The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Friday Funny: Green Cities a Hot Bed for Promiscuity

CBS News compiles in a photo slideshow of dating site OkCupid's list of the top 10 cities with the highest percentage of "casual sex seekers."

August 26 - CBS News

Architect's Journey to Create September 11 Memorial

Architect Michael Arad design "Reflecting Absence" was chosen from 5,200 others. After navigating constant criticism and design hurdles, "Reflecting Absence," the memorial to victims of September 11, 2001, is 16 days from it's unveiling.

August 26 - Los Angeles Times

TODs Spark Parking Reform

Saqib Rahim asks, "If Denver is committed to transit, how much parking should it build?"

August 26 - The New York Times

Street Art Transforms City

Graffiti artists from around the world were invited to transform the brutalist post-war architecture of Bristol, England's Nelson Street.

August 26 - Tim Maughan Books

The One-Billion Milestone for Cars

The total number of cars around the world exceeded the billion-unit mark in 2010, according to a study by Wards Auto. This figure has essentially doubled since 1986 when the 500-million-unit mark was crossed.

August 26 - AutoBlog


NYC Transit Extends the Life of C Trains

Due to budget constraints, the current C train (code name: R32) will continue to serve New Yorkers until 2017, making it one of the oldest subway line in the world.

August 26 - The New York Times

BLOG POST

The Urban Legacy of Jack Layton

On Monday, August 22nd, the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, Jack Layton, succumbed to cancer and passed away, mere months after leading his left-leaning party to unprecedented electoral success as the official opposition to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives. Since then, the public expressions of loss, and the celebration of his life, have been extraordinary: impromptu memorials have sprung up in cities across Canada, <a href="http://www.toronto.ca/jack_layton/index.htm">especially in Toronto</a> where he sat as a city councilor for almost 20 years before moving to federal politics.

August 26 - Michael Dudley


Bus Rapid Transit for the Masses

An ambitious BRT plan for Chicago could be a great boon for inner-city folks greatly in need of better ways to get around, says Yonah Freemark.

August 26 - the transport politic

Getting Real About Green Building

Neil Chambers talks about his new book, Urban Green: Architecture for the Future. He says that "[w]e are basically still dealing with water, energy, and buildings the same way we were 150 years ago."

August 26 - ASLA's The Dirt blog

Would People Drive Less if Cities Were Built Differently?

Dr. Marlon Boarnet, a professor in UC Irvine's Dept. of Planning, Policy and Design, has based his research around that question and has some answers.

August 26 - YouTube

The Challenge of Creating a City from the Olympics

The success of the 2012 Olympics in London likely won't be evident until after the event, which is seeking to repurpose a down-and-out part of town into a new neighborhood.

August 26 - London Evening Standard

Lending Program Could Replace National Infrastructure Bank

Obama supports Boxer's 2-year transportation reauthorization bill over Mica's 6-year bill. However, both bills greatly increase funding for the Transportation Infrastructure and Innovative Finance Act.

August 25 - The Wall Street Journal

Squatting on the Rise in Detroit

With more than 100,000 empty homes within the city of Detroit, squatters are increasingly moving in.

August 25 - The Detroit News

Airport Redesign Brings New Park to Berlin

Plans are moving ahead to convert Berlin's Tempelhof airfield into the city's newest park.

August 25 - The Wall Street Journal

Boosting the Local Economy Through Local Food

Cities across the country are making efforts to encourage people to buy locally and support the local economy. Food is the main target for local boosters.

August 25 - Citiwire

FEATURE

BOOK REVIEW: For the Love of Cities

Urbanist Peter Kageyama's new book suggests that the "loveability" of a city as a factor in its success is greatly underappreciated. Mike Lydon has this review.

August 25 - Mike Lydon

Is There a Capital of the World?

<em>Intelligent Life</em> magazine asks what city would be the capital of the world.

August 25 - Intelligent Life

Drugs and Economic Success in El Paso

El Paso is seen as one of the more successful mid-sized cities in the U.S. But as this op-ed from <em>Domus</em> explores, the fuel behind that success is the drug trafficking that has plagued Mexico and its border with the U.S.

August 25 - domus

Bicycling Towards Recovery

Bike lanes and bike commuters are fueling a significant segment of the economy in Copenhagen. In Portland, a high amount of bike lanes could mean similar economic impacts.

August 25 - The Oregonian

Yacht Parking for Boat Race Takes Too Much from San Francisco

As San Francisco prepares to host the 2013 America's Cup regatta, plans to use parts of the city's scenic waterfront for spectators' yacht parking edge too far into the public realm, according to this piece from the <em>San Francisco Chronicle</em>.

August 25 - San Francisco Chronicle

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