are employing some creative ideas -- from giant killer bee statues to storytelling festivals -- to stay afloat.</p>

December 23 - The Economist

<p>New statistics from the Canadian Urban Transit Association show that larger cities with better, more frequent transit service, and incentives such as universal bus passes for university students, saw major increases in ridership.</p>

December 23 - The Globe & Mail

<p><em>The Onion</em>, America's "Finest News Source", brings this image of an office building that takes the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) a little too far.</p>

December 22 - The Onion

<p>An advisory task force has been formed to consider rebuilding a historic streetcar system in Tacoma, Washington. Infrastructure and funding issues are proving to be major hurdles.</p>

December 22 - Tacoma Daily Index