Connecticut
Rusty "Home of Tomorrow" Up for Preservation
A prefab steel home built in 1933 on the campus of Connecticut College as a futuristic "home of tomorrow". Today, although covered in rust, it is still standing and being prepped for historic preservation.
From Waste Site to Walkable Village
Developers in Windsor, Connecticut are transforming a brownfield site into a $1 billion housing project, in the core of its corporate office center.
$417 Million To Fund Highway Projects
Last week, the Federal Highway Administration awarded discretionary highway grants in what could be among the last expenditures before the Sept. 30 expiration of the gas tax. Included were $8m for Value Pricing Pilot Program projects in 5 states.
More Urban Highways Seeing Demise
Cities across the country are beginning to realize the mistakes they made years ago dividing their downtowns with urban highways. The city of New Haven has decided to do something about it.
Federal Transportation Funds For Highway Removal?
The second round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) funds were announced Oct. 20. Awards amounting to $600 million will go to 75 projects, including three highway teardowns.
A Loopy Idea?
It's needed, it's not that expensive, and it's doable. But there's one little problem in New Haven's new streetcar plan.
LeylandAlliance and Educational Realty Trust Sign Deal
Overall, this $220 million project will be "one of the most ambitious public/private initiatives" in Connecticut.
Much Despised Building Finally Comes Down
In Hartford, Connecticut, a former department store that locals call "butt-ugly" is being demolished. Delays in its destruction had come to symbolize all that is wrong with Hartford politics, says Josh Goodman of Governing.
Commuter RR To 'Double-Deck' To Increase Capacity
More capacity for the same cost is the case with double-decker commuter cars -- if they can fit into tunnels, that is. Bi-level train were once more common in the commuter trains serving NYC. However, these cars can have their own disadvantages.
Bar Cars May Be Back
As reported earlier this year on Planetizen, the bar cars on Metro-North Railroad's Connecticut trains: train cars were hitting retirement age, and it looked like no replacements were coming for the pubs on wheels. But wait- there's hope yet!
Turning Downtown into Suburbia – The Case of Hartford, Connecticut
When we think of sprawl, we usually picture suburban life. But inner cities also took on the character of sprawl when freeways came in and were buildings torn down, say Christopher T. McCahill and Norman Garrick.
See, Click, Fix, News
This article looks at how a Connecticut journalist used the online nuisance reporting tool SeeClickFix to get locals involved in his newspaper's newsgathering and storytelling.
New London's Big Gamble and Big Loss
New London, Connecticut was dealt a major blow when pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced plans to pack up and leave the heavily city-subsidized building New London had lured the company with. Bill Fulton looks at the impact of the move.
Inspiration for Kelo Case Leaves Town
Drugmaker Pfizer has announced plans to move offices and 1,400 employees out of New London, Connecticut, where it had ignited a heated debate over eminent domain that spawned the landmark Kelo v. New London Supreme Court case. Locals are not happy.
New London, Four Years After Kelo
The 2005 Supreme Court decision on Kelo v. New London was a landmark in eminent domain law, paving the way for Pfizer to develop there. Four years later, Pfizer is pulling up stakes.
Anti-Hasidism or Preservation?
Chabad Lubavitch of Connecticut has filed suit against the Historic District Commission for denying its application to develop a property there into a center. The Commission said it would consider a revised plan, but Chabad says it's anti-Hasidism.
Towns Take More Control Over Affordable Housing Development
Instead of waiting for developers to come into town with plans for affordable housing, some Connecticut towns are taking advantage of a statewide grant program that helps establish zones for high density and affordable housing.
Suburban Banks More Inviting....To Robbers
In an odd twist of the urban vs. suburban debate, here's an interesting nuance - bank robbers are finding the open atmosphere of suburban banks to be more appealing than the bulletproof glass-protected tellers that one often sees in busy urban areas.
Greenwich Bans Clotheslines in Public Housing
Greenwich cites concerns over aesthetics and liability.
Outdated Zoning Stymies Development
Stamford, Connecticut's Downtown Special Services District knew that their zoning was causing needless delays and roadblocks to development. They hired the Regional Plan Association to do something about it.
Pagination
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.
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