New York

Couple Exploits Broken Transit Ticket Machine for $800k

In the wake of a recent scandal with MIT students hacking the subway comes a story of a Long Island couple who stumbled into a glitch in a ticket machine and exploited it for $800,000 in free tickets.

August 13, 2008 - Newsday

NYC Planning Director Walks the East Side with a Tape Measure

New York City planning chief Burden took the Daily News on one of her many walks. She showed how zoning can work to preserve the way of life on the storied Lower East Side and East Village, where she has worked diligently with the community on a plan to encourage affordable housing, ignite positive reinvestment, and prevent out-of-character high structures from impacting the neighborhood again.

August 12, 2008 - The NY Daily News

Renzo Piano Thumbs Nose at LEED

The new NY Times Building designed by Renzo Piano snubbed LEED certification to find a different path to sustainability. Writer William Bostwick reflects on the LEED checklist and why the system is broken.

August 9, 2008 - GOOD Magazine

Car-Free Days Planned for New York

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced plans for car-free days on a nearly 7-mile section of road in Manhattan.

August 9, 2008 - The New York Times

NYC Congestion Pricing Isn't Dead Yet

The prospect of a looming MTA deficit and rising transit fares is prompting a second look at congestion pricing in Manhattan, a project defeated by the state Assembly in April, notwithstanding a federal grant for $360 million.

August 7, 2008 - The New York Times

Parking Ban Becomes Filming Ban in New York's Chinatown

New York's Chinatown is a popular place for filming, which brings a lot of film crews to the neighborhood. A temporary film crew parking ban has been put in place, but the results are mixed.

August 6, 2008 - The New York Times

Chains Clobber Mom-and-Pops in New York

Mom-and-pop shops in New York are being rapidly replaced with chain stores, according to a new count that shows more than 5,700 chain outlets in the city.

August 6, 2008 - The Daily News

Curbside Dining

In the summer, a handful of New Yorkers like Calvin Tsao remake public space into their own personal dining rooms.

August 3, 2008 - The New York Times

What More 'Livable Streets' Could Mean for New York

This article from The New York Observer looks at how New York City might be different with more "livable streets".

August 2, 2008 - The New York Observer

Astor Place Slated for Improvement

New York's DOT is proposing a new plan to transform Astor Place from feeling like a freeway median to a pedestrian-friendly public space.

July 29, 2008 - The Villager

New York's Suburban Bicyclists

Whether for exercise, eco-consciousness or necessity, a growing number of suburban New York commuters are using two wheels instead of four.

July 29, 2008 - The New York Times

Fighting Isolation With Sleepovers

After a murder in his neighborhood, writer Peter Lovenheim decided that he needed to become closer to his neighbors. So he packed up his sleeping bag and invited himself over for a sleepover.

July 24, 2008 - The New York Times

Small Town Apocalyptic Values

Josh Stephens reviews James Howard Kunstler's novel of post-peak oil existence, World Made By Hand.

July 24, 2008 - Josh Stephens

Saving Local Businesses from Rising Rents and Upscaling Neighborhoods

New York City is looking at ways to keep beloved local stores from being forced out by high-end shops and restaurants in up-and-coming neighborhoods such as lower Ninth Avenue near the Meatpacking District.

July 22, 2008 - City Limits

A Car-Free Avenue Grows in Brooklyn

New York City's car-free "Summer Streets" events are proving to be popular. A three-and-a-half minute video offers a look at Saturday's Williamsburg Walks event on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.

July 22, 2008 - Streetsblog

County Plans to End Homelessness in 10 Years

Nassau County, NY has released a plan to end homelessness using strategies such as developing a database to track homeless people, assist people at risk for homelessness with landlord/mortgage issues, and build significant new affordable housing.

July 19, 2008 - Newsday

Is Houston A Better Place to Live Than New York?

The New York Sun looks west and finds a lot to love in Houston's cars, growth, and pro-development policies.

July 18, 2008 - The New York Sun

Electricity and Rail Can Solve Our Energy Woes

Writer Benjamin J. Turon argues that we aren't in an energy crisis as much as a transportation crisis, and that we already have all the technology we need.

July 16, 2008 - The Daily Gazette, Schenectady

A Newer, Better Poverty Rate Formula

New York City plans to revise the way it assesses poverty levels in the city, bringing in more variables and cost-of-living considerations. Officials expect the new measurement to be more accurate, and are calling on other cities to follow suit.

July 15, 2008 - The New York Times

New York Thinks About Bike Sharing

New York City is considering a plan to institute a bike-sharing program in the city.

July 14, 2008 - The New York Times

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.