The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Two-Year Transportation Reauthorization Bill To Be Introduced In July
The Senate Environment & Public Works Committee is set to introduce a $97 billion, two-year transportation bill after the July 4 recess that will have a deficit of $12 billion. The House is said to be working on a six-year bill.
FEMA Trailers 2.0
A Japanese company has released a self-sustaining, solar-powered emergency structure to rival all others. Once set up, it can run on its own off the grid for an entire month.
FEATURE
Beyond Safety in Numbers: Why Bike Friendly Cities are Safer
Studies often show that bicyclists find "safety in numbers." Norman Garrick and Wes Marshall explain that the street design strategies that attract bike riders are the same ones that improve road safety for all road users.
Clean-Fuel Zone Widened Per Navy's Request
Known for its puritanical environmental laws, California's shipping pollution standards just got tougher. The California Air Resource Board voted unanimously to expand the 2009 clean-fuel zone, which mandates ships to use less-polluting fuels.
China's Thames Town Stands Empty
Forget Disneyland, Shanghai - China has already built a series of themed lands, each themed after a different European community. Problem is they are terrible flops. Thames Town, strangely themed after an Austrian village, is deserted.
A New Kind of Community Garden
It's common for community gardens today to be so popular there is a waiting list to get in, and the system favors those new to the neighborhood. A pair of farmers has set out to change all that.
Transportation Reauthorization Bill Coming in July
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is set to introduce a $97 billion, two-year transportation bill after the July 4 recess. The bill will add another $12 billion to the deficit.
European Cities are Driven to Become "Walkers' Paradises"
If you can't fix the players then by all means fix the game. This appears to be the strategy that many European cities, including Zurich, have employed to reduce the use of single-occupancy vehicles.
Maui Gets New Planning Director
Will Spence has been named the new director of the Maui County Dept. of Planning. Spence says one of his goals is to change how the department interacts with the public.
Obama Taps Into Strategic Oil Reserve
With the flow of Libyan oil at a stalemate, the President ordered the release of 60 million barrels over the next 30 days to keep the world supply stable and gas prices from increasing.
The New Yorker's Dizzy Love of the Suburbs
Nicholas Lehmann wrote a review earlier this week wrapping up all of the latest planning books like Ed Glaeser's Triumph of the City into one hodgepodge critique that boiled down to a defense of the suburbs.
New Research: Do Americans Really Oppose Increasing The Gas Tax?
Politicians say it all the time - "Americans will never stand for a gas tax increase", but how do they know? A survey of 1,500 adults under the direction of Mineta Transportation Institute found otherwise. A VMT fee and sales tax was also surveyed.
Basra to Baghdad in 2 Hours
A preliminary deal has been signed to construct a high-speed rail linking Baghdad to a southeastern city Basra.
Kunstler Predicts the Future Lies in Small Cities
Some suburbs will be successful smaller towns, while others will become ruins, predicts James Howard Kunstler. Unlike other urbanists though, Kunstler thinks big cities are in trouble when cheap energy disappears.
In D.C., Bike Sharing Is A Hit
Channeling the Vélib bicycle rental system in Paris, the Capital Bikeshare program proves to be an unprecedented success in the States. Cities like Denver, Minneapolis, and NYC are starting to emulate.
Top 10 States With Highest Growth Potential
Citing data from the Chamber of Commerce, <em>The Atlantic</em> releases its top picks based on their capacity for growth and innovation. Alaska, North Dakota, and Wyoming come out on top.
Finally, New and Improved Pentagon 2.0
The Pentagon, previously called the War Department Building, took a mere 17 months to construct in 1941. The building's recent renovation took considerably longer: 17 years and $4.5 billion, to be exact.
Urbanism and Kids
Scott Doyon, a parent and an urbanist, argues that the suburban model isn't doing kids any favors. But, he says, designing urban areas that are kid-friendly is still a challenge.
The True Cost of Solar Power
By the numbers, solar energy comes with a hefty price tag in comparison to other sources. But energy experts claim that the overall value to society offsets the initial high production cost.
Cab's Eye View of L.A.
When other musicians opt to romanticize L.A. with images of Hollywood and Malibu mansions, pop band Death Cab for Cutie captures the opposite in the music video for their new single, "Home Is A Fire."
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