The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

New requirements have made safety officials more aware of the safety issues surrounding the U.S.'s 84,000 dams. Problem is, there are fewer funds available to fix the mounting problems they find.

October 9 - Renewable Energy World

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to expedite natural oil gas drilling, or fracking, is too risky to rush. Even with environmental regulations in place, writes Eric Goldstein, there are too many "unresolved substantive issues" to resolve.

October 9 - Gotham Gazette

Planners, architects, and developers made America ugly in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, opines Ross Douthat. In this piece, he questions whether or not the aesthetic revival led by Steve Jobs could be applied to our buildings and spaces.

October 9 - The New York Times

A new system using "microwave motion" sensors can detect when a bicyclist enters an intersection and control traffic to accommodate them.

October 8 - Governing Magazine

Recognizing the inevitability of sea level rise and vulnerability of much of the Bay Area, the region has adopted the first climate adaptation rules in the nation. Building along the shores of S.F. Bay remains possible.

October 8 - The Bay Citizen

Architecture for Humanity has asked 9 design firms to dream up an upgrade for Coleman Oval Skate Park, which is located directly underneath the Manhattan Bridge.

October 8 - The Architect's Newspaper

The plan covers 24 miles of bikeways, and is estimated to got nearly $6 million over the course of 20 years. Adolfo Flores reports.

October 8 - Los Angeles Times

Just four percent of Irvine's Great Park has been built in six years, compared to an early estimation that it would be completed in 10. Now, it may take 20. And it's no one's fault, writes Jeff Overley.

October 8 - Orange County Register

Doyle Redland reports on the accidental new construction, which has galvanized both sides of the preservation vs. access argument.

October 7 - The Onion

An interview with architect and developer Marcel Wisznia on why architects should develop their own projects.

October 7 - AIA

With the help of Councilmember Paul Krekorian of the Los Angeles City Hall, Studio City residents developed an anti-mansionization ordinance called the "Residential Floor Area" to limit the size of residential construction on existing lots.

October 7 - The Patch

Plans by the MTA to renovate the 68th St. Station on the Lexington Ave. station received an angry reception from upper East Siders, some of whom said the justification for the renovation, the American with Disabilities Act, was a "charade."

October 7 - New York Post

Terry Kerby speaks to professionals about the trend toward redeveloped and landscaped city center living and the re-evaluation of the merits of slums and suburbia that has sparked a resurgence of interest in high rise living and public space.

October 7 - The Guardian

Anthony Flint of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy says the way to save high-speed rail policy is to focus on getting the two trains with the best chance of success on track.

October 7 - The Infrastructurist

Colorado has been heralded as the trimmest state in the country, but NPR reports that residents' weight is still on the rise.

October 7 - NPR

The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) released its 2011 Urban Mobility Report, which shows how many additional hours in traffic each commuter would be subject to if public transportation were discontinued.

October 7 - Urbanophile

Drawing examples from a vast supply of disasters in recent years, this 30-page report emphasizes planning and policy for not just housing, but also land tenure and community input, with long-term perspectives.

October 7 - Habitat for Humanity

What's in a name? Apparently, reports Kim Severson, some not-so-subtle reminders of a segregated American landscape. And changing them is not easy."The United States Board on Geographic Names, the federal agency that maintains the official names of m

October 7 - The New York Times

Scott Timburg labels Richard Florida overly optimistic and blames the media for not portraying the 'fading creative class,' because their recession pain has not been sufficiently dramatic.

October 6 - The Atlantic

In his last public appearance, Steve Jobs assumes the role of a land use advocate seeking to double the number of trees, move parking underground, and provide a self sufficient energy source for Apple's new campus in Cupertino.

October 6 - The Atlantic