The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Fighting global warming could be as simple as a paint job -- a global, sun-reflecting, white-wash paint job, according to scientist Hashem Akbari.

January 28 - Guardian

New statistics show that the province of Manitoba throws out more, recycles less and conserves less water than any other province in Canada.

January 28 - The Globe and Mail

A Home Depot Expo in Charlotte, NC, is closing. Mary Newsom explains that the real problem with big boxes like this is that they don't make sense over time.

January 28 - The Naked City

It's not Blue vs. Red, but Green vs. Brown when it comes to energy policy debates on Capitol Hill.

January 28 - The New York Times

The Alaskan government has announced plans to build wind turbines in six small villages along the state's windy western coast. Locals applaud the investment.

January 28 - Anchorage Daily News

DeLuca Homes planned to build condos in Bucks County, PA- until the bottom fell out of the market. Now they're one of many developers cutting deals with governments to create open space.

January 28 - Center for Public Integrity

According to sources in Europe, the Obama Administration has sought advice from European Union officials about emulating the EU's infrastructure bank.

January 28 - The Independent

When a Somali population moved into a dying city in Maine, the benefits of the "new injection of energy" they brought with them has been clear ever since--particularly eonomic growth.

January 28 - Newsweek

The Budget tabled by Canada's Conservative government doles out billions of dollars for infrastructure and housing, but it comes with a proviso: the Provinces and municipalities have to ante up billions as well.

January 28 - The Globe and Mail

Many commuters still find buses, trains, and subways to be more cost-effective than driving. However, mass transit funds are drying up, and increased fees and decreased service may deter riders from sticking to mass transit.

January 28 - Los Angeles Times

This piece from <em>Preservation</em> magazine looks at how historic districts in Portland fall short in preventing incompatible uses.

January 27 - Preservation

With the fate of Canada's conservative government at stake, details are leaking regarding the proposed federal budget, including billions of dollars in new infrastructure spending.

January 27 - The Globe and Mail

The telecommunications industry is pressuring Congress to add language to upcoming bill that would preempt local zoning authority if they 'take too long' to approve cell phone towers or sites.

January 27 - Anvil Partners blog

"Level of service" is a ranking used by transportation engineers to assess the performance of roads. Streetsblog argues that LOS distorts the development of mobility infrastructure by prioritizing cars over people.

January 27 - StreetsBlog-SF

Too important to fail? Victorville and Norco, CA have approved loans to local car dealers to keep them afloat.

January 27 - The Wall St. Journal

Rockrose Development Corporation in New York sees itself as in the business of creating community in its buildings. But some tenants have found that if you're critical of Rockrose, you might find yourself on the street.

January 27 - The New York Times

When Sony was preparing to build a virtual meeting space for Playstation 3 users, they took the unusual step of hiring a real-world architect, Kenji Ikemoto.

January 27 - Business Week

Columnist Blair Kamin says that the Obama presidency puts a nail in the coffin of starchitecture, and introduces an age of sustainable buildings and an emphasis on infrastructure.

January 27 - Chicago Tribune

A proposal for a comprehensive green stimulus plan, backed by a powerful group of environmentalists, unions, and associations, was submitted to Canada's Prime Minister Harper last week.

January 27 - The Tyee

In a move that will disappoint auto manufacturers and labor but was met with great applause by the environmental community, Obama has taken the first step to granting CA's request for a waiver so it can set its own, stricter emission standards.

January 27 - CNN Politics