The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Absurd Safety in Playgrounds Causing Accidents
Planner Sharon Danks says that as playgrounds become less challenging due to concerns over liability, kids invent their own, far more dangerous uses for the equipment.
How to Give Your Main Street a Facelift
Larisa Ortiz Pu-Folkes gives some tips for creating an effective facade inprovement program, focusing on making it easier for building owners and merchants to access and take advantage of the funds.
Smell Flowers, Not Smoke in New York Public Parks
The NY Times sent an investigative reporter to Bryant Park to test the new city regulation banning smoking in parks and finds non-smoking park-goers incredibly tolerant toward smoking violations while smokers appear compliant with the regulation.
Political Housing Evolution In San Francisco
Prompted by the May 24 approval by the Board of Supervisors of the massive redevelopment of the Parkmerced garden apartments, The Examiner looks at the city's evolution from protecting city character at all costs to a more urbanist approach.
Tug-of-War Between Preservation and Progress
Rem Koolhaas laments the expansion of historic preservation, saying that inevitably "We will preserve things before they are even finished."
Why All the Fuss About Bikes?
Kasey Klimes says that the hype around bicycles isn't just sustainability, or health. It's that bicycles connect people to their neighborhoods and their communities in a more meaningful way.
LEED-ND For The Layperson
The Natural Resources Defense Council has prepared a 44-page 'Citizen's Guide' to the green building principles contained in the LEED-Neighborhood Development rating system for the layperson and organizations to apply in their own neighborhoods.
TOD Grows Hesitantly Around New L.A. Station
L.A.'s newest light-rail station, at the current end-of-the-line off La Cienega, has attracted one new office building so far. The developer saw the future transit station as an amenity. Will others join him?
Fanciful Bike Storage Mounts on Tall Buildings
Design firm Manifesto Architecture is proposing a unique vertical bike storage system that can take advantage of underused, slim spaces like alleys. Another neat aspect: the rack is powered by a stationery bike.
The Town That Hugged New Urbanism
Sharon McMillan explains how her town - Unionville, Ontario - gave New Urbanism "a great big hug" back in the 1970s, and has benefited ever since.
New Study: Sprawl Is Bad for Marriage Sustainability
According to a recent study in Sweden, long distance commutes (characteristic of sprawling suburbs) put a major strain on personal relationships and increase the chances of marriage ending in divorce.
BRT Boom in U.S.
A new study says that Los Angeles, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Eugene and Pittsburgh are leading the surge with the best bus rapid transit (BRT) systems in the nation.
A Broader Look at Creativity in the World's Top Cities
Top livable cities may be be good for families or corporations, but they don't often fuel or enable creativity the way their listers think they do, according to this piece.
Friday Funny: How to Pick Up an Urban Planner
Cartoonist Emily says that urban planners are "some of the sexiest, smartest, wittiest individuals you'll ever meet," and offers these tips for sly pickup lines that can't miss with the planning crowd.
Mayor to Wal-Mart: Build More or Else
Washington, DC Mayor Vincent Gray isn't fighting the megaretailer like other cities have. In fact, he's demanding Wal-Mart build <em>more</em> stores than they have planned, or he's threatening to pull their permits.
Preparing for the Next Housing Boom
Richard Reep explains how developers, contractors, and even home-buyers in Florida contributed to the growth for growth's sake attitude which has left the Florida landscape littered with poorly built condos and plenty of lessons to be learned.
Britons are Driving Less
British cities report 9% fewer car trips per person and a 5% decline in distance traveled by car. That's because fewer young people are deciding to learn how to drive, says Prof. Phil Goodwin of the University of West of England.
D.C. Councilman Urges Higher Parking Permit Fees
Generally speaking, elected officials don't campaign for higher fees. However, in this op-ed, D.C. Councilman Tommy Wells draws a connections between higher residential parking fees, improved public transit, and better access to street paking.
Qatar Plans to Avoid White Elephants from 2022 World Cup
With plans to greatly reduce seating capacities and export an entire stadium, Qatar is hoping to reduce the negative long-term impact of its hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
New Zealand's Hillside Sign Idea Irks Hollywood
The city of Wellington, an emerging center for filmmaking in New Zealand, is considering a plans to build a hillside sign with the word "Wellywood" -- an homage to the famous "Hollywood" sign. Hollywood is not flattered.
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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.
