The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Nate Silver, the baseball stats guy turned election predictor, takes a look at the statistics showing that Americans are driving less.

May 6 - Esquire

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.

May 6 - The American Prospect

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.

May 6 - Newsday

This slide show includes pictures of unorthodox bus stops all over the world, including Yellowstone National Park, Estonia, Japan and Brazil.

May 6 - Toxel.com

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?

May 6 - The New York Times

Levels of lithium in the municipal water of Oita prefecture in Japan have been linked to lower rates of suicide, according to a new study.

May 6 - BBC

Community participation is on the rise, and many sociologists think it's related to the recession.

May 6 - The Seattle Times

London Mayor Boris Johnson has revived old plans to build a new bridge across the Thames River, complete with habitable structures and shops.

May 6 - Evening Standard

The recession digs into Dubai, where property prices fell 41% in the first three months of 2009.

May 6 - BBC

A stalled housing development in a Los Angeles exurb meets the wrecking ball as completing the development became too unaffordable.

May 6 - Los Angeles Times

The Urban Land Institute's recent report on infrastructure finds fault with the government's lack of planning and vision in regards to infrastructure. 'It's a stupid way to run a country,' says ULI V.P. Maureen MacAvey.

May 5 - Architect Magazine

Japan's four major highway operators will drastically lower their tolls, thanks to a generous government economic stimulus package aimed to encourage motoring during the major holidays. The operators are preparing for the enormous traffic jams.

May 5 - Bloomberg.com

Cities struck by the foreclosure crisis are implementing a number of measures to help prevent foreclosures and stabilize neighborhoods already racked by vacancies.

May 5 - The Planning Report

<em>Grist</em> lists the top 15 green-leaning mayors in America.

May 5 - Grist

This segment form Oregon Public Broadcasting looks at the rise of wind farms in rural Oregon.

May 5 - Oregon Public Broadcasting

A documentary focusing on Portland's urban growth boundary begins airing this month on public television stations across the country. It includes interviews with proponents on all sides of the smart growth issue.

May 5 - PR Web

The stimulus package is jump-starting smart grid projects, says Jay Birnbaum, Senior Vice President of CURRENT Group.

May 5 - Focus Washington

Richard Florida compares the Obama administration's suggest HSR corridors to the mega-regions they will serve and likes what he sees.

May 5 - The Atlantic

Art 'on the scale of architecture' is cropping up in Los Angeles, enticing passing drivers out of their cars and onto the street. Chris Burden's 'Urban Light' installation at LACMA is a notable example.

May 5 - The New York Times

In terms of global urban livability, American cities are not so hot. The highest ranking city, Honolulu, comes in at 29 in the results of the Worldwide Quality of Living Survey.

May 5 - The Independent