The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
BLOG POST
“Who Am I?” And Other Very Practical Questions
<p> From the first day of the semester, I could tell my Urban Design Methods course was going to be different from the others I've taken in planning school so far. </p> <p> “Call me at home. I’m up till midnight,” the professor told us. <em>I’m</em> not up till midnight. </p> <p> He asks us questions like, “What is your design identity?” “What three adjectives describe you as a designer?” “Who <em>are</em> you?” It makes grad school feel kind of like therapy. Really, really expensive therapy. </p>
Mayors Warned by Obama to Spend Wisely
President Obama warns America's mayors not to spend the stimulus dollars carelessly or on politically-motivated projects. [Includes video]
BLOG POST
Walkability and the City Beauty Quotient
There's no shortage of writing and conjecture on New York City when it comes to urban and city issues. But one subject that has been neglected in the urban academic discourse is the city's incredible concentration of beautiful women.<br /> <br /> It's amazing. It's like you can't avoid them, not that you'd want to. Walking down the street in New York City is like walking down a fashion runway. With cross traffic. And no security guards trying to tackle you.<br />
No Plans For Federal VMT Tax Switch
Amid talk by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood of converting the gas tax into a vehicle miles traveled tax, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs stated that the plan "will not be the policy of the Obama administration."
Water: Think Globally, Act Locally
The world is facing a water crisis, and existing development and management practices are only making it worse. This interview with water expert Peter Gleick looks at what's being done wrong and how it can be done right.
Defining The Neighborhood Through Mapping
In an effort to get a more precise look at the city and its distinct neighborhoods, the <em>Los Angeles Times</em> is starting a collaborative mapping project to set clear and adaptable boundaries for L.A.'s neighborhoods.
Top 10 Cities for Economic Upheaval
Forbes releases its first ever list of "America's Fastest-Changing Cities", documenting the cities that have undergone the most drastic economic shifts.
Rethinking Vegas
The Las Vegas Weekly pulls together a panel of the city's leading urban thinkers to discuss the future of development in Las Vegas, now that the downturn has brought many projects to a standstill.
Urban Design Principles for LA
In 2006, the Los Angeles Planning Dept. launched an urban design studio to turn Los Angeles into a more pedestrian-friendly city. The studio has gone on to create a set of walkability guidelines, and has more ambitious goals ahead.
Preserving the American West
Over half of the land in the American West is publicly owned. Policy over the last century has tended towards allowing the extraction of natural resources, but it may be time for a shift into preservation.
Seattle TOD Bill Needs Work, Critics Say
An ambitious bill encouraging dense, transit-oriented development in the Seattle area has drawn negative responses from residents who criticize its "one-size-fits-all" approach.
Too Many Cars, Not Enough Driveways in Austin
A suburban city near Austin tried to beautify with a parking ordinance, but city leaders are rethinking it.
Was the WPA Shovel-Ready?
William Menking compares the WPA with the current stimulus package and finds many parallels, including an emphasis on shovel-ready projects and a lack of trust in the federal government to plan large-scale infrastructure.
Building a Sustainable Suburb
In Rohnert Park, CA, developers are turning a former industrial site into a green community that is almost completely energy independent. But can a project like this fit into an auto-oriented suburb?
Obama Eyes Infrastructure Bank
In a recent interview with newspaper columnists, President Barack Obama spent some time discussing the idea of a national infrastructure bank and the chances of one taking shape.
Stimulating The Economy- and Greenhouse Gases
In this NPR interview, Michael Replogle, Environmental Defense Fund's transportation director, points to a 12-lane highway that will be built with stimulus funds that he says exacerbates our dependence on foreign oil and global warming.
$8 Billion for High Speed Rail? How Did That Happen?
What were the inside politics that allowed for the largest investment in high speed rail in the U.S? Politico reports on the Obama-Emanuel workings of the rail investment in the stimulus package - and no, it wasn't based on the LA to Las Vegas route.
Details from FTA on Stimulus Money for Transit
The Federal Transit Administration has released its preliminary calculations of how much each of the nation’s transit systems will receive from the overall stimulus bill.
BLOG POST
Who Watches the Planners?
<span>In her 1998 book <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Towards-Cosmopolis-Planning-Multicultural-Cities/dp/0471971987/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235094976&sr=1-1"><em>Towards Cosmopolis</em></a>, Leonie Sandercock deconstructs what she calls the “heroic” story of planning history as found in leading texts. These mainstream histories, she says, may champion various (male) heroes such as Ebenezer Howard, Patrick Geddes or Daniel Burnham, but the real hero, she observes, is the planning profession itself.
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.
