May 16, 2007
Smart Growth and the Aging of America
http://icma.org/enews/sgn/issue_0349_10_03.htm
Congestion Pricing
Congestion pricing is the practice of charging fees to motorists to use a
roadway, bridge or tunnel, especially during periods of heavy use, to ease
traffic and encourage use of alternative modes of transportation
http://tinyurl.com/3yauks
Market trends favor New Urbanism
At a time when real estate in its sprawling forms appears to be losing
value more quickly than compact urban development, analyses of the
market for New Urbanism and smart growth are relatively favorable
http://www.newurbannews.com/MarketAprMay07.html
Healthy Communities: Let's Plan on It!
Looking for fresh ideas and new constituents outside your regular
stakeholder groups to invigorate the next comprehensive plan update or
development code revision? If so, look to your local health department
http://www.planning.org/thecommissioner/Spring07/healthy.htm
Smart growth-oriented directives
As of 2006, nearly 20 states have implemented smart growth-oriented
directives, and many local and regional entities have also incorporated
smart growth practices into their comprehensive master plans
http://www.huduser.org/periodicals/cityscpe/vol9num1/ch5.pdf
Preservation of Affordable Homeownership: A Continuum of Strategies
http://www.nhc.org/pdf/chp_se_strategies_0407.pdf
May 1, 2007
The Real Housing Crisis
The crisis, or persistent problem if you prefer, lies with those at the
bottom third of the income scale. For the poor in major cities, the rent
burden has increased to over 50 percent of income
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/04/26/the_real_housing_crisis.
php
Local Transportation Agencies Invited to Join Traffic Analysis and
Simulation Study
Any public agency responsible for conducting, managing, or approving
traffic analysis studies can join the study
http://www.tfhrc.gov/its/traffic_analysis.htm
Inclusionary Zoning - Pros vs. Cons
Smart Growth experts debate inclusionary zoning strategies in an effort to
win diverse affordable neighborhoods
http://tinyurl.com/3d6fcb
April 23, 2007
Massachusetts steps up climate rules for developers
In a major change to Massachusetts environmental policy, private
developers will now be required to estimate the greenhouse gases their
large-scale projects will produce and reduce them with measures such
as energy-efficient lighting, alternative fuels, or commuter shuttles
http://tinyurl.com/yvtena
Geospatial One-Stop Web site
The U.S. Geological Survey is calling on local governments to contribute
information to its Geospatial One-Stop Web site, www.geodata.gov
http://americancityandcounty.com/webonly/usgs-metadata-governments/
Crime Free Housing Program
Mount Prospect, Illinois now mandates that rental property owners learn
how to keep their properties safe from criminal elements with the Crime
Free Housing Program
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/20741.html
"Great Places” Designation Program
Submit a Street or Neighborhood for the APA’s “Great Places”
Designation Program
http://www.planning.org/greatplaces/
Europe Plans For Sustainable 'Transport of Tomorrow'
Over 300 politicians and planners from dozens of cities across Europe
gathered to exchange lessons learned from their experiments with local
transport solutions
http://www.planetizen.com/node/23872
Economic Benefits of Land Conservation
Does land conservation protect the bottom line?
http://tinyurl.com/2tby9o
Green Values Stormwater Toolbox
http://greenvalues.cnt.org/
April 11, 2007
Billboard Cases
There has been a concerted and strategic effort by some billboard
companies to make an end run around communities' sign codes. The
industry's litigation strategy has been described this way…
http://planning.org/amicusbriefs/index.htm
Your Car + Your Commute = A Visit to Your Doctor
Worried About the Toll Your Workday Drive Is Taking on Your Car? The
Wear on Your Body Might Be Even Worse
http://tinyurl.com/26ex6o
The Retail Chase
Cities will do almost anything to land the store of their
http://www.governing.com/articles/4stores.htm
Preservation becoming an illusion
Preservation in Chicago has become a more slippery slope, where those
simple choices have yielded to shades of gray
http://tinyurl.com/268hlu
Democrats Vow Major Effort on Affordable Housing
Democratic leaders of the House say legislation to address Gulf Coast
housing shortages is just the beginning of a major push for affordable
housing
http://tinyurl.com/26c7oy
April 4, 2007
Gone Parkin’
Several studies have found that cruising for curb parking generates about
30 percent of the traffic in central business districts
http://tinyurl.com/3697bg
Keep Your Eyes on the Size
The impossibility of a green Wal-Mart
http://www.grist.org/comments/soapbox/2007/03/28/mitchell/
Affordable Housing Goes Green at Last
http://www.americancity.org/article.php?id_article=254
Annotated Resources for Green Multifamily Rehabilitation
http://www.lisc.org/files/5063_file_green_multifamily_rehab_res.pdf
March 27, 2007
Voters oppose eminent domain
The backlash against eminent domain is so great that two-thirds of Ohio
voters would ban the government taking of private property, even for public
projects such as roads
http://tinyurl.com/2xlua5
The spirit of independence and how it makes cities unique
Comparing the unique shops and restaurants of cities is one of the
pleasures of traveling
http://tinyurl.com/2dnwbj
March 14, 2007
BofA Banks $20 Billion to Grow Green Economy
Under an ambitious new initiative announced by Bank of America, the
financial institution will direct $20 billion to help its corporate, individual
and small-business customers take advantage of the business
opportunities created by green economic growth
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=34688
Public/Private Development
Lessons from History, Research, and Practice
http://www.planning.org/japa/pdf/JAPASagalyn07.pdf
An Authentic Sense of Place
Authenticity is one of those qualities that is hard to define, but you know it
when you see it - or feel it
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/past_shows.cfm?
showsmartcityID=327
Churches' zoning protection irks locals
Finding that religious institutions often were discriminated against in land
use decisions, Congress passed the Religious Land Use and
Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) in 2000
http://americancityandcounty.
com/administration/government_churches_zoning_protection/
Midwest Has 'Coal Rush,' Seeing No Alternative
Energy Demand Causes Boom in Plant Construction
http://tinyurl.com/265urz
House Passes Brownfields Redevelopment Enhancement Act
Under terms of the legislation, local agencies will no longer have to make
certain financial commitments to receive grants from the Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to remediate brownfields
http://tinyurl.com/yohxvf
March 7, 2007
Breaking the Density Deadlock
A local government that denounced density in blunt terms just six years
ago is embracing it now
http://www.governing.com/articles/3assess.htm
Big lots hurt farming more than sprawl, land-savers say
More harmful to the state's agricultural economy than the steady march of
urban sprawl across the landscape is the proliferation of homes on huge
rural lots that break up large stretches of working farmland, land
preservationists say
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=573013
Smart Growth Resource - Development Case Studies
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has added more best practice case
studies to its growing library of development projects that reflect smart
growth characteristics
http://tinyurl.com/3bzc2a
Building the Line to Equity
Six Steps for Achieving Equitable Transit Oriented Development
http://www.policylink.org/pdfs/Building_The_Line_To_Equity.pdf
The Theme-Parking, Mega Churching, Franchising, Exurbing, and
McMansioning of America
Walt Disney's utopian dream forever changed Orlando, Florida, and laid
the blueprint for the new American metropolis.
http://tinyurl.com/2vrum8
Oregon's Property Wrongs
A new report from the Sightline Institute, “Two Years of Measure 37:
Oregon's Property Wrongs”, tells the story of Oregon communities
wrestling with the consequences of Measure 37
http://tinyurl.com/34u2e3
Low-Water Landscaping Ordinance
The ordinance requires that landscaping for all new construction feature
low-water use plants and watering systems, and encourages residents
and businesses to transition to low-water plants when replacing existing
vegetation
http://www.ig.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=1398
February 28, 2007
Study: Locations motivate older walkers
What matters, researchers found, are the destinations like restaurants,
grocery stores and even bars that are within a half-mile of your home.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.
com/health/1500ap_fitness_walkable_communities.html
New rules break old barriers to mixed-use development
Across metro Atlanta, counties and cities have added, or rewritten, similar
zoning codes to allow for "neo-traditional" development. They are meant
to mimic historic town centers,
http://tinyurl.com/2xkuum
A Failure to Lead
President Bush’s FY 2008 Budget Proposal and Its Implications for Smart
Growth
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/Budget_Analysis2008.pdf
What's Needed For True Sustainable Urbanism?
It's time for professionals to take a systems approach
http://tinyurl.com/3xuzps
National Geographic’s Feature on Urban Sprawl
Virtual World – The New Suburb?
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/sprawl/index_flash.html
Seattle may get taller — at a cost
Developers should be able to build taller than current zoning allows if they
pay for public amenities such as affordable housing, the Seattle Planning
Commission said
http://seattletimes.nwsource.
com/html/localnews/2003592843_planning28m.html
February 21, 2007
Only Mixed-Use TIFs Raise Home Values: Study
Tax increment financing districts raise the value of nearby housing only if
the district supports both residential and commercial development,
according to a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois at
Chicago
http://tinyurl.com/29b7zp
Job Corps Plans Makeover for a Changed Economy
Over the last four decades, even as failed experiments and partisan
disputes took the luster off the war on poverty, the Job Corps, the
government’s main effort to give poorly educated youths a second chance
at a diploma and a trade, was widely seen as one of the few success
stories.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/washington/20jobcorps.html?
_r=1&oref=slogin
Public Space as Urban Amenity
Talk about public art and public riverfronts as urban amenities
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/coming_up.cfm?
showsmartcityID=326
Solving the Public Health Crisis with Smarter City Planning
The threat of obesity and how the built environment can provide the
remedy
http://www.planningreport.com/article/1223
State Actions Supporting Healthy Community Design
Governors are encouraging collaborative, inter-agency efforts to achieve
public health objectives (such as reversing the rising rates of obesity)
through land-use and transportation planning
http://tinyurl.com/27tqtb
What has comprehensive planning and growth management missed?
Health is the answer
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/smart-growth/
Ten Things Wrong With Sprawl
This publication draws on examples from across the country to identify
detrimental effects from sprawl development patterns, and to suggest
why it is time to pursue changes in law and policy to eliminate the
adverse consequences of our current development approach
http://www.elistore.org/reports_detail.asp?ID=11191
Bush Outlines 2008 Budget
$2.9 Trillion Plan Holds Little Good News for Planning
http://www.planning.org/apaadvocate/2007/february15.htm
February 13, 2007
Smart Growth Resource Library
Advancing Cross-Sector Sustainable Development for State and Local
Government
http://www.sustainlane.us/
APA Wants Your Best Practices Energy Strategies
APA and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute are currently
looking for planning documents and related publications that address
energy issues, to create a collection of best practices that make the
connection between energy and planning
http://www.planning.org/energy/call.htm
Edinburgh's green building code unveiled
All major new developments in Edinburgh will be forced to cut carbon
dioxide emissions and provide renewable energy sources on-site to
comply with a new "green" building code
http://www.newbuilder.co.uk/news/NewsFullStory.asp?ID=1821
Sustainability: Planning's Redemption or Curse?
Sustainability is often defined as a balance of the three E's: the
environment, the economy, and social equity
http://www.planetizen.com/node/22812
Methods for Managing Growth in Virginia, Maryland
Governments in Virginia and Maryland use different tools to regulate
growth, each with its pros and cons:
http://tinyurl.com/yseqcn
Municipalities Considering Amending Digital Billboard Regulations
There are about 450,000 roadside billboards in the United States
advertising everything from highway amenities to tourist attractions.
Currently, 400 of them are digital billboards, and their numbers are
estimated to grow tenfold within the next decade
http://tinyurl.com/33xh4d
Running a Railroad
Its schedules are undependable, prices high and on-board service of
middling quality. Yet demand for Amtrak’s inter-city service grows
http://www.governing.com/articles/2trans.htm
February 6, 2007
Retail 1-2-3: a new resource for communities
Retail 1-2-3 is the third in a series of free workbooks designed to help
Illinois communities achieve balanced growth (
http://www.metroplanning.org/articleDetail.asp?objectID=3689
Incorporating Sustainability Into Community Development
Despite its ubiquity in the community development literature, the concept
of sustainability continues to be marginal in its impact on local public
policies and programs
http://www.planetizen.com/node/22756
Comprehensive Guide to Sustainable Municipal Planning
http://msp.munilink.
net/digitalAssets/249_MSP_CompleteGuidebook_June06.pdf
Understanding Employer-Assisted Housing
Article describes how the private sector — particularly employers — can
work with public incentive programs and nonprofits to provide housing for
workers
http://www.planning.org/thecommissioner/Winter07/eahousing.htm
Indiana aims to keep students home for college, beyond
Indiana wants its best students to stick around for college and afterward
-- and the Governor proposes paying them to do so
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/02/06/brain.drain.ap/index.html
A Population on the Move
Do U.S. automakers have any new ideas about how to make congested,
polluted cities more accessible? Can they think beyond 1.8 cars per
household?
