The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

<p>New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced plans to convert the city's entire taxicab fleet to hybrid vehicles within 5 years.</p>

May 22 - The New York Times

Photos, videos, and characteristics of truly cyclist-friendly cities.

May 22 - Grist

<p>Unlike European countries, the U.S. has no government standards for green building. Sustainable design is now commonplace in Europe, while American architects may comply with voluntary "green" standards.</p>

May 22 - The New York Times

<p>The idea of turning over public housing to residents to own or sell is gaining support among some scholars and officials.</p>

May 22 - The New York Sun

<p>This column argues that aimless wandering is essential to exploring the character of a city, and offers advice to travelers and city dwellers on letting the urbanism of cities guide their experience.</p>

May 22 - International Herald Tribune

<p>A new report from a metropolitan planning organization in Boston has outlined the severe land shortages that will face the growing area between now and 2030, and proposes a smart growth plan to preserve open space by growing densely.</p>

May 22 - The Boston Globe

<p>Developers are reacting to the market's demand for environmentally-friendly development and locally-grown food by creating housing developments that include farmable land.</p>

May 22 - The Wall Street Journal

<p>Bike lanes are the wrong approach that end up marginalizing cyclists argues Will Campbell.</p>

May 21 - The Los Angeles Times

<p>This report was prepared for the New Jersey Legislature to document the current state of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) development and implementation and to explore the potential viability of implementing PRT in New Jersey.</p>

May 21 - Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

<p>Local municipalities are drafting laws to crack down on McMansions by imposing strict building restrictions, a move that has sparked controversy between officials and homebuilders.</p>

May 21 - The New York Times

<p>Birth rates have been steadily declining in many Asian countries -- a trend some are attributing partly to rapid industrialization and urbanization.</p>

May 21 - International Herald Tribune

<p>In an effort to help Boston bikers ride safely, an online "wiki" has been unveiled that uses mapping software to identify the safest and most dangerous routes in the city.</p>

May 21 - The Boston Globe

BLOG POST

<p><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana">I would like to think that the overwhelming response to the question posed in the title would be a resounding, &quot;No!&quot;  I never gave the issue much thought before last week because frankly, I didn&#39;t really need to.  Working in a city like Philadelphia where the overwhelming percentage of proposed projects requires a zoning variance, we&#39;ve trained ourselves to work within an imperfect system and make the best of what&#39;s at hand.  (It should be noted that Philadelphia is about to embark upon a process to re-vamp the zoning code, but that is for another post in the future).  More importantly, the issues faced by some neighborhoods go a lot deeper than zoning.  So why this post?</span></p>

May 21 - Scott Page

<p>The government agency may halt plans for several new high-rise complexes in Arlington, Virginia, due to concerns about the danger posed to planes headed to Reagan Airport.</p>

May 21 - The Washington Post

<p>Jaime Lerner's bold actions helped convince Curitiba's residents to adopt change and created a model for the world to follow -- even as the city faces new challenges to its much lauded transit and waste collection programs.</p>

May 21 - The New York Times

FEATURE

If a correlation exists between birth rates and urbanization, does the post World War II baby boom owe its existence to urban sprawl?

May 21 - Sriram Khé, PhD

<p>Not since oil prices peaked in 1981 have vehicle-miles-traveled dropped as they have for the past 18 months. Rising gas prices, expanded public transportation, aging of the population, and urban revitalization deserve much of the credit.</p>

May 21 - USA Today

<p>Following up on a series from three years ago, the Cleveland Plain Dealer finds that much hopeful talk on the benefits of regional cooperation have yet to translate into actual reform.</p>

May 21 - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

<p>Menlo Park, California, struggles with the compatibility of being green and fighting climate change, while resisting high density housing, even around transit stations and corridors.</p>

May 20 - Menlo Park Almanac

<p>Metro Atlanta's boom probably won't last unless state and local leaders tackle the worsening traffic and begin investing in public transit.</p>

May 20 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution