The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Vanity Fair Goes Green

May issue highlights the environmental crisis and people across a variety of professions committed to education and change.

April 21 - Vanity Fair

Housing Costs Drive Migrants From Boston And San Francisco

Recently released Census data show that domestic migrants are fleeing the high housing costs of America's coasts in favor of more affordable environs. Will the tech regions start running out of techies?

April 21 - The Wall Street Journal

Green Scare: 'Environmental Jihad' Over Global Warming

Columnist Jonah Goldberg believes that Al Gore, the environmental movement, and major news media are engaging in environmental "alarmism" over global warming.

April 20 - Abhijeet Chavan

Does The 'Broken Windows' Theory Really Work?

Law professor Bernard E. Harcourt argues that the "broken windows" theory has be en proven not to be an effective crime-fighting technique. But LA Police Chief William J. Bratton, who has built his career on the theory, will not be easily convinced.

April 20 - The Los Angeles Times

Gentrification And Sprawl Describe U.S. Domestic Migration Pattern

Is the donut effect spreading to the suburbs? First it was older cities that lost population to their suburbs, but that flight now has spread to their greater metro areas. Paradoxically, gentrification occurs as the wealthy return to the cities.

April 20 - Associated Press via The Contra Costa Times


Experiential Layers Of The City

Bruce Donnelly explores a new way to examine city life that could increase the effectiveness of urban design.

April 20 - Terrain.org

Shenandoah River Makes Most Endangered List

The Shenandoah River reaches the tipping point thanks to pollution and development, according to national non-proft conservation organization American Rivers, which releases the annual list.

April 20 - The Washington Post


Building Green Affordable Housing In NYC

South Bronx affordable housing goes big and goes green.

April 20 - The New York Times

New York City Faces Immense Growth

How can the city learn from other major metropolises like Chicago and Los Angeles to develop a viable growth strategy for the 21st century?

April 20 - The Gotham Gazette

$30 Billion Public Works Bond Headed For Ballot In California

Governor Schwarzenegger's $222 billion Strategic Growth Plan was derailed earlier when the legislature failed to agree on a bond package for the June ballot. It now appears that a smaller package will make the ballot in November.

April 20 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Miami Holds Strong On Urban Development Boundary

Despite growing pressure, the Miami-Dade County Commission has decided not to amend its Urban Development Boundary -- for now.

April 20 - The Miami Herald

When Good Cars Go Bad

Hybrid gas mileage decreases on the open road. Green consumers should purchase nonhybrid cars for better overall gas mileage.

April 20 - The New York Times

How The Bay Area Is Preparing For The Next 'Big One'

The San Francisco Bay Area is investing in seismic retrofit projects for public infrastructure, such as strengthening hospitals, bridges, overpasses, and water mains. But private residences remain vulnerable.

April 19 - BBC News

BLOG POST

Cities' Visionless Wireless

This came through the telecom-cities listserv by Anthony Townsend. He very succinctly summarizes the issues with municipal wireless networks. The quote below I find particularly interesting:<br /> <br /> "Discussions about the design of today's municipal wireless networking efforts have not yet addressed the way community-created content can be solicited and integrated in the splash pages and portal sites where wireless users are greeted when they connect. We do know that cities such as Long Beach, California and business improvement districts in New York City have experimented with local content.

April 19 - Scott Page

Backstory: Can The Motor City Walk?

Leaders in Detroit are starting to rethink the city's car-happy habitat and history.

April 19 - The Christian Science Monitor

Philadelphia's Patchwork Zoning Code Frustrates Residents

Philadelphia's monstrous zoning code is in dire need of streamlining; recently residents were surprised by over-the-counter permits granted for a skyscraper, while homeowners looking to install a standard fence must apply for a variance.

April 19 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Don Quixote's Impossible Energy Dream?

An op-ed column discusses benefits and costs of wind energy -- the newly developing industry behind it, the tax breaks it receives, and the logic or NIMBYism of opponents.

April 19 - The Washington Post

1906 Quake And Hurricane Katrina

Edward Epstein examines the federal response to two of the nation's worst natural disasters.

April 19 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Proposed Skyscrapers Push The Envelope Of Design

A cigarette-pack-shaped tower that will "breathe in air" to power the building? A Louisville skyscraper whose beauty is compared to the "gap between Lauren Hutton's teeth?" Proposed new towers are pushing the limits of height and good taste.

April 19 - The Wall Street Journal

Kyoto Following Its Own Protocol?

What does it mean when Japan, the most hopeful follower of the Kyoto Protocol, "acts more American" and pollutes more than expected?

April 19 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.