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/coming_up.cfm?
showsmartcityID=323
North Dakota issues first hemp production licenses to 2 farmers
North Dakota issued the nation's first licenses to grow industrial hemp to
two farmers who still must meet federal requirements before they can
plant the crop
http://tinyurl.com/2vkrl3
January 29, 2007
Smart Growth Implementation Assistance
The EPA has developed the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance
(SGIA) Program
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/sgia.htm
5 Myths About Suburbia and Our Car-Happy Culture
The anti-suburbs culture has also fostered many myths about sprawl and
driving, a few of which deserve to be reconsidered
http://tinyurl.com/32o838
Car Free in America
The Alternative is Rail, Buses, Bikes and Just Plain Walking
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3570
APA’s City Parks Forum: Community Stories
Read case studies from across the country of cities that improved their
parks through community engagement, strong leadership and creative
partnerships
http://www.planning.org/cpf/difference.htm
January 22, 2007
Natural drainage systems can cut development costs
“Light-imprint” infrastructure reduced anticipated engineering expenses
31 percent
http://www.newurbannews.com/NatDrainageJanFeb07.html
But urbanism is environmentalism by other means
The environmentalism of urbanism is not about more green -- it's about
having people willingly living in high density. It's about willingly walking
rather than driving, and willingly taking transit
http://thetyee.ca/Views/2007/01/16/Duany/
Kids aren't carpoolers
Carpool lanes don't work. Maybe it would help to require at least one
passenger be a licensed driver
http://tinyurl.com/3x5zmx
Using Tax Increment Financing for Brownfields Redevelopment
http://tinyurl.com/2vrqbf
Making Main Street Legal Again
The SmartCode Solution to Sprawl
http://law.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=4607&context=expresso
Find toxic wastelands via Google Earth
The Environmental Protection Agency wants to make it easier for Google,
Microsoft and other enterprising online mappers to spread the word
about potentially hazardous sites in your neighborhood
http://tinyurl.com/36dnw3
China Trade Mission Open
National League of Cities will collaborate with the U.S.-China Exchange
Association to offer American municipal officials and their local business
partners the opportunity to visit China and explore commercial
opportunities
http://www.nlc.
org/Newsroom/Nation_s_Cities_Weekly/Weekly_NCW/2007/01/22/13249.
cfm
Top Planning Issues Of 2006
From green building to the housing bubble, the editors of Planetizen
review the most talked about stories of 2006
http://www.planetizen.com/node/22460
Increasing the Availability of Affordable Homes: A Handbook of High-
Impact State and Local Solutions
Identifies 22 high-impact policies that state and local leaders can
implement to expand the supply of affordable homes in their jurisdictions
http://www.homesforworkingfamilies.org/media/policyhandbook/
Communities brace for effects of BRAC
A year and a half after the Pentagon announced its Base Realignment
and Closure (BRAC) list, cities and counties that are losing military
installations are fighting to form solid redevelopment plans
http://tinyurl.com/3xeezv
January 16, 2007
The Great Lakes diversion at Chicago and its implications for climate
change
Future lower lake levels (reflecting a drier climate) will lead to conflicts
related to existing and proposed diversions, and these conflicts would be
exacerbated by the consequences of global warming. In any event, a
warmer, drier climatic regime will challenge existing laws and institutions
for dealing with Great Lakes water issues
http://www.springerlink.com/content/w9tn566v2ml86123/
New Anti-Sprawl Tactics Considered in Connecticut
Avon could become the first Connecticut town to adopt a novel, anti-
sprawl approach that lets developers acquire rights to build more
housing near the village center in exchange for paying landowners in out-
of-the-way sections to keep their property undeveloped
http://tinyurl.com/2ulpw2
On Common Ground
People who care about inclusion and diversity are viewing Smart Growth,
which supports a greater diversity and connectivity in the physical pattern
of growth, as one tool to bring people together across racial and class
lines. Coupled with policies and approaches that reduce racial barriers
and provide increased economic opportunities for minorities, Smart
Growth can get us closer to our ideal of one America
http://www.realtor.org/SG3.nsf/Pages/winter07?OpenDocument
January 9, 2007
Making Other Arrangements
The far-flung housing subdivisions, commercial highway strips, big-box
stores, and all the other furnishings and accessories of extreme car
dependence will function poorly, if at all, in an oil-scarce future
http://www.orionmagazine.org/pages/om/07-1om/Kunstler.html
Smart City Radio: Development and Land Use
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/past_shows.cfm?
showsmartcityID=318
Geothermal power moves ahead as reliable source of renewable
energy
Tighter emissions controls and rising fuel costs are spurring demand for
renewable energy, prompting utilities around the world to tap
underground resources previously considered too costly to develop
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/04/bloomberg/bxheat.php
Buildings That Breathe
Green Construction is Coming of Age
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3525
In Oregon, it's now jobs and the environment
Business leaders embrace a plan that calls for building on the state's
hard-won expertise in sustainability
http://tinyurl.com/yfgaqg
How to fight global warming without the federal government's help
http://tinyurl.com/ykmonq
Direct and Indirect Impacts of Urbanization on Wetland Quality
The purpose of the Wetlands & Watersheds Article Series is to expand
the Center’s current watershed protection guidance, tools, and resources
to provide guidance to local communities on how to integrate wetlands
into larger watershed protection efforts
http://www.cwp.org/wetlands/articles.htm
American Planning Association’s China Study Tour
JUNE 9-19, 2007 • BEIJING, NANJING, SUZHOU, SHANGHAI
http://www.planning.org/APAinChina/studytour/index.htm
Economic Gardening
An Entrepreneurial Approach to Economic Development
http://www.littletongov.org/bia/economicgardening/
Planner's Estimating Guide/CD: Projecting Land-Use and Facility Needs
This book gives planning practitioners a powerful tool to help decide
where to put this new development. It does not advocate one
development scenario over another, but it revolutionizes the job of
estimating land-use and facility needs
http://www.planning.org/APAStore/Search/Default.aspx?p=1857
January 2, 2007
Wal-Mart's annual power bill tops out at about $1 billion
The world's biggest retailer is experimenting with a green building
strategy aimed at cutting stores' energy use by 30% over three years
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/GreenWalMart.aspx?
GT1=8995
Your Home: Is 'going green' worth the cost?
http://tinyurl.com/y6n2um
Revenge of the Small
Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are creating strategies to encourage the
development of modest, more affordable houses
http://tinyurl.com/ykfqrr
A Guide to Transportation Opportunities in Your Community
Reviews how federal surface transportation law can be used to support
local and statewide efforts to build more livable communities and expand
travel option
http://www.transact.org/PDFs/margins2006/STPP_guidebook_margins.
pdf
Developing an altered land
How do some of America's best minds in the real estate and urban
development game — leaders and friends of the Urban Land Institute —
react to projections of 100 million more people by 2043?
http://tinyurl.com/yztn49
L.A., Long Ruled by Cars, Becoming a Transit Leader
Demeaned as a car-crazed megalopolis where people drive two blocks
to valet-park at the dry cleaners, Los Angeles is on the road to fashioning
one of the best public transit systems in the nation.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/12/16/AR2006121600923.html
Oregon’s Measure 37 anniversary brings challenges
While the landmark property-rights initiative passed with a clear margin,
since the measure became law local and state governments have
struggled to make sense of what to do with claims that would establish
quarries and housing developments in land previously set aside for
agriculture or green space
http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?
story_id=116648894162251400
Can 'New Urbanism' Also Provide Affordable Housing?
http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/227521.html
Regional Strategies and Local Tools for Reclaiming Vacant Properties
http://www.vacantproperties.org/technical/programs/buffalo.html
December 26, 2006
Bus Transit Service in Land Development Planning
Examines successful strategies that assist in the incorporation of bus
transit service into land developments, as well as the challenges that
transit agencies face when attempting to do so
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=7085
Is That a Good Assumption? How to make sure you don't confuse
projections with actual planning
If Census Bureau projections are correct, the U.S. will add an average of
2.5 million new residents a year for the next 40 years. That is like adding
another city of Chicago onto the continent every year — except that the
newcomers will be spread out
http://www.planning.org/planning/nonmember/default1.htm
Growth plan holds line
An ambitious plan intended to serve as a blueprint for development of
Miami-Dade County's last frontier would hold the line on suburbia right
where it is until at least 2025
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/16303454.htm
GreenMapping.org Interactive Map Launched
The Center for Neighborhood Technoology and Openlands partnered to
compile data for 14 counties throughout the Chicago region and mapped
out 20 layers of green infrastructure data
http://www.greenmapping.org/map
Water: From Trouble to Treasure
A Pocket Guide to “Green” Solutions
http://www.cnt.org/repository/Water_booklet_final.pdf
“Superfund Liability: A Continuing Obstacle to Brownfields
Redevelopment”
Local government property acquisition is one of the key tools needed to
facilitate brownfields redevelopment
http://www.nalgep.org/publications/PublicationsDetail.cfm?
LinkAdvID=72956
December 21, 2006
Seattle's Green Building program
With a mission to make green building standard practice, Seattle's Green
Building program is organized to inspire, advise and support project
teams, and to create value for green building projects
http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/news/20061207a.asp
"Green" Building Standards
Boston is expected to become the first major city in the nation to require
private developers of large projects to adhere to strict "green" building
standards
http://www.boston.
com/business/articles/2006/12/20/boston_ready_to_go_green/
Cities Still Struggle to Meet Local Housing Needs
Three-fourths of local housing officials report that the spiraling cost of
housing is significantly limiting the opportunities for homeownership for
lower-income people and younger families
http://tinyurl.com/yatnhk
Trip Tool
Do you know where you're going? Do you know how you're going to get
there? If not, never fear. With a new online service, search giant Google
and King County, Wash., can help you figure it out
http://www.govtech.net/magazine/story.php?id=102695
Many cities changing one-way streets back
Switching one-way streets to two-way to improve commerce downtown
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-12-20-twoway_x.htm
December 11, 2006
Land-use planning for the masses
A storefront office, called U-Plan Community Planning Studio, is a land-
use wonk's dream, but it is already generating some grass-roots interest.
With big-box retailers sniffing around and a light-rail line on the horizon for
St. Paul's University Avenue, supporters say it gives the little guy a new
weapon in the ongoing battle to reshape the Central Corridor
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/16172909.htm
Hooray for Sprawlywood
Southern California's development model has its critics, but it's rooted in
a powerful idea. As the world adopts our rampant growth, we are
reassessing our civic structure
http://tinyurl.com/yzats2
Addressing NIMBY concerns
83% of suburban Americans say they do not want new development in
their communities. Most say their communities are already
overdeveloped or "fine the way they are."
http://www.sddt.com/News/article.cfm?SourceCode=20061107crc
Smart growth not so smart?
To the extent that there's been anything about the economy still worrying
some journalists and media analysts in recent months, it has been
softness in the housing market
http://tinyurl.com/yh3ptd
Smart Growth label is often misused, resulting in more sprawl
Smart Growth is much more than just a visual form of development with
special building codes to regulate density, height, setbacks and colors
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20061206/COLUMNIST13/612060618
Gated Communities Go West
New developments seek nature, then fence it in with New Ruralism
http://www.utne.com/webwatch/2006_278/news/12355-1.html
Rail~Volution 2006 Presentations
Presentations for the conference held November 5-8 in Chicago, Il
http://www.railvolution.com/2006conferencepapers.html
Safety, Growth, and Equity
Infrastructure Policies That Promote Opportunity and Inclusion
http://www.policylink.org/pdfs/Safety_Growth_Equity.pdf
Survey: Your Input Needed on Mixed-Use Development Constraints
http://www.planning.org/knowledge/asusurvey.htm
December 4, 2006
The Next Thing: Miles Per House?
