Kansas
Kansas County Bows Out of Regional Planning Effort, Citing Federal Intrusion
Citing Agenda 21 fears, a Kansas county declines to join a $1.5 million, five-county planning effort, reports Deb Gruver.
Highly Anticipated Google Fiber Plan for Kansas City Unveiled
Calling it the "next phase of the Internet", Google announced the details of the roll out of its ultrahigh-speed Internet network this week, which will offer speeds 100 times faster than typical broadband connections to residents of Kansas City.
Friday Funny: The Best Bathroom in Kansas
With your indulgence, we'd like to inaugurate "Flush Fridays" by bringing you the latest entry in John Metcalfe's "Toilet Tuesdays" series. This week's deposit focused on Lucas, Kansas, the town in America "most proud of its public restrooms."
Branding Kansas City through Graphic Design
Sharon Gochenour explores the ways in which the evolution of graphic communications – from building signage to official logos – represent various aspects of Kansas City's identity.
Google Fiber Work Hung Up In Kansas City
With much fanfare, Kansas City was selected in 2011 as the launching site for Google's experimental fast fiber-optic network. Now, a dispute about how and where to run fiber optic lines on poles in the city is causing significant delays.
Architects Partner Up with Habitat for Humanity
Public Architecture, a San Francisco-based organization, and Habitat for Humanity have tapped a Kansas City Architecture firm to pilot green design concepts for the new houses. This project is just one of five nationwide.
Kansas City Businesses Invest in the Arts, Hoping to Stir Success
With little taxpayer investment, a dynamic Moshe Safdie-designed Center for the Performing Arts has arisen in Kansas City. Hampton Stevens says that the companies are betting on the power of the arts to attract investment and attention.
Momentum Builds Behind Kansas City Streetcar
Despite major resistance for an extended streetcar line, a shorter, 2-mile downtown light rail is quite popular. Supporters say there is a sense of "urgency" behind the project, which could be built as soon as 2015.
EPA Moves Regional Head Quarters to the Suburbs
The EPA is moving its regional headquarters from downtown Kansas City (Kansas) to a suburb 20 miles outside the city, a move which "could nearly triple transportation carbon emissions associated with the facility," according to Kaid Benfield.
Google to Transform Kansas City into Broadband Wonderland
Google announced that it had chosen Kansas City, Kansas as the launching site for an experimental fiber-optic network with speeds of up to 1 Gb per second.
Suburban Tax on Traffic
To help pay for transportation needs, a Kansas City suburb approved a "driveway" tax based on the amount of traffic a property is expected to generate.
Car-Dependent Kansas City
Urban Land Institute president Patrick L. Phillips says his hometown of Kansas City needs to mend its car-centric infrastructure and encourage denser growth in the suburbs.
A New National Park for Kansas?
Kansas senatorial candidate Charles Schollenberger calls for the creation of a Great Plains National Park on low-production farmland in order to attract tourism to support suffering local economies.
Air Conditioning and Community
A new book looks at the environmental, energy, and social consequences of keeping cool by using air conditioners. In this 4-minute public radio interview, author Stan Cox explains how to keep cool, just in time for the East Coast heat wave.
Urban Farming Great for Refugees
A Catholic charity in Kansas City got a lot of requests from the immigrants they were assisting from Africa and Asia for a place to plant vegetables. The resulting hybrid of community farm/microbusiness is flourishing.
What The Middle Of America Looks Like
Lebanon, Kansas is the true middle of the contiguous United States. Photographer J. Bennett Fitts is documenting this Middle America, a town that has lost a lot of population over the years.
Small Towns Shoot For 50,000 in This Year's Census
For small towns, the 50,000 population mark is a sought after goal. That amount makes it easier for towns to qualify for certain federal funding, which is why the small town of Salina, Kansas is trying to make sure its residents fill out the Census.
A Spokesman for Urbanity
A profile of Kevin Klinkenberg, Kansas City urban planner and architect, talking about his love for the city and the work he's done to make it a better place.
Reborn Green
The New York Times takes a look at Greensburg, Kansas, the tornado-ravaged town that rebuilt itself to high environmental standards.
Kansas' 'Green Impact Zone'
Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrion, Jr. visited Kansas City on Tuesday to visit the site of the city's new "Green Impact Zone". The inner-city Zone will be a laboratory for energy-saving techniques.
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
