Land Use
Journalists Missing that Road Design is Key to Pedestrian Safety
The Governor's Highway Safety Association released a report citing an uptick in pedestrian fatalities in the first half of 2010 and speculates on all sorts of reasons for this except poor road design.
Chinatowns: 3, Freeways: 0
In the 1960s and 70s, Chinatowns were threatened by highway development in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. None of the proposed highways was built, thanks to concerted efforts by the Chinese communities.
Europe Comes Down Hard on Cars
Many European cities are reversing decades-long trends of accommodating automobiles and are eliminating parking and putting tougher regulations in place, according to a new report.
The New Company Towns
While the company town model hasn't been taken seriously in the West in decades, they're cropping up today in countries like China and India.
The Importance of Quality Streetscapes
This piece from Next American City looks at plans to dramatically rework streetscapes in Boston, and cheers the effort.
Injecting Art into the Vacant Lots of Salt Lake City
An art competition in Salt Lake City has resulted in a new installation to be built in one of the city's vacant lots.
Pittsburgh's First Comprehensive Plan, 252 Years Later
The city of Pittsburgh is making progress on its first comprehensive plan. Next American City talks with Director of City Planning Noor Ismail about its process and potential impact.
The Unfortunate and Persistent Reality of Sprawl in Toronto
Sprawl is seen as an unfortunate reality in Toronto, and one that some fear it's too late to unwrite.
Abandonment and Opportunity in Rural Areas
As the world's population urbanizes, rural areas are being abandoned. But they don't have to sit empty and unused, according to this piece from GOOD.
Fake Park, Real Impact
An art gallery in New York City currently has an installation called Park Here, which is an indoor parkspace made up of fake grass, trees and sunlight.
The 'Encyclodictionary" of Planning
The Language of Towns & Cities: A Visual Dictionary, by Dhiru A. Thadani is a doorstopper of a book. Philip Langdon looks at this giant guide to New Urbanist ideas.
The Difference Between Roads and Streets
Tao Rugkhapan reports on the etiology traffic accidents which are becoming all to common in Bangkok as vehicle speeds increase along with lane tolerances and the number of elevated expressways.
Prince Charles Plans Shanty Town for India
Prince Charles is planning to build a 15,000-person shanty town in India, modeled after Dharavi, the Mumbai settlement featured in the movie "Slumdog Millionaire".
The Flood and the Sprawl of Brisbane
Devastating floods have inundated Brisbane, Australia. Some say the city's sprawling development pattern fueled the destruction.
Leaping Through Loopholes in Washington's Growth Management Act
Despite laws meant to protect open space and limit sprawl development, developers in Washington have found a legal way to get major housing projects approved in Washington.
Urging Verticality in China's New Cities
Urbanization is taking up a rapid pace in China. Though much of the planning going on is of the cookie-cutter variety, some say the Chinese need to pay more attention to growing their cities vertically.
The Jacobs Legacy
Jarrett Murphy reviews The Battle for Gotham: New York in the Shadow of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs" by Roberta Brandes Gratz, and concludes that it is a nuanced interpretation of the classic showdown.
A Test Case for Shrinking Cities
With a fleeing population, Youngstown, Ohio was ahead of the current trend on "shrinking cities." So what can planners learn from Youngstown's example?
From Mega-Cities to Meta-Cities
RThe impact of cities is spreading beyond local and even national borders, argues Robert Neuwirth in this piece from What Matters.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service