The cost of energy likely will play a more important role in home buying
decisions, with "house miles" (the number of miles a home is from
employment, retail, education and entertainment) becoming a deal
breaker or maker, according to land use industry experts
http://tinyurl.com/ye88ru
Green belt under threat in planning overhaul
Britain's historic green belt planning rules, which have helped prevent
urban sprawl for 70 years, should be reviewed to allow thousands of new
homes to be built, a government report said
http://tinyurl.com/ycbblx
As We Add Millions: How Do WE Stay Mobile?
By 2043, we're being told, there won't just be 300 million of us -- there will
be 400 million. With the roadways around our metropolitan regions
increasingly clogged, how will we ever stay mobile?
http://postwritersgroup.com/archives/peir1126.html
“Now That You’re On Board: How to Survive and Thrive as a Planning
Commissioner”
http://plannersweb.com/onboard.html
November 29, 2006
The Billboard Shakedown Scheme
Over the past few years, there has been a sharp spike in the number of
lawsuits filed against municipalities seeking to strike down the entirety of
a municipal sign code
http://www.planning.org/thecommissioner/Fall06/billboards.htm
High-Performance Infrastructure
In places where communities struggle with ever-expanding areas of
impervious pavement and degraded water quality—and where flooding
and drought are becoming a larger part of the picture—earth-based
landscape approaches can have a measurable benefit
http://www.planetizen.com/files/21901.pdf
San Diego council bans supercenter-size stores
In a move that pits the city squarely against Wal-Mart, San Diego joined a
growing list of cities placing restrictions on large retail developments,
banning stores of more than 90,000 square feet that use 10 percent of
their space to sell groceries and other merchandise not subject to sales
tax
http://tinyurl.com/ykse8y
Visitability Standards
All new single-family houses constructed in Bolingbrook, Illinois, must
now conform to "visitability" standards established by the village to
ensure that these homes are accessible to individuals with mobility
impairments
http://www.icma.org/main/ld.asp?ldid=19944&ideas=1&mgtinsite=1
Webcast on Brownfields Financing Options for Disadvantaged
Communities
First 100 Registrants Free
https://www.lgean.org/html/whatsnew.cfm?id=1122
Water quality impacts of land use changes
The Local Government Environmental Assistance Network launched an
online tool to help local government planners measure the water quality
impacts of land use changes
http://www.ecn.purdue.edu/runoff/lthianew/
Cities Compete in Hipness Battle to Attract Young
http://tinyurl.com/y4ucts
European Cities Do Away With Traffic Signs
European traffic planners are dreaming of streets free of rules and
directives
http://tinyurl.com/wppac
U.S. Department Of Sprawl
Local officials in the Washington, D.C. area, beset with increasing traffic,
energy use, pollution and loss of woods and farms to exurban
development, are trying to direct development to town centers and transit
corridors
http://tinyurl.com/y7vmqh
How density benefits communities
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy has created an online, interactive
resource that provides users with a foundation for understanding how
density benefits communities
http://www.lincolninst.edu/subcenters/visualizing_density/index.aspx
November 21, 2006
DC’s Green Building Legislation
After years of presidential neglect on global climate change, states and
localities have had to pioneer their own approaches to reducing the
atmospheric pollution they produce
http://tinyurl.com/yf7foa
Iowa scores an ethanol coup
A small ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa, will be converted into a 125
million-gallon-a-year commercial-scale biorefinery — the first
commercial-sized ethanol plant in the United States
http://tinyurl.com/yazn3h
Urban Design to Reduce Automobile Dependence
http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1013&context=cssd/opolis
A Citizens Guide To Subdivisions and Smart Growth
http://tinyurl.com/ydmdnx
Moving Toward High Performance Infrastructure
Why not carry the greening concept over to the streets as well?
http://www.planetizen.com/files/21901.pdf
November 15, 2006
WakeUpWalMart.com
http://wakeupwalmart.com/
Florida Green Building Coalition
http://www.floridagreenbuilding.org/
Fridley, Minnesota considers agreement to tread more lightly on Earth
Fridley, Minnesota could become the latest U.S. city to agree to a set of
guidelines aimed at cutting pollution, conserving energy and slowing
global warming, but some officials have reservations
http://www.startribune.com/142/story/789548.html
Transportation is Fundamental
Many communities owe their existence to the routing first, of the railroad,
later, of the highway, and then of the interstate. Transportation is
fundamental to land values and the way communities grow.
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/coming_up.cfm?
showsmartcityID=312
November 14, 2006
Voters in CA, WA and ID reject efforts to gut local zoning and
environmental protections
Using eminent domain as Trojan Horse fails to fool most voters
http://smartgrowthamerica.
org/documents/SGATakingsrelease110806_000.pdf
Indiana Governor wants toll road loop around Indianapolis
But his plan to build a privately run, 75-mile toll bypass through five
counties is also raising concerns that the new highway would invite
sprawl, harm the environment and lead to the possible forced seizure of
land by the state
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20061110/LOCAL/61109043/1006
Salt Lake City, Utah Embraces Green Building
City Council members adopted an ordinance requiring builders of
commercial structures, apartments and condos to meet national
environmental building standards if they are funded by city loans, grants
or tax rebates
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_4622261?source=email
Linking Land Use Planning and the Food Environment
An emerging issue in the smart growth field is the link between a healthy
food environment and good land use planning
http://icma.org/sgn/newsdetail.cfm?nfid=2666&id=#autoID
Economics 101: what travel and tourism mean for your county
The American Hotel and Lodging Association reports that tourism is
currently the nation’s third largest retail industry
http://www.naco.org/CountyNewsTemplate.cfm?
template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=21771
Tale of a Warehouse Shows How Chicago Weathers a Decline
After Montgomery Ward Exits, City's Diverse Industries Transform a
Neighborhood
http://tinyurl.com/yzk77j
The Vital Center: A Federal-State Compact to Renew the Great Lakes
Region
The Great Lakes Economic Initiative focuses on the declining economic
competitiveness of the Great Lakes Region and what can be done to
strengthen this critical area
http://www.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/20061020_renewgreatlakes.htm
Active Living By Design
Active Living by Design draws from a variety of disciplines such as urban
planning and design, public health, community development,
transportation, and parks and recreation
http://www.activelivingbydesign.org/index.php?id=13
The Politics of Play
There is a movement afoot to create recreational spaces that better serve
our cities and our children
http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=2389
November 7, 2006
Livable Communities in Congress
Did you know that in the United States Congress, there is a task force on
Livable Communities?
http://blumenauer.house.gov/Issues/CaucusSummary.aspx?
NewsID=1077&IssueID=11/
Minneapolis, Minnesota preserves land for industrial use
The city wants to keep industries and manufacturing jobs in the city, not
the suburbs
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/787460.html
Where Do We Put the Next Hundred Million?
It’s now expected that 70 percent of our coming population and economic
growth will take place in some 10 American “megaregions”
http://tinyurl.com/yjnc9g
Bread Basket Case
What if the Midwest stopped trying to feed the world and started focusing
on itself? Corn-based ethanol production has been hailed as a cure-all
for the region's farm economy
http://www.grist.org/comments/food/2006/11/01/farmbelt/index.html
How Migration Patterns of College Graduates Affect Cities
“America’s educated elite are clustering in a few cities – and leaving the
rest of the country behind”
http://tinyurl.com/yaw7s2
Resources for Housing Choice and Affordability
10 ways that planners can encourage housing choice and affordability
http://www.planning.org/features/2006/housingtop10.htm
Investing in Transportation: A Benchmarking Study of Transportation
Funding and Policy
Presented by the Pennsylvania Economy League (PEL), this study
compares the effectiveness of transportation policy, implementation and
funding for Pennsylvania and other states -- including Ohio, New York,
New Jersey, Michigan and Illinois
http://www.smartgrowth.org/library/articles.asp?art=2451&res=1680
November 1, 2006
PropertyFairness.org
Property Fairness helps residents oppose takings proposals and other
efforts to undermine vital locally adopted protections for homeowners and
communities and impose tremendous costs on taxpayers
http://www.propertyfairness.org/
Feds Undermining Fight Against Sprawl
As they battle sprawl, Washington-area leaders say they face a stubborn
foe: the United
States government
http://tinyurl.com/sno5x
Ministries and Departments of Sustainable Development
Federal governments everywhere are not structured to recognize -- much
less address -- the serious environmental pressures they face, and as a
result end up responding militarily. The alternative? Ministries and
Departments of Sustainable Development
http://www.planetizen.com/node/21641
Housing density bonus expected to boost affordable for-sale options in
San Diego, California
http://www.sddt.com/News/article.cfm?SourceCode=20061026cra
The number of downtown residents in the nation's largest cities is
expected to grow by 2010, according to a survey
http://www.nh.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20061027/BUSINESSREVIEW04/61026003/-1/BUSINESSREVIEW
Brownfield to brightfield
Rather than convert its remaining brownfields into tire recycling plants or
tow lots, the city this week introduced the nation's largest "brightfield" -- a
3.7-acre lot filled with 1,395 solar panels arranged in neat, long rows
http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/10/27/baard/index.html
Mega-Regions Presentation
Using a combination of maps and graphics, this presentation describes
several U.S. mega-regions and provides an overview of growth trends.
http://www.fundersnetwork.org/info-url_nocat2778/info-url_nocat_show.
htm?doc_id=413441
Higher Density Development: Myth and Fact
http://tinyurl.com/wcqtd
Stormwater Guidelines for Green, Dense Redevelopment
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/emeryville.htm
Sweeteners may sour home values
The proliferation of incentives--from flat screen TVs and cars to six
months' free mortgage payments--to lure buyers into the residential real
estate market is causing a potential headache: It's beginning to blur the
true selling price of homes
http://tinyurl.com/ye78wz
October 17, 2006
Property Wrongs: Lessons from Oregon on "Property Rights"
“Property Wrongs”, a report by the Seattle-based Sightline Institute,
documents a growing backlash against "property rights" initiatives by
chronicling six stories of Oregon communities deeply affected by
Oregon's Measure 37
http://www.sightline.org/research/sprawl/res_pubs/property-
fairness/property-wrongs-pdf
Commuting Costs Outweigh Savings of Living in Suburbs
“A Heavy Load: The Combined Housing and Transportation Burdens of
Working Families”, shows how high commuting costs outweigh the
benefits of lower cost suburban housing in the long term
http://www.nhc.org/pdf/pub_heavy_load_10_06.pdf
Commuting in America III
Commuting in America III report contains 155 figures, 79 tables, and
some 100 "factlets" that tell the story of America’s commuting trends and
patterns over the last ten years
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=6699
Honey, Our House Is Historic!
