The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Investigation Uncovers String of HUD Failures

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has supported roughly 700 affordable housing projects around the country that have never been completed, some stalling out for over a decade.

May 16 - The Infrastructurist

New York's Unique Storefronts

How to Be A Retronaut features a smattering of photos of New York's unique storefronts, taken by photographers James and Karla Murray. Since the book's release, about a third of the stores have faded from existence.

May 16 - How to Be a Retronaut

D.C. Transit Data Now Available on Google Maps

Google announces the addition of D.C.'s Metro and bus routes to their online and mobile maps, including connections to other commuter transit systems.

May 16 - TheCityFix.com

Downtown Winnipeg's Comeback

Once the site of neglected and abandoned buildings, Winnipeg's downtown is now seeing a host of construction and renovation projects, thanks to its redevelopment corporation, new incentives, a mixed use zoning bylaw -- and a change in perceptions.

May 16 - Globe and Mail

Changes in America's Racial Composition

Race and ethnic groups have seen major shifts from the 1990s to today, according to this report from the Brookings Institution.

May 16 - Brookings Institution


FEATURE

Gandhinagar Endangered: A Capital's Plan Dismantled

Prakash M Apte, a planner in India, brings us this in-depth and fascinating look at the history of town planning in Gandhinagar, which was developed with an "egalitarian ethos," says Apte, but now it is at risk of becoming "just another suburb."

May 16 - Prakash M Apte

A 'Gold Rush' in the Wires

Copper demand is on the rise all over the planet. As this post from <em>InfraNet Lab</em> points out, the U.S. has rich deposits -- in its telephone networks.

May 16 - InfraNet Lab


Making Good Design a National Priority

A growing number of nations are instituting design standards and architecture policies to help make good design a part of the national strategy.

May 16 - Architect

Hong Kong's Unique and Vibrant Retail

Retail shopping in Hong Kong is a diverse experience of density, hidden storefronts and extreme visual stimulation, as this tour of the city's shopping areas shows.

May 16 - Metropolis

Architect/Planner-Turned-Councilman Offers Thoughts on City's Future

An architect takes a seat on the Wet Hollywood City Council, and offers his thoughts on density and parking in the city and where things went wrong.

May 16 - Architect

The Spectre of Death and Speeding

New speed limit signs will alert drivers that they are going to fast by showing them an image of a skeleton -- an image intended to warn drivers that their speeding could kill.

May 16 - Transportation Nation

Translating New York City to 1920s Small Town America

In the 1920s, when the concept of a big city like New York was still new to many Americans, one newspaper columnist brought the city to small town America.

May 15 - Smithsonian

Houston Roadway Would Fuel Growth, Harm Migratory Birds

Plans to build a parkway around Houston will help ease traffic and spur growth in the region, but it will also run right through a key stopover point for millions of migrating birds.

May 15 - Next American City

Population Plummets in Rural Germany

Rural areas in Germany are seeing major declines in population. Some worry that these declining villages and towns are being left by the wayside as the nation heads towards urban centers.

May 15 - Der Spiegel

Local Rebuilding Efforts Underpin New Orleans' Recovery

The recovery of New Orleans is happening in many small ways. One of them is the work of community groups to rebuild and re-inhabit damaged homes.

May 15 - NRDC Switchboard

Family Structure Shifts in New York City

Family makeup is changing in New York City, where unmarried partners are on the rise and households with children are on the decline.

May 15 - The New York Times

Architecture Projects with a Regional Mindframe

An increasing amount of architecture projects in the U.S. are taking regional concerns like water and energy production into consideration.

May 14 - Architect

Overflow Plant Aims to Reduce Sewage Contamination

A new sewage plant has opened in New York that hopes to reduce the amount of sewage overflow when storms overwhelm the city's combined sewage and stormwater system.

May 14 - The New York Times

Floating Walkway Planned for London Olympics

Officials in London are considering a plan to build a 1-kilometer floating walkway on the Thames River in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

May 14 - BBC

NYC Streets Transformation a Cause for Celebration

A number of articles have recently been written criticizing New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan for dramatically changing the city's mobility. This column from <em>Metropolis</em> says that criticism is misdirected.

May 14 - Metropolis

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

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A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.