The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Vancouver's Sustainable Olympic Village
With goals of LEED-certification and plans for reuse after the games, Vancouver's Olympic Village is being called a model for event-based sustainability.
The Most Bicycle-Friendly Cities
The League of American Bicyclists has released their Spring 2009 list of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the U.S. Davis, CA is one of only three cities given Platinum status, along with Portland, OR and Boulder, CO.
Car Factory Revives Georgia City
West Point, Georgia began to decline when the textile industry moved out. Now, it's experiencing a renaissance as a new car factory moves into town, bringing 20,000 jobs by 2014.
Concept Trains from the Retro-Future
WebUrbanist gathers an extensive assortment of fantastic, futuristic, pseudo-scientific train designs, including a steamship that rolls out of the ocean on tracks.
Privatized Town Going Public
A Georgia town that had outsourced its municipal services to a private company is ending its contract, citing budgetary restraints.
At Long Last, A Park on the Passaic?
A park proposed for Newark's Passaic River waterfront has been an unfulfilled vision for at least a decade. But city officials say the Trust for Public Land will help radically speed up plans for a park.
Bay Area HOT Lanes: Will They Work?
An 800-mile HOT lane 'network' proposed for the Bay Area is now a bill in the state legislature. The MPO estimates it will reduce congestion and emissions while raising funds for transit. U.C. Berkeley's Pravin Varaiya insists it will lose money.
Dubai's Migrant Construction Workers Bear Brunt of Downturn
The economic downturn is hurting Dubai, as glitzy skyscraper projects come to a halt. But the biggest pain is being felt among the hundreds of thousands of migrant construction workers who came to the city seeking their fortunes.
Vancouver Reverses Course, Limits Condos
In a policy shift, the Vancouver City Council voted to limit the number of new condos being built downtown in order to preserve room for office space.
Bend it Like Concrete
Advances in material development have brought to the market a new type of concrete that can bend under pressure and heal cracks with the addition of water.
Barbara Boxer Key Figure in Transportation Act
Boxer is chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which is responsible for writing much of the language in the bill. Progressives are concerned that she won't deliver on their agenda of reform.
California Population Growth Continues To Slow
California's population growth slowed to 1.1% according to the state Dept. of Finance, down from 1.3% last year. Current population is 38.3 million. The LA Times looks at southern CA growth while the SF Chronicle reports on Bay Area growth.
The Future Office: Flexible, and Collaborative
Once the economy bounces back, new office space development will allow for time-sharing and flexibility, said experts at a recent forum hosted by ULI.
Mapping the Catacombs
A new mapping project is creating a comprehensive 3D image of the catacombs beneath Rome.
BLOG POST
Congestion, Pollution and Freeways
<img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Owner/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.jpg" />A common argument in favor of building sprawl-generating roads and highways is that if we just pave over enough of the United States, we can actually reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by reducing congestion. For example, a Reason Foundation press release cited a report by two University of California/Riverside engineering professors, “Real-World CO2 Impact of Traffic Congestion” (available online at http://www.cert.ucr.edu/research/pubs/TRB-08-2860-revised.pdf ). But if you read the report carefully, its policy impact is a bit more ambiguous.<br />
Americans Driving Less- Temporary, or Permanent?
Nate Silver, the baseball stats guy turned election predictor, takes a look at the statistics showing that Americans are driving less.
Comparing the Fates of Two Exurbs
Reporter Ben Adler travels to Leesburg, VA without a car and reports on the difficulties he experiences getting around. In comparison, Ben walks with ease around Kentlands, a New Urbanist development in Maryland.
The Emptiest Neighborhoods in America
A neighborhood in Buffalo, N.Y. is one of the emptiest in the U.S., according to a new analysis of the census from the Associated Press. About 1 out of every 3 homes is vacant.
Quirky Bus Stops Across the World
This slide show includes pictures of unorthodox bus stops all over the world, including Yellowstone National Park, Estonia, Japan and Brazil.
Looking Under LaHood
The New York Times asks the question Planetizen readers have been asking for months: Who is this Ray LaHood, and how did he become the choice for Secretary of Transportation?
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
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.