Buildings from the mid-20th century are becoming eligible for landmark
status. Local governments are trying to decide which are worth preserving
http://www.governing.com/articles/10modern.htm
Connecticut to Tackle Responsible Growth from the State Level
If left unchecked, sprawl will continue to fragment the landscape, impair
our ability to remain economically competitive, consume precious natural
resources, waste energy and pollute our air and water
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?
art=5696&state=7&res=1024
Charles Shaw: On Architect Doug Farr and His Plans to Take LEED to
the Next Level
LEED Neighborhood Development would emphasis sustainability of
entire communities, instead of individual buildings“
http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/10/12/shaw/index.html
Smart Growth Image Bank
The Environmental Law and Policy Center offers free Smart Growth
Image Bank CDs, depicting Midwestern examples of sustainable
development practices versus sprawl
http://www.elpc.org/transportation/smartgrowth/index.php
Model Smart Growth Ordinances
The APA researched and compiled 11 model smart growth ordinances,
including pedestrian overlay districts, cluster development and street
connectivity
http://planning.org/smartgrowthcodes/phase1.htm#1
Local Brownfield Financing Tools
Structures and Strategies for Spurring Cleanup and Redevelopment
http://tinyurl.com/y9akl3
Map Reveals Chicago’s Hot Spots in Need of Trees
The Chicago Department of Planning is using satellite imaging to locate
‘urban heat islands.’ This information informs planners on where to plant
additional trees in order to cool temperatures and decrease energy use
http://tinyurl.com/vjrns
October 13, 2006
Study: Commuting Cost Cancels Suburban Savings
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/10/11/AR2006101101883.html
First-time home buyers say market harsh
It may be a buyer's market for homes and prices may be holding steady,
but a new poll shows 80 percent of Americans believe it is more difficult
to be a first-time purchaser
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?
storyid=53066
October 10, 2006
Smarter Land Use and Community Development
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/past_shows.cfm?
showsmartcityID=305&PageNum_getsmartshows=1
Reality Check Plus
Maryland’s Reality Check Plus Releases Report on Innovative, State-
Wide Planning Exercise
http://www.realitycheckmaryland.org/
How America grows: A tale of two cities
Gilbert, Arizona, and Portland, Oregon, have approached expansion in two
very different ways
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1003/p01s02-ussc.html
China’s Ambitious ‘Eco-City’
The first residents will move in within five years. The city will be self-
sufficient in energy and water and will generate almost no carbon
emissions
http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=7904126
Water, Bridges, and Sewers
Seven Principles for Achieving Racial and Economic Equity in
Infrastructure Planning
http://www.policylink.org/PolicyMatters.html
The Bankers Must Be Renters
How Can the Cost of Housing Move in the Opposite Direction of Inflation?
http://tinyurl.com/f5wgr
Good News About Takings
This guidebook explains what commissioners and other officials need to
know about the new takings standards in easy-to-understand language
http://www.planning.org/APAStore/Search/Default.aspx?p=3501
No friends? Blame the traffic, says NYC study
Heavy traffic on the street where you live severely limits your ability to
know your neighbors and to enjoy the outdoors
http://tinyurl.com/l33pb
Michigan Legislature Passes Act to Discourage School Sprawl
Recommendation that the state require schools boards to follow their
communities’ master plans, instead of continuing to allow the boards to
make siting decisions independent of local planning
http://www.mlui.org/growthmanagement/fullarticle.asp?fileid=17087
October 3, 2006
New Document Available on Technology Options for Brownfields
Cleanup
EPA has produced the fourth edition of the “Brownfields Road Map to
Understanding Innovative Technology Options for Brownfields
Investigation and Cleanup”
http://www.brownfieldstsc.org/roadmap/home.cfm
Stormwater Outreach Materials Available from EPA
“The Role of Local Governments in Implementing the NPDES Stormwater
Program for Construction Sites”, is a new brochure that provides local
governments with a brief overview of the NPDES Stormwater Program on
construction sites
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwatermonth.cfm
Plans Continue for $12 Billion Trans-Texas Corridor Project
TTC-69, just a part of the state’s Trans-Texas Corridor Project, would run
from Northeast Texas to the Mexican border. Farmers and private land
owners have expressed concern over the possible use of eminent
domain, and discussion continues over the feasibility of exclusively using
private funds
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4223296.html
The Next Generation of American Public Spaces
The parks of today are being created on land reclaimed from industry,
urban infrastructure, and military use
http://www.goodmagazine.com/issue001/Public_Domain
Rethinking Farm Policy: Subsidies, Sprawl, and Globalization
America's farm policy has many detractors -- conservationists,
economists, environmentalists, and yes, even city planners
http://www.planetizen.com/node/21408
Riding Streetcars Back to the Future
Minneapolis has put up for sale nine of its downtown parking decks while
investigating a return to streetcars along a half-dozen possible routes. It's
all part of a land-locked city trying to accommodate growth and vitality in
its central districts without inducing more traffic
http://www.startribune.com/561/story/711180.html
Sustainable Planning for Aging in Place
Resource list to assist communities in accessing tools and data related
to planning for aging populations
http://icma.org/main/ld.asp?from=search&ldid=19657&hsid=1&t=0
Getting Communities on Track for an Aging Population
“The Maturing of America - Getting Communities on Track for an Aging
Population” finds that less than half of American cities and counties have
plans in place to meet the needs of aging baby boomers
http://www.n4a.org/pdf/MOAFinalReport.pdf
The Smart Watershed Benchmarking Tool
This self-assessment tool helps local program managers make better
decisions on watershed restoration priorities to maximize the
performance of staff and financial resources.
http://www.cwp.org/
Parking Management Best Practices
An excerpt from a new Planners Press book leads the way to more
sensible parking solutions
http://www.planning.org/planning/nonmember/default1.htm
September 27, 2006
Smart Growth Publication Showcases Development at its Best
“This is Smart Growth”, illustrates and explains smart growth concepts
and outcomes
http://www.smartgrowth.org/library/articles.asp?art=2367&res=1280
The Shape of Things to Come
If you want to learn about metropolitan areas, a good way is to study
retailing trends. And what does retail teach us about metro areas these
days? The suburban form, as we've known it, is dead
http://www.civic-strategies.com/resources/news/011.htm
Regional Thinking
The Denver metropolitan area has been a model of regional cooperation,
with municipalities and counties working together to improve
infrastructure and accommodate growth
http://www.uli.org/AM/Template.cfm?
Section=Current_Issue&template=/CM/ContentDisplay.
cfm&ContentID=69053
Does Maryland’s ‘Live Near Your Work’ Program Benefit Homebuyers
and Contribute to Sprawl?
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?
art=5660&state=21&res=1680
American Public Transportation Association Reports 3.2 Percent
Increase in Ridership in First Half of 2006
Lightrail use experienced the highest growth with a 9.4 percent usage
increase.
http://www.apta.com/media/releases/060921_ridership_climbs.cfm
Five Myths About Sprawl
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=518181
Workforce Housing: Innovative Strategies and Best Practices
Highlights how three cities implemented successful policies and
development strategies and to create and preserve moderately priced
workforce housing
http://www.uli.org/AM/Template.cfm?
Section=Bookstore&Template=Ecommerce/ProductDisplay.
cfm&Productid=1624
MIT’s OpenCourseWare: Accessible Course Materials in Urban
Planning and Policy
MIT offers free and open educational resources, including information
from the Urban Planning and Policy Department
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Urban-Studies-and-Planning/index.htm
September 25, 2006
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Zoning committee approves housing fund
Common Council expected to vote on plan to issue bonds supporting low-
income residences
http://tinyurl.com/nxdya
Sixty-three cities and counties fail to meet Florida's mandate on
growth policies
The state has placed a moratorium on developments that seek major
zoning changes, such as agricultural and residential
http://tinyurl.com/nzkrn
September 14, 2006
How Rail Impacts Retail
A successful transit line means a more intense commercial life around
the stations, and that means higher property values, higher rents and the
invasion of chain stores
http://www.governing.com/articles/9assess.htm
Building Lifestyle Centers Instead Of Malls
"Lifestyle centers," are becoming very popular with shopping center
architects and designers. Gone are the big anchor stores, enormous
parking lots and food courts. In their place are smaller stores, walkable
streets, fountains and sidewalks
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5748357
All Aboard!
Light rail - small passenger trains that, unlike underground trains or
commuter railways, often use an overhead electricity source and may
operate in the streets - is suddenly booming across America
http://economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7855218
September 11, 2006
Stuck in Traffic
Free-Market Theory Meets the Highway Lobby
http://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/?article=658
The Campaign Against Land Use Planning
Tthe fallout from Oregon's landmark rollback of land-use planning,
Measure 37
http://www.newwest.net/index.php/topic/article/11269/C57/L35
This Is Smart Growth
Highlights 40 communities around the country that envisioned and
realized smart growth strategies which ultimately improved its residents’
quality of life
http://www.smartgrowth.org/library/articles.asp?art=2367
Rooftops to Rivers
Green Strategies for Controlling Stormwater and Combined Sewer
Overflows
http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/rooftops/contents.asp
September 5, 2006
Thanks to ‘Snob Zoning’ and Uninterested Politicians, the Affordable
Housing Crisis has Gone Suburban
http://tinyurl.com/lcm8s
Podcast - Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk Discusses Urban Renewal - Part 1
http://www.planetizen.com/node/21039
Can We Afford New Urbanism?
http://pine-magazine.com/content.php?id=103
Rooftops to Rivers: Green Strategies for Controlling Stormwater and
Combined Sewer Overflows
http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/rooftops/contents.asp
Water Conservation Programs- A Planning Manual
A new resource from the American Water Works Association
http://www.awwa.org/bookstore/product.cfm?id=30052
August 30, 2006
Back to School: Education booms into an $850 billion enterprise
Nationwide, more than $500 billion a year is spent on elementary and
secondary education and $350 billion on degree-granting colleges and
universities, according to the federal Digest of Education Statistics
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06242/717293-298.stm
Developer sues Baltimore for manipulating its zoning process
A developer who wanted to restore a historic gatehouse in Northeast
Baltimore has filed a $20 million lawsuit in federal court in Baltimore,
alleging that the city "wrongfully manipulated its zoning process"
http://tinyurl.com/k59y8
One million new homes could be built on brownfield land
New statistics show that existing stocks of available "brownfield" land
could accommodate up to one million new homes
http://tinyurl.com/emo78
August 29, 2006
American architecture is still reeling from the 9/11 attacks
Critics and architects say that security now trumps design, as barricades
and mall-like plazas are sucking the soul out of urban life
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/08/22/architecture/
Innovative Urban Reuse in Boise
How one Idaho firm is planning to revitalize “waste” space.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20060822/NEWS02/608220356
Exploring the Land-Use and Body Weight Connection
Where we live plays an important role in how much we exercise and in
how healthy we are
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/08/20/REGMLKLAOE1.
DTL
Experts Warn U.S. is Coming Apart at the Seams
The American Society of Civil Engineers last year graded the nation "D"
for its overall infrastructure conditions, estimating that it would take $1.6
trillion over five years to fix the problem
http://seattletimes.nwsource.
com/html/nationworld/2003226851_fragile26.html
Water Conservation Programs- A Planning Manual
A new resource from the American Water Works Association
http://www.awwa.org/bookstore/product.cfm?id=30052
August 22, 2006
What is a Wetland?
A recent split decision by the U.S. Supreme Court left unanswered
questions that local officials have long-struggled with, including the
federal government's definition of a wetland.
http://americancityandcounty.com/mag/government_wetland/
Marrying Historic Districts and Infill
First the enemy was neglect. Then it was urban renewal. Now it's
teardowns. Older neighborhoods are hot targets for new investment, and
preservation review boards are struggling to shape new construction into
forms compatible with the older urban character
http://www.planning.org/planning/nonmember/default1.htm
Opinion: High-density growth is a transportation disaster in the making
http://tinyurl.com/zltno
Public, Private Partnerships at Work Throughout the Chicago Region
http://www.metroplanning.org/press/oped.asp?
objectID=3481&authorID=1
Florida County Approves Traditional-Neighborhood-Design Ordinance
In an area known more for its sprawling suburbs and commuter lifestyle,
new communities with a retro feel are on the cutting edge of
neighborhood design
http://www.sptimes.
com/2006/08/13/Business/The_new_look_of_commu.shtml
New World Bank Energy Plan Favors “Clean” Fossil Fuels, Ignores
Connection Between Energy Consumption and Land-Use
A critique from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development,
but not a word on land-use planning
http://tinyurl.com/orx8o
Stuck in Traffic: Free-Market Theory Meets the Highway Lobby
http://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/?article=658
The Question That Haunts Smart Growth
How does adding large numbers of people to a neighborhood benefit
those who are already there?
http://www.civic-strategies.com/resources/news/026.htm
Hispanic Housing in the United States 2006
http://tinyurl.com/nmkzw
Green Infrastructure Case Studies
Information on how communities are working to preserve and rebuild
ecologocial links
http://www.greeninfrastructure.net/?article=2086
Combating Problems of Vacant and Abandoned Properties: Best
Practices in 27 Cities
http://www.knowledgeplex.org/showdoc.html?id=191145
Toolkit Provides Means to Advance Affordable Housing
The Washington (DC) Area Housing Partnership's Toolkit for Affordable
Housing Development explores a variety of techniques to promote the
creation of affordable housing
http://www.huduser.org/rbc/search/rbcdetails.asp?DocId=1367
Unlikely urban areas face water shortages
http://americancityandcounty.
com/mag/government_unlikely_urban_areas/
August 16, 2006
Congress Approves Expansion of Tax Incentives for Donated
Conservation Easements
Smart Growth and the Aging of America
http://icma.org/enews/sgn/issue_0349_10_03.htm
Congestion Pricing
Congestion pricing is the practice of charging fees to motorists to use a
roadway, bridge or tunnel, especially during periods of heavy use, to ease
traffic and encourage use of alternative modes of transportation
http://tinyurl.com/3yauks
Market trends favor New Urbanism
At a time when real estate in its sprawling forms appears to be losing
value more quickly than compact urban development, analyses of the
market for New Urbanism and smart growth are relatively favorable
http://www.newurbannews.com/MarketAprMay07.html
Healthy Communities: Let's Plan on It!
