England

Friday Funny: Squirrelly Passenger Causes UK Train Cancellation
Planetizen’s Friday Funny stories are often satirical, but this nutty story from Reuters is 100 percent genuine.

England Begins Second Lockdown to Protect the National Health Service
The day after Election Day in America, the U.K. Parliament voted overwhelmingly to impose a 4-week lockdown in England to ensure that nation's prized healthcare system doesn't collapse due to treating mounting coronavirus infections.

Economic Stimulus in England: Speed Up Planning Approvals
To help jumpstart the economy in England, the country is taking the bureaucracy out of the planning process.

Op-Ed Pins Britain's Housing Crisis on its Green Belts
The green belts that hem in developed areas in Great Britain are set arbitrarily, according to this op-ed in The Guardian, and the boundaries have outlived their usefulness.

UK Election May Turn on Housing
While Brexit is the main focus of upcoming British elections, the skyrocketing cost of housing is also gaining attention.

Tesco Plans to Sell Air Rights For Housing Development Above Its Stores
To help its bottom line, struggling UK retailer Tesco is planning to open up its parking lots and the space above its stores for new housing development.
Why Can't My Zoning Create a Diversity of Places?
Struggling with zoning that thwarts the construction of new hamlets, villages, towns, and cities? Susan Henderson has a bit of place type inspiration from across the pond.

Save the Local: Neighbors in England Rally to Protect Their Pubs
With pubs across the country closing at an alarming rate, communities across England are using a recently adopted law to save their local pubs.

Friday Eye Candy: Historic London Visualized
Historic London collects panoramic views of modern London streets with historic photos transposed over them. Most of the views date from the first two decades of the 20th century.

Designing the Shadow-less Skyscraper
Architects at NBBJ in London have designed a building—two buildings rather—that work together to cancel out the shadows they cast.
English Town Prepares for Invasion of the Pod Cars
A fleet of 100 self-driving pod cars are set to appear on the streets of the English town of Milton Keynes by 2015.
How the U.S. Became a Unique "Nation of Homezoners”
Exceptionalism is a word often associated with the U.S., most often with foreign policy. Sonia Hirt of VPI argues that since its inception American zoning has also taken a unique form compared to European counterparts.
British Transport Secretary Admits Current Train Commute "Drives Me Bloody Crackers"
With increasing fares, delays and an "awful" service on Sundays, the British Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin isn't the only commuter unhappy with the service and admits that the expediency of HS2 was exaggerated.
Can Former APA Head Help Revive English Planning?
Mitchell Silver's passionate defense of planning has earned admirers in England, where "a deflated planning profession is on the defensive". Peter Hetherington looks at Silver's advice for how English planners can show their value to skeptics.
UK cities, mayoral powers, and "tall poppy syndrome"
This morning over at Atlantic Cities, Richard Florida aptly refuted an opinion piece by Kevin Meagher that appeared in the Guardian last week advocating for doing away with the position of Mayor in London. Florida lays out several strong arguments in favor of a strong elected mayor who can act as an advocate for his or her city.
Is the London Mayoralty Too Successful for England?
Kevin Meagher argues why the office of Mayor of London, "an astounding success" since its creation just 12 years ago, is bad for the rest of England, and should be abolished.
English Cities on the Rebound
Census results released last week offered some astonishing findings - each of England's big cities is growing, after shedding people only a decade ago. The Economist looks at the phenomenon and the factors that have contributed to the resurgence.
If You Build It Will They Come, On Bikes?
Eric Jaffe reports on a new study that aims to conclusively answer the question of whether bike paths and bike lanes actually promote more bike riders.
Planning Rule Change Worries Locals in England
Changes to the planning system in England have locals and environmental groups up in arms.
New Transit Systems of 2010
Garrett Bradford of TheCityFix reviews some of the most innovative and sustainable transit systems from around the globe that made their debut over the last twelve months.
Pagination
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research