The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Make-Or-Break Moment For CA HSR
Nov. 1 is a decisive date for the CA HSR Authority. The long-awaited and once delayed business plan will provide the basis for the legislature to continue funding the $45 billion project or put a halt to it, thus returning massive federal grants.
"Urbanized" Seeks To Chart The Future Of Planning
A.O. Scott reviews the final installment of Gary Hustwit's design trilogy, "Urbanized," and concludes that even those with a deep knowledge of urban planning are likely to learn something from the carefully selected images and interviews.
Lever House Closes Temporarily To Protect Its Owners From "Adverse Possesion"
In an another nuance of the ownership laws that govern New York's parks and plazas, the modernist masterpiece Lever House will close today to keep its plaza privately public.
Casting A Robert Moses Biopic
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that HBO is working with Oliver Stone on a biopic of New York's famous master planner.
Salon's Blueprint for Change: Relief for Homeowners, Public Works & Carbon Pricing
In response to the Occupy Wall Street movement the staff at Salon.com have brainstormed a "New Declaration of Independence" for guiding the United States into a more progressive future.
Transportation Enhancements Make For Easy Targets - Even If Distorted
Do you want your transportation dollars spent on the National Corvette Museum, turtle tunnels, giant roadside coffee pots, restoration of Battleship Texas? These are some of the "tall tales" being spun by Republicans about the transportation bill.
Can Cincinnati Create a Truly Urban Casino?
With its first casino currently under construction, Cincinnati is attempting to redefine the stereotype with a consciously urban design that turns the typical casino inside-out.
Bicycling on the Rise in Mexico City
USA Today reports that efforts to increase cycling in Mexico City have succeeded in getting middle and upper-class residents on two wheels.
Majority of Buffalo's Poor Live in Suburbs
Buffalo reporters Maki Becker and Jay Rey look at a Brookings Institution report that reveals the majority of locals living below the poverty line live in the Erie and Niagara county suburbs.
How to Retrofit a Cul-de-Sac
Eric Brown of Brown Design Studio proposes some solutions for retrofitting cul-de-sacs to reconnect them with the urban grid.
Density with Variety
David Baker Architects latest public housing project in Oakland, California shows that high-density living can be attractive and feature a variety of housing types, writes Allison Arieff.
Your Next Car May Run on Alligator Fat
Wedged into a report about the merits of various alternative fuels for port activities is a recent report from the American Chemical Society stating that alligator fat may be a great alternative to soy-based biogas.
No New Skyscrapers, Says Planning Chief
London's chief planning officer says that after the current sequence of skyscrapers is built, it is likely that "...we will not see new ones planned."
Red Light Cameras: Cash Cow Or Traffic Safety Tool?
The passage by the PA state senate of a bill allowing Pittsburgh and other cities to use red light traffic enforcement cameras has drawn a strong warning and a study from Penn Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) to only use them for safety purposes
As San Diego Water Pact Falls Through, Options are Scarce
Created in 2003, a pact between rural Imperial Valley to provide water to San Diego has become mired in litigation due to its potential effects on the Salton Sea. But just nixing the deal isn't so easy, as Tony Perry reports.
Camden Employers Incentivizing Middle-Class Homeownership
Last week, local officials announced that the troubled city's largest employers, including three hospitals and a university, will begin offering incentives to lure workers into buying homes in the area. Geoff Mulvihill reports.
Closing Loopholes in NYC Parking Reforms
New York City already has low parking maximums in place in much of Manhattan, but those maximums are riddled with loopholes. A set of reforms being developed by the Department of City Planning would tighten those regulations further.
Support the Freeway, Or Your Bus is Axed
Interstate 69 is planned to run through Bloomington, Indiana, but residents have raised objections. The Feds now threaten that I-69 must be in the city's transportation plan or the city will lose $12 million in funding.
California's 'Other' HSR Line Receives Key Go-Ahead
The privately funded, 190-mile grade-separated high-speed line linking Victorville, San Bernardino County and Las Vegas received clearance from the federal Surface Transportation Board provided DesertXpress implement mitigation measures..
A New Master-Planned City Would be Impossible, Says Donald Bren
At the Urban Land Institute conference this week, Donald Bren, Chairman of the Irvine Company, cites lack of capital and government and environmental regulation as reasons for this.
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Harvard GSD Executive Education
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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.