Looking for fresh ideas and new constituents outside your regular
stakeholder groups to invigorate the next comprehensive plan update or
development code revision? If so, look to your local health department
http://www.planning.org/thecommissioner/Spring07/healthy.htm
Smart growth-oriented directives
As of 2006, nearly 20 states have implemented smart growth-oriented
directives, and many local and regional entities have also incorporated
smart growth practices into their comprehensive master plans
http://www.huduser.org/periodicals/cityscpe/vol9num1/ch5.pdf
Preservation of Affordable Homeownership: A Continuum of Strategies
http://www.nhc.org/pdf/chp_se_strategies_0407.pdf
May 1, 2007
The Real Housing Crisis
The crisis, or persistent problem if you prefer, lies with those at the
bottom third of the income scale. For the poor in major cities, the rent
burden has increased to over 50 percent of income
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/04/26/the_real_housing_crisis.
php
Local Transportation Agencies Invited to Join Traffic Analysis and
Simulation Study
Any public agency responsible for conducting, managing, or approving
traffic analysis studies can join the study
http://www.tfhrc.gov/its/traffic_analysis.htm
Inclusionary Zoning - Pros vs. Cons
Smart Growth experts debate inclusionary zoning strategies in an effort to
win diverse affordable neighborhoods
http://tinyurl.com/3d6fcb
April 23, 2007
Massachusetts steps up climate rules for developers
In a major change to Massachusetts environmental policy, private
developers will now be required to estimate the greenhouse gases their
large-scale projects will produce and reduce them with measures such
as energy-efficient lighting, alternative fuels, or commuter shuttles
http://tinyurl.com/yvtena
Geospatial One-Stop Web site
The U.S. Geological Survey is calling on local governments to contribute
information to its Geospatial One-Stop Web site, www.geodata.gov
http://americancityandcounty.com/webonly/usgs-metadata-governments/
Crime Free Housing Program
Mount Prospect, Illinois now mandates that rental property owners learn
how to keep their properties safe from criminal elements with the Crime
Free Housing Program
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/20741.html
"Great Places” Designation Program
Submit a Street or Neighborhood for the APA’s “Great Places”
Designation Program
http://www.planning.org/greatplaces/
Europe Plans For Sustainable 'Transport of Tomorrow'
Over 300 politicians and planners from dozens of cities across Europe
gathered to exchange lessons learned from their experiments with local
transport solutions
http://www.planetizen.com/node/23872
Economic Benefits of Land Conservation
Does land conservation protect the bottom line?
http://tinyurl.com/2tby9o
Green Values Stormwater Toolbox
http://greenvalues.cnt.org/
April 11, 2007
Billboard Cases
There has been a concerted and strategic effort by some billboard
companies to make an end run around communities' sign codes. The
industry's litigation strategy has been described this way…
http://planning.org/amicusbriefs/index.htm
Your Car + Your Commute = A Visit to Your Doctor
Worried About the Toll Your Workday Drive Is Taking on Your Car? The
Wear on Your Body Might Be Even Worse
http://tinyurl.com/26ex6o
The Retail Chase
Cities will do almost anything to land the store of their
http://www.governing.com/articles/4stores.htm
Preservation becoming an illusion
Preservation in Chicago has become a more slippery slope, where those
simple choices have yielded to shades of gray
http://tinyurl.com/268hlu
Democrats Vow Major Effort on Affordable Housing
Democratic leaders of the House say legislation to address Gulf Coast
housing shortages is just the beginning of a major push for affordable
housing
http://tinyurl.com/26c7oy
April 4, 2007
Gone Parkin’
Several studies have found that cruising for curb parking generates about
30 percent of the traffic in central business districts
http://tinyurl.com/3697bg
Keep Your Eyes on the Size
The impossibility of a green Wal-Mart
http://www.grist.org/comments/soapbox/2007/03/28/mitchell/
Affordable Housing Goes Green at Last
http://www.americancity.org/article.php?id_article=254
Annotated Resources for Green Multifamily Rehabilitation
http://www.lisc.org/files/5063_file_green_multifamily_rehab_res.pdf
March 27, 2007
Voters oppose eminent domain
The backlash against eminent domain is so great that two-thirds of Ohio
voters would ban the government taking of private property, even for public
projects such as roads
http://tinyurl.com/2xlua5
The spirit of independence and how it makes cities unique
Comparing the unique shops and restaurants of cities is one of the
pleasures of traveling
http://tinyurl.com/2dnwbj
March 14, 2007
BofA Banks $20 Billion to Grow Green Economy
Under an ambitious new initiative announced by Bank of America, the
financial institution will direct $20 billion to help its corporate, individual
and small-business customers take advantage of the business
opportunities created by green economic growth
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=34688
Public/Private Development
Lessons from History, Research, and Practice
http://www.planning.org/japa/pdf/JAPASagalyn07.pdf
An Authentic Sense of Place
Authenticity is one of those qualities that is hard to define, but you know it
when you see it - or feel it
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/past_shows.cfm?
showsmartcityID=327
Churches' zoning protection irks locals
Finding that religious institutions often were discriminated against in land
use decisions, Congress passed the Religious Land Use and
Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) in 2000
http://americancityandcounty.
com/administration/government_churches_zoning_protection/
Midwest Has 'Coal Rush,' Seeing No Alternative
Energy Demand Causes Boom in Plant Construction
http://tinyurl.com/265urz
House Passes Brownfields Redevelopment Enhancement Act
Under terms of the legislation, local agencies will no longer have to make
certain financial commitments to receive grants from the Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to remediate brownfields
http://tinyurl.com/yohxvf
March 7, 2007
Breaking the Density Deadlock
A local government that denounced density in blunt terms just six years
ago is embracing it now
http://www.governing.com/articles/3assess.htm
Big lots hurt farming more than sprawl, land-savers say
More harmful to the state's agricultural economy than the steady march of
urban sprawl across the landscape is the proliferation of homes on huge
rural lots that break up large stretches of working farmland, land
preservationists say
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=573013
Smart Growth Resource - Development Case Studies
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has added more best practice case
studies to its growing library of development projects that reflect smart
growth characteristics
http://tinyurl.com/3bzc2a
Building the Line to Equity
Six Steps for Achieving Equitable Transit Oriented Development
http://www.policylink.org/pdfs/Building_The_Line_To_Equity.pdf
The Theme-Parking, Mega Churching, Franchising, Exurbing, and
McMansioning of America
Walt Disney's utopian dream forever changed Orlando, Florida, and laid
the blueprint for the new American metropolis.
http://tinyurl.com/2vrum8
Oregon's Property Wrongs
A new report from the Sightline Institute, “Two Years of Measure 37:
Oregon's Property Wrongs”, tells the story of Oregon communities
wrestling with the consequences of Measure 37
http://tinyurl.com/34u2e3
Low-Water Landscaping Ordinance
The ordinance requires that landscaping for all new construction feature
low-water use plants and watering systems, and encourages residents
and businesses to transition to low-water plants when replacing existing
vegetation
http://www.ig.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=1398
February 28, 2007
Study: Locations motivate older walkers
What matters, researchers found, are the destinations like restaurants,
grocery stores and even bars that are within a half-mile of your home.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.
com/health/1500ap_fitness_walkable_communities.html
New rules break old barriers to mixed-use development
Across metro Atlanta, counties and cities have added, or rewritten, similar
zoning codes to allow for "neo-traditional" development. They are meant
to mimic historic town centers,
http://tinyurl.com/2xkuum
A Failure to Lead
President Bush’s FY 2008 Budget Proposal and Its Implications for Smart
Growth
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/Budget_Analysis2008.pdf
What's Needed For True Sustainable Urbanism?
It's time for professionals to take a systems approach
http://tinyurl.com/3xuzps
National Geographic’s Feature on Urban Sprawl
Virtual World – The New Suburb?
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/sprawl/index_flash.html
Seattle may get taller — at a cost
Developers should be able to build taller than current zoning allows if they
pay for public amenities such as affordable housing, the Seattle Planning
Commission said
http://seattletimes.nwsource.
com/html/localnews/2003592843_planning28m.html
February 21, 2007
Only Mixed-Use TIFs Raise Home Values: Study
Tax increment financing districts raise the value of nearby housing only if
the district supports both residential and commercial development,
according to a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois at
Chicago
http://tinyurl.com/29b7zp
Job Corps Plans Makeover for a Changed Economy
Over the last four decades, even as failed experiments and partisan
disputes took the luster off the war on poverty, the Job Corps, the
government’s main effort to give poorly educated youths a second chance
at a diploma and a trade, was widely seen as one of the few success
stories.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/washington/20jobcorps.html?
_r=1&oref=slogin
Public Space as Urban Amenity
Talk about public art and public riverfronts as urban amenities
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/coming_up.cfm?
showsmartcityID=326
Solving the Public Health Crisis with Smarter City Planning
The threat of obesity and how the built environment can provide the
remedy
http://www.planningreport.com/article/1223
State Actions Supporting Healthy Community Design
Governors are encouraging collaborative, inter-agency efforts to achieve
public health objectives (such as reversing the rising rates of obesity)
through land-use and transportation planning
http://tinyurl.com/27tqtb
What has comprehensive planning and growth management missed?
Health is the answer
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/smart-growth/
Ten Things Wrong With Sprawl
This publication draws on examples from across the country to identify
detrimental effects from sprawl development patterns, and to suggest
why it is time to pursue changes in law and policy to eliminate the
adverse consequences of our current development approach
http://www.elistore.org/reports_detail.asp?ID=11191
Bush Outlines 2008 Budget
$2.9 Trillion Plan Holds Little Good News for Planning
http://www.planning.org/apaadvocate/2007/february15.htm
February 13, 2007
Smart Growth Resource Library
Advancing Cross-Sector Sustainable Development for State and Local
Government
http://www.sustainlane.us/
APA Wants Your Best Practices Energy Strategies
APA and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute are currently
looking for planning documents and related publications that address
energy issues, to create a collection of best practices that make the
connection between energy and planning
http://www.planning.org/energy/call.htm
Edinburgh's green building code unveiled
All major new developments in Edinburgh will be forced to cut carbon
dioxide emissions and provide renewable energy sources on-site to
comply with a new "green" building code
http://www.newbuilder.co.uk/news/NewsFullStory.asp?ID=1821
Sustainability: Planning's Redemption or Curse?
Sustainability is often defined as a balance of the three E's: the
environment, the economy, and social equity
http://www.planetizen.com/node/22812
Methods for Managing Growth in Virginia, Maryland
Governments in Virginia and Maryland use different tools to regulate
growth, each with its pros and cons:
http://tinyurl.com/yseqcn
Municipalities Considering Amending Digital Billboard Regulations
There are about 450,000 roadside billboards in the United States
advertising everything from highway amenities to tourist attractions.
Currently, 400 of them are digital billboards, and their numbers are
estimated to grow tenfold within the next decade
http://tinyurl.com/33xh4d
Running a Railroad
Its schedules are undependable, prices high and on-board service of
middling quality. Yet demand for Amtrak’s inter-city service grows
http://www.governing.com/articles/2trans.htm
February 6, 2007
Retail 1-2-3: a new resource for communities
Retail 1-2-3 is the third in a series of free workbooks designed to help
Illinois communities achieve balanced growth (
http://www.metroplanning.org/articleDetail.asp?objectID=3689
Incorporating Sustainability Into Community Development
Despite its ubiquity in the community development literature, the concept
of sustainability continues to be marginal in its impact on local public
policies and programs
http://www.planetizen.com/node/22756
Comprehensive Guide to Sustainable Municipal Planning
http://msp.munilink.
net/digitalAssets/249_MSP_CompleteGuidebook_June06.pdf
Understanding Employer-Assisted Housing
Article describes how the private sector — particularly employers — can
work with public incentive programs and nonprofits to provide housing for
workers
http://www.planning.org/thecommissioner/Winter07/eahousing.htm
Indiana aims to keep students home for college, beyond
Indiana wants its best students to stick around for college and afterward
-- and the Governor proposes paying them to do so
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/02/06/brain.drain.ap/index.html
A Population on the Move
Do U.S. automakers have any new ideas about how to make congested,
polluted cities more accessible? Can they think beyond 1.8 cars per
household?
