The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Environmental Justice Advocates Deal Major Setback To AB 32
Environmental justice advocates have been able to do in court what oil companies unsuccessfully attempted at the polls in November: deal a severe blow, if only temporarily, to CA's landmark climate law AB 32 by challenging the cap & trade provision.
Detroit Census Confirms Unprecedented Desertion
Detroit's population plunged by 25% over the last decade, according to census figures - the largest decline of any major city in American history.
New York's Zoning Needs An Update
On the 50th Anniversary of New York City's 1961 Zoning Resolution, President of the Municipal Art Society of New York Vin Cipolla argues that New York "needs a new zoning resolution for a new era."
Making Retail Work in TODs
Built around a BART station in 1999, Oakland, California's Fruitvale Village has had a tough time keeping its retail space alive (as have many TODs). The property managers have learned some lessons over the years about how to overcome the challenges.
FHWA Approves Contraflow Bike Lanes
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) confirmed contraflow bike lanes with proper signage and pavement markings as permissible under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
More Techno-Travelers on Transit - Unless It's Crowded
The Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development made over 16,000 observations of portable tech usage on airplains, trains, and buses. Their findings show that there is a increase of tech use on transit, but usage is reliant on users having space.
Interactive Map Tracks Growth of Manhattan Grid
This interactive map from <em>The New York Times</em> overlays historic maps with modern-day maps of the city, and shows how the city and its street grid has developed.
Traffic Plan Offers Potential for Downtown Cleveland
Traffic plans for a new casino in downtown Cleveland could create a major improvement for the neighborhood -- or an indelible sore spot.
London Approves Aerial Tram Over River
An aerial gondola system will be built over the Thames River in London ahead of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Physically Modeling and Understanding Floods in the U.S.
Despite efforts to stop them, floods hammered the U.S. in the early 20th century. A now abandoned model of the Mississippi river, its tributaries and surrounding lands was built to better understand how to combat those floods.
NPR Reports On Freeway Conversion Movement
WCPN reporter interviews a commuter who is annoyed by a plan to make her commute longer - but it becomes clear that the suburbanite's faster commute is at the expense of an urban neighborhood.
Bike Plan Foresees Vastly Different Los Angeles
The recent adoption of a citywide bicycle plan in Los Angeles could bring about broad changes to the city's physical environment.
The "Socialist Developer"
Greg O'Connell has been called that, for his community-developing strategies that helped transform Red Hook. His new target: the small town of Mount Morris in upstate New York.
New York City's Grid Turns 200
The street grid of New York City was born 200 years ago in an early map of the city.
Municipal Bond Defaults Unlikely
Many voices have raised concerns over municipalities defaulting on bonds during these tough economic times. But as this op-ed argues, those concerns are misguided.
Cities See Mixed Returns on Spring Training Investments
While some cities in Florida have shelled out big money to build baseball stadia for professional teams' spring training, many of those teams are moving their spring programs to other cities, raising concerns about the wisdom of those investments.
Hamburg Considers Sky Tram
Officials in Hamburg, Germany are considering a plan to build an aerial tram connecting two of the city's popular neighborhoods.
Redevelopment on its Deathbed
As lawmakers in California wrangle over the state's budget, redevelopment agencies appear to be days away from being killed.
Regional Planning Begins To Meet CA's Stricter Emissions Standards
Two Bay Area planning agencies have jointly released what they call their "Initial Vision Scenario", a first step in implementing the Sustainable Community Strategy required by state law (SB 375, 2008) to reduce climate emissions from transportation.
Bus Standards Changed for Heavier Americans
The Federal Transit Authority (FTA) has been making decisions for years about transit capacity using weight standards from 1962. The FTA is proposing to update the average American from 150 to 175 pounds to better reflect reality.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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Harvard GSD Executive Education
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
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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.
