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Shopping: An ‘Obnoxious Industrial Activity’?
<p> </p> <p> As James Howard Kunstler points out in <em>Home From Nowhere</em>, one of the tragedies of single-use zoning is that it branded shopping as an “obnoxious industrial activity that must be kept separate from houses”. Ironically, the places where most Americans shop today come pretty close to “obnoxious” and “industrial”.
School Sprawl
The American Academy of Pediatrics has released a new report focusing on the effect of the built environment on children's health. Access to parks, the ability to walk to school, and opportunities for 'incidental exercise.'
Master Planning Underway for Early LEED-ND Project
A 212-acre urban infill project in Yakima, Washington will be one of the first communities to be planned according to developing LEED-ND (Neighborhood Development) principles.
Detroit Could Become Countryside, Planners Say
A team of visiting planners suggested that Detroit could evolve into a series of urban villages connected by countryside.
Massive Redevelopment In The Works In St. Louis
Developer Paul McKee has secretly assembled 500 acres of land in north St. Louis, and recently unveiled a plan that includes 4 and a half million sq. ft. of new office and retail and 10,000 new homes.
Green Developments Getting Green Light
Developers are finding it easier to get funding for sustainable building projects due to federal incentives and investor interest in green certification.
Friday Funny: Planner Breaks Into Song
Pine Lake, Georgia City Council Member Melanie Hammet finds songwriting inspiration in the issues of land use planning.
California Housing Market Looking Rosier
The median home price in California notched up 1.4% in April from the previous month, prompting some to announce the market has bottomed out and is recovering.
California Cities Object To Greenhouse Gas Law
California's SB 375 attempts to require cities to develop in a way that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. But some cities say the new law is misguided, and the state should focus on zero-emission vehicles instead.
Is Smart Growth Successful?
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy has undertaken the first significant study to find out if state smart growth policies are achieving their stated goals.
The Story of the High Line
The Sundance Channel has produced a series of short films profiling the landscape architects, officials, activists, writers, and Ethan Hawke and Kevin Bacon about how the High Line park came to be.
Smart Meters Will Save The World
Columnist Stephen Cunningham of the BBC believes that technology like smart meters in homes will provide the necessary reduction in CO2 to reduce global warming.
AASHTO Releases A National Rail Vision
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has released a report, "Achieving the Vision: Intercity Passenger Rail" to guide investment of the $8 billion Recovery Act and future funding on passenger and freight rail.
Did "Fake" Construction Photos Dupe Dubai Investors?
Hundreds of Dubai property investors may have been misled by photos showing half-finished adjacent towers, rather than the buildings they had invested in -- which don't yet exist.
Getting Buy-In On A New Urbanist Vision
Alamo Heights, a suburb of San Antonio, grapples with whether to adopt a "New Urbanist" (but slightly more traditional) approach to its major thoroughfare to improve pedestrian and bicycle access.
Nashville Mayor Seeks Regional Transit
Mayor Karl Dean of Nashville, TN spoke yesterday about his belief that the area needs a regional transit system, and now. Said Dean, "We need to be bold, not afraid and push forward fast."
U.S. Towns Facing Disincorporation
Small towns like Mesa, WA and larger ones like Vallejo, CA may be forced to dissolve in light of their worsening finances. Local counties will need to absorb residents.
An "Urban Presidency"?
While Mike Madden finds President Obama's approach to America's cities is a vast improvement over that of the Bush administration, he wonders why it has yet to deliver on its promise.
Class Project Gains Legs
A proposal authored by Stanford students for a class to create a pedestrian-only zone near campus has gotten the attention of business owners and the community.
Fixing America's 'Food Deserts'
Time Magazine looks at the problem of 'food deserts' in America- usually low-income communities that groceries have spurned, leaving only fast food and bodegas to fill the bill.
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