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/coming_up.cfm?
showsmartcityID=323
North Dakota issues first hemp production licenses to 2 farmers
North Dakota issued the nation's first licenses to grow industrial hemp to
two farmers who still must meet federal requirements before they can
plant the crop
http://tinyurl.com/2vkrl3
January 29, 2007
Smart Growth Implementation Assistance
The EPA has developed the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance
(SGIA) Program
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/sgia.htm
5 Myths About Suburbia and Our Car-Happy Culture
The anti-suburbs culture has also fostered many myths about sprawl and
driving, a few of which deserve to be reconsidered
http://tinyurl.com/32o838
Car Free in America
The Alternative is Rail, Buses, Bikes and Just Plain Walking
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3570
APA’s City Parks Forum: Community Stories
Read case studies from across the country of cities that improved their
parks through community engagement, strong leadership and creative
partnerships
http://www.planning.org/cpf/difference.htm
January 22, 2007
Natural drainage systems can cut development costs
“Light-imprint” infrastructure reduced anticipated engineering expenses
31 percent
http://www.newurbannews.com/NatDrainageJanFeb07.html
But urbanism is environmentalism by other means
The environmentalism of urbanism is not about more green -- it's about
having people willingly living in high density. It's about willingly walking
rather than driving, and willingly taking transit
http://thetyee.ca/Views/2007/01/16/Duany/
Kids aren't carpoolers
Carpool lanes don't work. Maybe it would help to require at least one
passenger be a licensed driver
http://tinyurl.com/3x5zmx
Using Tax Increment Financing for Brownfields Redevelopment
http://tinyurl.com/2vrqbf
Making Main Street Legal Again
The SmartCode Solution to Sprawl
http://law.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=4607&context=expresso
Find toxic wastelands via Google Earth
The Environmental Protection Agency wants to make it easier for Google,
Microsoft and other enterprising online mappers to spread the word
about potentially hazardous sites in your neighborhood
http://tinyurl.com/36dnw3
China Trade Mission Open
National League of Cities will collaborate with the U.S.-China Exchange
Association to offer American municipal officials and their local business
partners the opportunity to visit China and explore commercial
opportunities
http://www.nlc.
org/Newsroom/Nation_s_Cities_Weekly/Weekly_NCW/2007/01/22/13249.
cfm
Top Planning Issues Of 2006
From green building to the housing bubble, the editors of Planetizen
review the most talked about stories of 2006
http://www.planetizen.com/node/22460
Increasing the Availability of Affordable Homes: A Handbook of High-
Impact State and Local Solutions
Identifies 22 high-impact policies that state and local leaders can
implement to expand the supply of affordable homes in their jurisdictions
http://www.homesforworkingfamilies.org/media/policyhandbook/
Communities brace for effects of BRAC
A year and a half after the Pentagon announced its Base Realignment
and Closure (BRAC) list, cities and counties that are losing military
installations are fighting to form solid redevelopment plans
http://tinyurl.com/3xeezv
January 16, 2007
The Great Lakes diversion at Chicago and its implications for climate
change
Future lower lake levels (reflecting a drier climate) will lead to conflicts
related to existing and proposed diversions, and these conflicts would be
exacerbated by the consequences of global warming. In any event, a
warmer, drier climatic regime will challenge existing laws and institutions
for dealing with Great Lakes water issues
http://www.springerlink.com/content/w9tn566v2ml86123/
New Anti-Sprawl Tactics Considered in Connecticut
Avon could become the first Connecticut town to adopt a novel, anti-
sprawl approach that lets developers acquire rights to build more
housing near the village center in exchange for paying landowners in out-
of-the-way sections to keep their property undeveloped
http://tinyurl.com/2ulpw2
On Common Ground
People who care about inclusion and diversity are viewing Smart Growth,
which supports a greater diversity and connectivity in the physical pattern
of growth, as one tool to bring people together across racial and class
lines. Coupled with policies and approaches that reduce racial barriers
and provide increased economic opportunities for minorities, Smart
Growth can get us closer to our ideal of one America
http://www.realtor.org/SG3.nsf/Pages/winter07?OpenDocument
January 9, 2007
Making Other Arrangements
The far-flung housing subdivisions, commercial highway strips, big-box
stores, and all the other furnishings and accessories of extreme car
dependence will function poorly, if at all, in an oil-scarce future
http://www.orionmagazine.org/pages/om/07-1om/Kunstler.html
Smart City Radio: Development and Land Use
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/past_shows.cfm?
showsmartcityID=318
Geothermal power moves ahead as reliable source of renewable
energy
Tighter emissions controls and rising fuel costs are spurring demand for
renewable energy, prompting utilities around the world to tap
underground resources previously considered too costly to develop
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/04/bloomberg/bxheat.php
Buildings That Breathe
Green Construction is Coming of Age
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3525
In Oregon, it's now jobs and the environment
Business leaders embrace a plan that calls for building on the state's
hard-won expertise in sustainability
http://tinyurl.com/yfgaqg
How to fight global warming without the federal government's help
http://tinyurl.com/ykmonq
Direct and Indirect Impacts of Urbanization on Wetland Quality
The purpose of the Wetlands & Watersheds Article Series is to expand
the Center’s current watershed protection guidance, tools, and resources
to provide guidance to local communities on how to integrate wetlands
into larger watershed protection efforts
http://www.cwp.org/wetlands/articles.htm
American Planning Association’s China Study Tour
JUNE 9-19, 2007 • BEIJING, NANJING, SUZHOU, SHANGHAI
http://www.planning.org/APAinChina/studytour/index.htm
Economic Gardening
An Entrepreneurial Approach to Economic Development
http://www.littletongov.org/bia/economicgardening/
Planner's Estimating Guide/CD: Projecting Land-Use and Facility Needs
This book gives planning practitioners a powerful tool to help decide
where to put this new development. It does not advocate one
development scenario over another, but it revolutionizes the job of
estimating land-use and facility needs
http://www.planning.org/APAStore/Search/Default.aspx?p=1857
January 2, 2007
Wal-Mart's annual power bill tops out at about $1 billion
The world's biggest retailer is experimenting with a green building
strategy aimed at cutting stores' energy use by 30% over three years
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/GreenWalMart.aspx?
GT1=8995
Your Home: Is 'going green' worth the cost?
http://tinyurl.com/y6n2um
Revenge of the Small
Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are creating strategies to encourage the
development of modest, more affordable houses
http://tinyurl.com/ykfqrr
A Guide to Transportation Opportunities in Your Community
Reviews how federal surface transportation law can be used to support
local and statewide efforts to build more livable communities and expand
travel option
http://www.transact.org/PDFs/margins2006/STPP_guidebook_margins.
Developing an altered land
How do some of America's best minds in the real estate and urban
development game — leaders and friends of the Urban Land Institute —
react to projections of 100 million more people by 2043?
http://tinyurl.com/yztn49
L.A., Long Ruled by Cars, Becoming a Transit Leader
Demeaned as a car-crazed megalopolis where people drive two blocks
to valet-park at the dry cleaners, Los Angeles is on the road to fashioning
one of the best public transit systems in the nation.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/12/16/AR2006121600923.html
Oregon’s Measure 37 anniversary brings challenges
While the landmark property-rights initiative passed with a clear margin,
since the measure became law local and state governments have
struggled to make sense of what to do with claims that would establish
quarries and housing developments in land previously set aside for
agriculture or green space
http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?
story_id=116648894162251400
Can 'New Urbanism' Also Provide Affordable Housing?
http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/227521.html
Regional Strategies and Local Tools for Reclaiming Vacant Properties
http://www.vacantproperties.org/technical/programs/buffalo.html
December 26, 2006
Bus Transit Service in Land Development Planning
Examines successful strategies that assist in the incorporation of bus
transit service into land developments, as well as the challenges that
transit agencies face when attempting to do so
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=7085
Is That a Good Assumption? How to make sure you don't confuse
projections with actual planning
If Census Bureau projections are correct, the U.S. will add an average of
2.5 million new residents a year for the next 40 years. That is like adding
another city of Chicago onto the continent every year — except that the
newcomers will be spread out
http://www.planning.org/planning/nonmember/default1.htm
Growth plan holds line
An ambitious plan intended to serve as a blueprint for development of
Miami-Dade County's last frontier would hold the line on suburbia right
where it is until at least 2025
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/16303454.htm
GreenMapping.org Interactive Map Launched
The Center for Neighborhood Technoology and Openlands partnered to
compile data for 14 counties throughout the Chicago region and mapped
out 20 layers of green infrastructure data
http://www.greenmapping.org/map
Water: From Trouble to Treasure
A Pocket Guide to “Green” Solutions
http://www.cnt.org/repository/Water_booklet_final.pdf
“Superfund Liability: A Continuing Obstacle to Brownfields
Redevelopment”
Local government property acquisition is one of the key tools needed to
facilitate brownfields redevelopment
http://www.nalgep.org/publications/PublicationsDetail.cfm?
LinkAdvID=72956
December 21, 2006
Seattle's Green Building program
With a mission to make green building standard practice, Seattle's Green
Building program is organized to inspire, advise and support project
teams, and to create value for green building projects
http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/news/20061207a.asp
"Green" Building Standards
Boston is expected to become the first major city in the nation to require
private developers of large projects to adhere to strict "green" building
standards
http://www.boston.
com/business/articles/2006/12/20/boston_ready_to_go_green/
Cities Still Struggle to Meet Local Housing Needs
Three-fourths of local housing officials report that the spiraling cost of
housing is significantly limiting the opportunities for homeownership for
lower-income people and younger families
http://tinyurl.com/yatnhk
Trip Tool
Do you know where you're going? Do you know how you're going to get
there? If not, never fear. With a new online service, search giant Google
and King County, Wash., can help you figure it out
http://www.govtech.net/magazine/story.php?id=102695
Many cities changing one-way streets back
Switching one-way streets to two-way to improve commerce downtown
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-12-20-twoway_x.htm
December 11, 2006
Land-use planning for the masses
A storefront office, called U-Plan Community Planning Studio, is a land-
use wonk's dream, but it is already generating some grass-roots interest.
With big-box retailers sniffing around and a light-rail line on the horizon for
St. Paul's University Avenue, supporters say it gives the little guy a new
weapon in the ongoing battle to reshape the Central Corridor
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/16172909.htm
Hooray for Sprawlywood
Southern California's development model has its critics, but it's rooted in
a powerful idea. As the world adopts our rampant growth, we are
reassessing our civic structure
http://tinyurl.com/yzats2
Addressing NIMBY concerns
83% of suburban Americans say they do not want new development in
their communities. Most say their communities are already
overdeveloped or "fine the way they are."
http://www.sddt.com/News/article.cfm?SourceCode=20061107crc
Smart growth not so smart?
To the extent that there's been anything about the economy still worrying
some journalists and media analysts in recent months, it has been
softness in the housing market
http://tinyurl.com/yh3ptd
Smart Growth label is often misused, resulting in more sprawl
Smart Growth is much more than just a visual form of development with
special building codes to regulate density, height, setbacks and colors
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20061206/COLUMNIST13/612060618
Gated Communities Go West
New developments seek nature, then fence it in with New Ruralism
http://www.utne.com/webwatch/2006_278/news/12355-1.html
Rail~Volution 2006 Presentations
Presentations for the conference held November 5-8 in Chicago, Il
http://www.railvolution.com/2006conferencepapers.html
Safety, Growth, and Equity
Infrastructure Policies That Promote Opportunity and Inclusion
http://www.policylink.org/pdfs/Safety_Growth_Equity.pdf
Survey: Your Input Needed on Mixed-Use Development Constraints
http://www.planning.org/knowledge/asusurvey.htm
December 4, 2006
The Next Thing: Miles Per House?
