The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

In Praise of Manhattan's Grid, on its 200th Birthday

A new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York provides an opportunity for reflection on what Rem Koolhaas once called "the most courageous act of prediction in Western civilization."

February 15 - The Architect's Newspaper

Is the Government Abandoning Moscow?

Nate Berg reports on a plan by federal and city government officials in Moscow to decamp from the central city for offices in newly annexed outer regions, and to redevelop the former office buildings as housing and hotels.

February 15 - The Atlantic Cities

Financing Post-Recession Development

Building in the New Economy isn't business as usual. Howard Blackson lays out policy, planning, land assembly and financing tools to help us with our task at hand.

February 15 - PlaceShakers

Parsing San Diego's Misguided Waterfront Plans

As Seattle considers ways to improve its waterfront, local architect and urban planner Mark Hinshaw evaluates a conflict brewing 1,250 miles to the south, for a lesson on what not to do with valuable downtown waterfront real estate.

February 15 - Crosscut

How Mass Transit Became a Focus of the Culture Wars

Delving into the psychology behind the House transportation bill, Will Doig investigates the reasons why the Tea Party have turned their attention to mass transit as the next culture war battleground.

February 15 - Salon.com


Green Home Industry Set to Flourish

Stephen Lacey reports on findings in a new McGraw-Hill Construction survey that show the growing strength of the green residential construction sector.

February 15 - Climate Progress

Obama's Budget Proposes Big Spending on Transportation

Ben Goldman details the President's 2013 budget request, which is loaded with transportation spending. The question, of course, is whether the budget is merely a campaign platform or a realistic template for Congress to work from?

February 15 - Streetsblog D.C.


In Canada, Suburbs Growing Fast

In an analysis of newly released census data, Wendell Cox outlines recent population trends in the fastest-growing country in the G-8.

February 15 - newgeography

Can Designers Resuscitate the Suburbs?

Justin Davidson reviews a new exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art called “Foreclosed: Rehousing the American Dream”, that asks architect-led teams to address the myriad problems plaguing the country's suburbs.

February 14 - New York Magazine

FEATURE

Choosing a Grid, or Not

With new research in hand, Fanis Grammenos revisits his analysis of the efficiency of the Simple Grid, and asks what, in fact, should be the preferred layout for a new neighbourhood.

February 14 - Fanis Grammenos

Settlement Reached to Preserve Modernist Masterpiece

After a drawn-out saga, Tom Stoelker reports on the settlement reached last week over the fate of the Manufacturers Hanover Trust building in Manhattan.

February 14 - The Architect's Newspaper

Denver Shakes a Leg

A coalition of urbanists, doctors, and pedestrian enthusiasts are working to improve awareness, participation, and amenities for Denver's walkers. And in the least obese state in the country, their efforts are gaining an audience.

February 14 - The New York Times

The World's Most Romantic Places

On this Valentine's Day, we celebrate by bringing you an article and image gallery by Kaid Benfield celebrating the world's most romantic walkable urban places.

February 14 - Switchboard

Positive Train Control Set to Revolutionize Railroad Safety

A cutting-edge railroad collision avoidance system is being installed in Los Angeles. Dan Weikel and Richard Simon examine the system, and the reasons why the federal government is backing down from requirements to install the system nationwide.

February 14 - Los Angeles Times

Is the Obama Administration Playing Politics With Environmental Rules?

As the campaign season nears, many of the sweeping environmental regulations that the Obama administration made headlines for enacting are being held up over concerns about their effect on the President's election campaign, Juliet Eilperin reports.

February 14 - The Washington Post

House Transportation Bill Scrounging for Votes

Attacked from the left and right sides of the ideological spectrum since its release two weeks ago, Speaker John Boehner is struggling to find the 218 votes needed to pass the House transportation bill, write Russell Berman and Keith Laing.

February 14 - The Hill

Redesigning Bureaucracy

Branden Klayko reports on experimental efforts in the emerging field of service design, which aims to improve interactions between public services and their customers through research, advocacy, and technical assistance.

February 14 - The Architect's Newspaper

In Los Angeles, a Clash Over Trash

Kate Linthicum and Jessica Garrison recount the debate over a new proposal to overhaul Los Angeles's trash collection industry, as labor and environmental groups go head-to-head with waste haulers and business interests.

February 14 - Los Angeles Times

The Value of Urban Trees in Promoting Bird Diversity

A world first study explicitly demonstrates that large trees in urban parks are “keystone structures” that help provide important habitat and contribute to the richness, abundance and breeding of birds, reports Megan Doherty.

February 14 - The Canberra Times

Top Cities For Singles Revealed

Kiplinger has released its list of the ten best cities for singles and the results may surprise you.

February 13 - Kiplinger

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

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Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.