The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Steve Lopez asks why Los Angeles county supervisors use taxpayer dollars for chauffer-driven gas-guzzlers.

July 27 - The Los Angeles Times

FEATURE

Can cities get back in touch with nature? Planners, developers, architects, and policy makers convened in Los Angeles June 7 to face the challenge and develop a plan of action to help bring life onto the rooftops of L.A.'s downtown.

July 27 - Nate Berg

A suburban town just west of Minneapolis is debating a plan to bring a bit of New Urbanism into a proposed housing development that would otherwise just be houses. The planned mixed use development has enticed some residents and worried others.

July 27 - Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

A recent opinion piece questions the wisdom of regional plans that promote public transit over accommodating more cars.

July 27 - The Globe and Mail

National restaurant chains moving into Philadelphia’s Center City are changing the character and landscape of the historic area.

July 26 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Nation's fastest growing master-planned community is also one of its most insulted writes Stephanie Simon.

July 26 - Abhijeet Chavan

Climatologists blame the urban 'heat island' effect for a rise in Southern California's average evening temperatures, which have hit record highs in recent days.

July 26 - The Los Angeles Times

An experiment in Ontario, Canada has ordinary residents meeting regularly to decide how government funds are spent on playgrounds, health clinics and adult education.

July 26 - Shelterforce Magazine

A business group publishes its annual "report card" or housing profile for Bay Area communities by comparing local housing permits issued to state-mandated housing goals.

July 26 - San Jose Mercury News

The Algiers Casbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is collapsing with little political will to save it.

July 26 - The New York Times

Large home builders are increasingly able and willing to bribe local governments to approve new greenfield developments.

July 26 - Gristmill

A new, sustainably-built home seeks produce as much energy as it consumes.

July 26 - The Oregonian

Naomi Oreskes, history of science professor at UC San Diego, on why there are a "handful of scientists" that reject the evidence that humans contribute to global warming.

July 26 - The Los Angeles Times

An investor from Los Angeles grabs Atlanta's tallest tower for its biggest price.

July 26 - The Slatin Report

For years, drifters and homeless people have been living on some of the small islands of earth that remain in the paved-over Los Angeles River. While they are not a high priority for police, the river revitalization movement wants them gone.

July 26 - The Los Angeles Times

The number of new homes with porches increased has nationwide over the past 10 years.

July 26 - The Daily News

To coincide with the World Urban Forum, the Ottawa Citizen devotes most of their Sunday, June 18th newspaper to covering a host of urban issues, including slums, urban gardening, and the case for and against cities [links to 9 articles].

July 25 - The Ottawa Citizen

Approved twin towers at the base of the San Francisco entrance to the Bay Bridge are designed to withstand earthquakes and hurricane gales.

July 25 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Money Magazine's annual ranking of the best places to live highlights Americans' desire for big-city amenities, small-town charm, affordable housing, and green space.

July 25 - Money Magazine

The opening of the Promenade at the Foundry, a 220-unit redeveloped rental complex in Providence's mill district, underscores Providence's continuing revitalization.

July 25 - The New York Times