The cost of energy likely will play a more important role in home buying
decisions, with "house miles" (the number of miles a home is from
employment, retail, education and entertainment) becoming a deal
breaker or maker, according to land use industry experts
http://tinyurl.com/ye88ru
Green belt under threat in planning overhaul
Britain's historic green belt planning rules, which have helped prevent
urban sprawl for 70 years, should be reviewed to allow thousands of new
homes to be built, a government report said
http://tinyurl.com/ycbblx
As We Add Millions: How Do WE Stay Mobile?
By 2043, we're being told, there won't just be 300 million of us -- there will
be 400 million. With the roadways around our metropolitan regions
increasingly clogged, how will we ever stay mobile?
http://postwritersgroup.com/archives/peir1126.html
“Now That You’re On Board: How to Survive and Thrive as a Planning
Commissioner”
http://plannersweb.com/onboard.html
November 29, 2006
The Billboard Shakedown Scheme
Over the past few years, there has been a sharp spike in the number of
lawsuits filed against municipalities seeking to strike down the entirety of
a municipal sign code
http://www.planning.org/thecommissioner/Fall06/billboards.htm
High-Performance Infrastructure
In places where communities struggle with ever-expanding areas of
impervious pavement and degraded water quality—and where flooding
and drought are becoming a larger part of the picture—earth-based
landscape approaches can have a measurable benefit
http://www.planetizen.com/files/21901.pdf
San Diego council bans supercenter-size stores
In a move that pits the city squarely against Wal-Mart, San Diego joined a
growing list of cities placing restrictions on large retail developments,
banning stores of more than 90,000 square feet that use 10 percent of
their space to sell groceries and other merchandise not subject to sales
tax
http://tinyurl.com/ykse8y
Visitability Standards
All new single-family houses constructed in Bolingbrook, Illinois, must
now conform to "visitability" standards established by the village to
ensure that these homes are accessible to individuals with mobility
impairments
http://www.icma.org/main/ld.asp?ldid=19944&ideas=1&mgtinsite=1
Webcast on Brownfields Financing Options for Disadvantaged
Communities
First 100 Registrants Free
https://www.lgean.org/html/whatsnew.cfm?id=1122
Water quality impacts of land use changes
The Local Government Environmental Assistance Network launched an
online tool to help local government planners measure the water quality
impacts of land use changes
http://www.ecn.purdue.edu/runoff/lthianew/
Cities Compete in Hipness Battle to Attract Young
http://tinyurl.com/y4ucts
European Cities Do Away With Traffic Signs
European traffic planners are dreaming of streets free of rules and
directives
http://tinyurl.com/wppac
U.S. Department Of Sprawl
Local officials in the Washington, D.C. area, beset with increasing traffic,
energy use, pollution and loss of woods and farms to exurban
development, are trying to direct development to town centers and transit
corridors
http://tinyurl.com/y7vmqh
How density benefits communities
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy has created an online, interactive
resource that provides users with a foundation for understanding how
density benefits communities
http://www.lincolninst.edu/subcenters/visualizing_density/index.aspx
November 21, 2006
DC’s Green Building Legislation
After years of presidential neglect on global climate change, states and
localities have had to pioneer their own approaches to reducing the
atmospheric pollution they produce
http://tinyurl.com/yf7foa
Iowa scores an ethanol coup
A small ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa, will be converted into a 125
million-gallon-a-year commercial-scale biorefinery — the first
commercial-sized ethanol plant in the United States
http://tinyurl.com/yazn3h
Urban Design to Reduce Automobile Dependence
http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1013&context=cssd/opolis
A Citizens Guide To Subdivisions and Smart Growth
http://tinyurl.com/ydmdnx
Moving Toward High Performance Infrastructure
Why not carry the greening concept over to the streets as well?
http://www.planetizen.com/files/21901.pdf
November 15, 2006
WakeUpWalMart.com
http://wakeupwalmart.com/
Florida Green Building Coalition
http://www.floridagreenbuilding.org/
Fridley, Minnesota considers agreement to tread more lightly on Earth
Fridley, Minnesota could become the latest U.S. city to agree to a set of
guidelines aimed at cutting pollution, conserving energy and slowing
global warming, but some officials have reservations
http://www.startribune.com/142/story/789548.html
Transportation is Fundamental
Many communities owe their existence to the routing first, of the railroad,
later, of the highway, and then of the interstate. Transportation is
fundamental to land values and the way communities grow.
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/coming_up.cfm?
showsmartcityID=312
November 14, 2006
Voters in CA, WA and ID reject efforts to gut local zoning and
environmental protections
Using eminent domain as Trojan Horse fails to fool most voters
http://smartgrowthamerica.
org/documents/SGATakingsrelease110806_000.pdf
Indiana Governor wants toll road loop around Indianapolis
But his plan to build a privately run, 75-mile toll bypass through five
counties is also raising concerns that the new highway would invite
sprawl, harm the environment and lead to the possible forced seizure of
land by the state
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20061110/LOCAL/61109043/1006
Salt Lake City, Utah Embraces Green Building
City Council members adopted an ordinance requiring builders of
commercial structures, apartments and condos to meet national
environmental building standards if they are funded by city loans, grants
or tax rebates
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_4622261?source=email
Linking Land Use Planning and the Food Environment
An emerging issue in the smart growth field is the link between a healthy
food environment and good land use planning
http://icma.org/sgn/newsdetail.cfm?nfid=2666&id=#autoID
Economics 101: what travel and tourism mean for your county
The American Hotel and Lodging Association reports that tourism is
currently the nation’s third largest retail industry
http://www.naco.org/CountyNewsTemplate.cfm?
template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=21771
Tale of a Warehouse Shows How Chicago Weathers a Decline
After Montgomery Ward Exits, City's Diverse Industries Transform a
Neighborhood
http://tinyurl.com/yzk77j
The Vital Center: A Federal-State Compact to Renew the Great Lakes
Region
The Great Lakes Economic Initiative focuses on the declining economic
competitiveness of the Great Lakes Region and what can be done to
strengthen this critical area
http://www.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/20061020_renewgreatlakes.htm
Active Living By Design
Active Living by Design draws from a variety of disciplines such as urban
planning and design, public health, community development,
transportation, and parks and recreation
http://www.activelivingbydesign.org/index.php?id=13
The Politics of Play
There is a movement afoot to create recreational spaces that better serve
our cities and our children
http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=2389
November 7, 2006
Livable Communities in Congress
Did you know that in the United States Congress, there is a task force on
Livable Communities?
http://blumenauer.house.gov/Issues/CaucusSummary.aspx?
NewsID=1077&IssueID=11/
Minneapolis, Minnesota preserves land for industrial use
The city wants to keep industries and manufacturing jobs in the city, not
the suburbs
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/787460.html
Where Do We Put the Next Hundred Million?
It’s now expected that 70 percent of our coming population and economic
growth will take place in some 10 American “megaregions”
http://tinyurl.com/yjnc9g
Bread Basket Case
What if the Midwest stopped trying to feed the world and started focusing
on itself? Corn-based ethanol production has been hailed as a cure-all
for the region's farm economy
http://www.grist.org/comments/food/2006/11/01/farmbelt/index.html
How Migration Patterns of College Graduates Affect Cities
“America’s educated elite are clustering in a few cities – and leaving the
rest of the country behind”
http://tinyurl.com/yaw7s2
Resources for Housing Choice and Affordability
10 ways that planners can encourage housing choice and affordability
http://www.planning.org/features/2006/housingtop10.htm
Investing in Transportation: A Benchmarking Study of Transportation
Funding and Policy
Presented by the Pennsylvania Economy League (PEL), this study
compares the effectiveness of transportation policy, implementation and
funding for Pennsylvania and other states -- including Ohio, New York,
New Jersey, Michigan and Illinois
http://www.smartgrowth.org/library/articles.asp?art=2451&res=1680
November 1, 2006
PropertyFairness.org
Property Fairness helps residents oppose takings proposals and other
efforts to undermine vital locally adopted protections for homeowners and
communities and impose tremendous costs on taxpayers
http://www.propertyfairness.org/
Feds Undermining Fight Against Sprawl
As they battle sprawl, Washington-area leaders say they face a stubborn
foe: the United
States government
http://tinyurl.com/sno5x
Ministries and Departments of Sustainable Development
Federal governments everywhere are not structured to recognize -- much
less address -- the serious environmental pressures they face, and as a
result end up responding militarily. The alternative? Ministries and
Departments of Sustainable Development
http://www.planetizen.com/node/21641
Housing density bonus expected to boost affordable for-sale options in
San Diego, California
http://www.sddt.com/News/article.cfm?SourceCode=20061026cra
The number of downtown residents in the nation's largest cities is
expected to grow by 2010, according to a survey
http://www.nh.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20061027/BUSINESSREVIEW04/61026003/-1/BUSINESSREVIEW
Brownfield to brightfield
Rather than convert its remaining brownfields into tire recycling plants or
tow lots, the city this week introduced the nation's largest "brightfield" -- a
3.7-acre lot filled with 1,395 solar panels arranged in neat, long rows
http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/10/27/baard/index.html
Mega-Regions Presentation
Using a combination of maps and graphics, this presentation describes
several U.S. mega-regions and provides an overview of growth trends.
http://www.fundersnetwork.org/info-url_nocat2778/info-url_nocat_show.
htm?doc_id=413441
Higher Density Development: Myth and Fact
http://tinyurl.com/wcqtd
Stormwater Guidelines for Green, Dense Redevelopment
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/emeryville.htm
Sweeteners may sour home values
The proliferation of incentives--from flat screen TVs and cars to six
months' free mortgage payments--to lure buyers into the residential real
estate market is causing a potential headache: It's beginning to blur the
true selling price of homes
http://tinyurl.com/ye78wz
October 17, 2006
Property Wrongs: Lessons from Oregon on "Property Rights"
“Property Wrongs”, a report by the Seattle-based Sightline Institute,
documents a growing backlash against "property rights" initiatives by
chronicling six stories of Oregon communities deeply affected by
Oregon's Measure 37
http://www.sightline.org/research/sprawl/res_pubs/property-
fairness/property-wrongs-pdf
Commuting Costs Outweigh Savings of Living in Suburbs
“A Heavy Load: The Combined Housing and Transportation Burdens of
Working Families”, shows how high commuting costs outweigh the
benefits of lower cost suburban housing in the long term
http://www.nhc.org/pdf/pub_heavy_load_10_06.pdf
Commuting in America III
Commuting in America III report contains 155 figures, 79 tables, and
some 100 "factlets" that tell the story of America’s commuting trends and
patterns over the last ten years
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=6699
Honey, Our House Is Historic!
Buildings from the mid-20th century are becoming eligible for landmark
status. Local governments are trying to decide which are worth preserving
http://www.governing.com/articles/10modern.htm
Connecticut to Tackle Responsible Growth from the State Level
If left unchecked, sprawl will continue to fragment the landscape, impair
our ability to remain economically competitive, consume precious natural
resources, waste energy and pollute our air and water
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?
art=5696&state=7&res=1024
Charles Shaw: On Architect Doug Farr and His Plans to Take LEED to
the Next Level
LEED Neighborhood Development would emphasis sustainability of
entire communities, instead of individual buildings“
http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/10/12/shaw/index.html
Smart Growth Image Bank
The Environmental Law and Policy Center offers free Smart Growth
Image Bank CDs, depicting Midwestern examples of sustainable
development practices versus sprawl
http://www.elpc.org/transportation/smartgrowth/index.php
Model Smart Growth Ordinances
The APA researched and compiled 11 model smart growth ordinances,
including pedestrian overlay districts, cluster development and street
connectivity
http://planning.org/smartgrowthcodes/phase1.htm#1
Local Brownfield Financing Tools
Structures and Strategies for Spurring Cleanup and Redevelopment
http://tinyurl.com/y9akl3
Map Reveals Chicago’s Hot Spots in Need of Trees
The Chicago Department of Planning is using satellite imaging to locate
‘urban heat islands.’ This information informs planners on where to plant
additional trees in order to cool temperatures and decrease energy use
http://tinyurl.com/vjrns
October 13, 2006
Study: Commuting Cost Cancels Suburban Savings
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/10/11/AR2006101101883.html
First-time home buyers say market harsh
It may be a buyer's market for homes and prices may be holding steady,
but a new poll shows 80 percent of Americans believe it is more difficult
to be a first-time purchaser
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?
storyid=53066
October 10, 2006
Smarter Land Use and Community Development
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/past_shows.cfm?
showsmartcityID=305&PageNum_getsmartshows=1
Reality Check Plus
Maryland’s Reality Check Plus Releases Report on Innovative, State-
Wide Planning Exercise
http://www.realitycheckmaryland.org/
How America grows: A tale of two cities
Gilbert, Arizona, and Portland, Oregon, have approached expansion in two
very different ways
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1003/p01s02-ussc.html
China’s Ambitious ‘Eco-City’
The first residents will move in within five years. The city will be self-
sufficient in energy and water and will generate almost no carbon
emissions
http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=7904126
Water, Bridges, and Sewers
Seven Principles for Achieving Racial and Economic Equity in
Infrastructure Planning
http://www.policylink.org/PolicyMatters.html
The Bankers Must Be Renters
How Can the Cost of Housing Move in the Opposite Direction of Inflation?
http://tinyurl.com/f5wgr
Good News About Takings
This guidebook explains what commissioners and other officials need to
know about the new takings standards in easy-to-understand language
http://www.planning.org/APAStore/Search/Default.aspx?p=3501
No friends? Blame the traffic, says NYC study
Heavy traffic on the street where you live severely limits your ability to
know your neighbors and to enjoy the outdoors
http://tinyurl.com/l33pb
Michigan Legislature Passes Act to Discourage School Sprawl
Recommendation that the state require schools boards to follow their
communities’ master plans, instead of continuing to allow the boards to
make siting decisions independent of local planning
http://www.mlui.org/growthmanagement/fullarticle.asp?fileid=17087
October 3, 2006
New Document Available on Technology Options for Brownfields
Cleanup
EPA has produced the fourth edition of the “Brownfields Road Map to
Understanding Innovative Technology Options for Brownfields
Investigation and Cleanup”
http://www.brownfieldstsc.org/roadmap/home.cfm
Stormwater Outreach Materials Available from EPA
“The Role of Local Governments in Implementing the NPDES Stormwater
Program for Construction Sites”, is a new brochure that provides local
governments with a brief overview of the NPDES Stormwater Program on
construction sites
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwatermonth.cfm
Plans Continue for $12 Billion Trans-Texas Corridor Project
TTC-69, just a part of the state’s Trans-Texas Corridor Project, would run
from Northeast Texas to the Mexican border. Farmers and private land
owners have expressed concern over the possible use of eminent
domain, and discussion continues over the feasibility of exclusively using
private funds
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4223296.html
The Next Generation of American Public Spaces
The parks of today are being created on land reclaimed from industry,
urban infrastructure, and military use
http://www.goodmagazine.com/issue001/Public_Domain
Rethinking Farm Policy: Subsidies, Sprawl, and Globalization
America's farm policy has many detractors -- conservationists,
economists, environmentalists, and yes, even city planners
http://www.planetizen.com/node/21408
Riding Streetcars Back to the Future
Minneapolis has put up for sale nine of its downtown parking decks while
investigating a return to streetcars along a half-dozen possible routes. It's
all part of a land-locked city trying to accommodate growth and vitality in
its central districts without inducing more traffic
http://www.startribune.com/561/story/711180.html
Sustainable Planning for Aging in Place
Resource list to assist communities in accessing tools and data related
to planning for aging populations
http://icma.org/main/ld.asp?from=search&ldid=19657&hsid=1&t=0
Getting Communities on Track for an Aging Population
“The Maturing of America - Getting Communities on Track for an Aging
Population” finds that less than half of American cities and counties have
plans in place to meet the needs of aging baby boomers
http://www.n4a.org/pdf/MOAFinalReport.pdf
The Smart Watershed Benchmarking Tool
This self-assessment tool helps local program managers make better
decisions on watershed restoration priorities to maximize the
performance of staff and financial resources.
http://www.cwp.org/
Parking Management Best Practices
An excerpt from a new Planners Press book leads the way to more
sensible parking solutions
http://www.planning.org/planning/nonmember/default1.htm
September 27, 2006
Smart Growth Publication Showcases Development at its Best
“This is Smart Growth”, illustrates and explains smart growth concepts
and outcomes
http://www.smartgrowth.org/library/articles.asp?art=2367&res=1280
The Shape of Things to Come
If you want to learn about metropolitan areas, a good way is to study
retailing trends. And what does retail teach us about metro areas these
days? The suburban form, as we've known it, is dead
http://www.civic-strategies.com/resources/news/011.htm
Regional Thinking
The Denver metropolitan area has been a model of regional cooperation,
with municipalities and counties working together to improve
infrastructure and accommodate growth
http://www.uli.org/AM/Template.cfm?
Section=Current_Issue&template=/CM/ContentDisplay.
cfm&ContentID=69053
Does Maryland’s ‘Live Near Your Work’ Program Benefit Homebuyers
and Contribute to Sprawl?
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?
art=5660&state=21&res=1680
American Public Transportation Association Reports 3.2 Percent
Increase in Ridership in First Half of 2006
Lightrail use experienced the highest growth with a 9.4 percent usage
increase.
http://www.apta.com/media/releases/060921_ridership_climbs.cfm
Five Myths About Sprawl
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=518181
Workforce Housing: Innovative Strategies and Best Practices
Highlights how three cities implemented successful policies and
development strategies and to create and preserve moderately priced
workforce housing
http://www.uli.org/AM/Template.cfm?
Section=Bookstore&Template=Ecommerce/ProductDisplay.
cfm&Productid=1624
MIT’s OpenCourseWare: Accessible Course Materials in Urban
Planning and Policy
MIT offers free and open educational resources, including information
from the Urban Planning and Policy Department
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Urban-Studies-and-Planning/index.htm
September 25, 2006
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Zoning committee approves housing fund
Common Council expected to vote on plan to issue bonds supporting low-
income residences
http://tinyurl.com/nxdya
Sixty-three cities and counties fail to meet Florida's mandate on
growth policies
The state has placed a moratorium on developments that seek major
zoning changes, such as agricultural and residential
http://tinyurl.com/nzkrn
September 14, 2006
How Rail Impacts Retail
A successful transit line means a more intense commercial life around
the stations, and that means higher property values, higher rents and the
invasion of chain stores
http://www.governing.com/articles/9assess.htm
Building Lifestyle Centers Instead Of Malls
"Lifestyle centers," are becoming very popular with shopping center
architects and designers. Gone are the big anchor stores, enormous
parking lots and food courts. In their place are smaller stores, walkable
streets, fountains and sidewalks
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5748357
All Aboard!
Light rail - small passenger trains that, unlike underground trains or
commuter railways, often use an overhead electricity source and may
operate in the streets - is suddenly booming across America
http://economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7855218
September 11, 2006
Stuck in Traffic
Free-Market Theory Meets the Highway Lobby
http://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/?article=658
The Campaign Against Land Use Planning
Tthe fallout from Oregon's landmark rollback of land-use planning,
Measure 37
http://www.newwest.net/index.php/topic/article/11269/C57/L35
This Is Smart Growth
Highlights 40 communities around the country that envisioned and
realized smart growth strategies which ultimately improved its residents’
quality of life
http://www.smartgrowth.org/library/articles.asp?art=2367
Rooftops to Rivers
Green Strategies for Controlling Stormwater and Combined Sewer
Overflows
http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/rooftops/contents.asp
September 5, 2006
Thanks to ‘Snob Zoning’ and Uninterested Politicians, the Affordable
Housing Crisis has Gone Suburban
http://tinyurl.com/lcm8s
Podcast - Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk Discusses Urban Renewal - Part 1
http://www.planetizen.com/node/21039
Can We Afford New Urbanism?
http://pine-magazine.com/content.php?id=103
Rooftops to Rivers: Green Strategies for Controlling Stormwater and
Combined Sewer Overflows
http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/rooftops/contents.asp
Water Conservation Programs- A Planning Manual
A new resource from the American Water Works Association
http://www.awwa.org/bookstore/product.cfm?id=30052
August 30, 2006
Back to School: Education booms into an $850 billion enterprise
Nationwide, more than $500 billion a year is spent on elementary and
secondary education and $350 billion on degree-granting colleges and
universities, according to the federal Digest of Education Statistics
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06242/717293-298.stm
Developer sues Baltimore for manipulating its zoning process
A developer who wanted to restore a historic gatehouse in Northeast
Baltimore has filed a $20 million lawsuit in federal court in Baltimore,
alleging that the city "wrongfully manipulated its zoning process"
http://tinyurl.com/k59y8
One million new homes could be built on brownfield land
New statistics show that existing stocks of available "brownfield" land
could accommodate up to one million new homes
http://tinyurl.com/emo78
August 29, 2006
American architecture is still reeling from the 9/11 attacks
Critics and architects say that security now trumps design, as barricades
and mall-like plazas are sucking the soul out of urban life
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/08/22/architecture/
Innovative Urban Reuse in Boise
How one Idaho firm is planning to revitalize “waste” space.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20060822/NEWS02/608220356
Exploring the Land-Use and Body Weight Connection
Where we live plays an important role in how much we exercise and in
how healthy we are
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/08/20/REGMLKLAOE1.
DTL
Experts Warn U.S. is Coming Apart at the Seams
The American Society of Civil Engineers last year graded the nation "D"
for its overall infrastructure conditions, estimating that it would take $1.6
trillion over five years to fix the problem
http://seattletimes.nwsource.
com/html/nationworld/2003226851_fragile26.html
Water Conservation Programs- A Planning Manual
A new resource from the American Water Works Association
http://www.awwa.org/bookstore/product.cfm?id=30052
August 22, 2006
What is a Wetland?
A recent split decision by the U.S. Supreme Court left unanswered
questions that local officials have long-struggled with, including the
federal government's definition of a wetland.
http://americancityandcounty.com/mag/government_wetland/
Marrying Historic Districts and Infill
First the enemy was neglect. Then it was urban renewal. Now it's
teardowns. Older neighborhoods are hot targets for new investment, and
preservation review boards are struggling to shape new construction into
forms compatible with the older urban character
http://www.planning.org/planning/nonmember/default1.htm
Opinion: High-density growth is a transportation disaster in the making
http://tinyurl.com/zltno
Public, Private Partnerships at Work Throughout the Chicago Region
http://www.metroplanning.org/press/oped.asp?
objectID=3481&authorID=1
Florida County Approves Traditional-Neighborhood-Design Ordinance
In an area known more for its sprawling suburbs and commuter lifestyle,
new communities with a retro feel are on the cutting edge of
neighborhood design
http://www.sptimes.
com/2006/08/13/Business/The_new_look_of_commu.shtml
New World Bank Energy Plan Favors “Clean” Fossil Fuels, Ignores
Connection Between Energy Consumption and Land-Use
A critique from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development,
but not a word on land-use planning
http://tinyurl.com/orx8o
Stuck in Traffic: Free-Market Theory Meets the Highway Lobby
http://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/?article=658
The Question That Haunts Smart Growth
How does adding large numbers of people to a neighborhood benefit
those who are already there?
http://www.civic-strategies.com/resources/news/026.htm
Hispanic Housing in the United States 2006
http://tinyurl.com/nmkzw
Green Infrastructure Case Studies
Information on how communities are working to preserve and rebuild
ecologocial links
http://www.greeninfrastructure.net/?article=2086
Combating Problems of Vacant and Abandoned Properties: Best
Practices in 27 Cities
http://www.knowledgeplex.org/showdoc.html?id=191145
Toolkit Provides Means to Advance Affordable Housing
The Washington (DC) Area Housing Partnership's Toolkit for Affordable
Housing Development explores a variety of techniques to promote the
creation of affordable housing
http://www.huduser.org/rbc/search/rbcdetails.asp?DocId=1367
Unlikely urban areas face water shortages
http://americancityandcounty.
com/mag/government_unlikely_urban_areas/
August 16, 2006
Congress Approves Expansion of Tax Incentives for Donated
Conservation Easements