Smart growth policy

News and resources relating to public initiatives on walkable communities and new urban planning.

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Tea Party activists fight green projects

What's a planner to do? One recommendation — take away the podium.

Sat, Feb 4th 2012 2:40pm

No, you don't need that much parking

A tenant-to-tenant talk can show potential urban office renters that they'll do just fine with less parking.

Tue, Jan 31st 2012 12:26pm

New funding for new infrastructure

Henry Cisneros argues that new urbanist principles can be applied to infrastructure, resulting in new, smarter, more efficient and more environmentally responsible public facilities.

Tue, Jan 31st 2012 11:37am

Why decline is not normal

The normal course of human development is for successful cities to continue to mature incrementally over time.

7 Thu, Jan 19th 2012 12:01pm

HUD announces new funding for Choice Neighborhoods

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the availability of $110 million in grants to transform public and assisted housing and to revitalize communities.

1 Fri, Jan 13th 2012 2:30pm

Public transit, gaining riders, needs help

Ridership has risen 31 percent since the mid-1990s—meriting more government support, not less.

Mon, Jan 2nd 2012 12:35pm

Agenda 21 and other wacky theories

Recent strange arguments: Smart growth is a UN conspiracy, and dying cities should not emulate thriving ones.

20 Fri, Dec 30th 2011 10:49am

Vancouver: city of green aspirations

The British Columbia city is working to reduce solid waste by half, cut residents' carbon footprints by a third, and greatly boost transit, walking, and biking.

2 Tue, Jan 3rd 2012 1:28pm

Sustainable Communities grants eliminated, Choice Neighborhoods increases, TIGER survives

The agreement preserves funding for transit and the innovative TIGER grants program, while zeroing out high-speed rail

Pro Mon, Nov 28th 2011 1:48pm

Odd spots in the urban grid? Turn them into plazas

New York City’s Department of Transportation has carved 54 plazas out of streets and other areas. More are on the way.

Pro Mon, Nov 28th 2011 10:57am

Commentary: No room for sense and vision

The $95 million Sustainable Communities planning grant program was a minuscule speck in the $3.7 trillion 2012 federal budget.

Mon, Nov 28th 2011 1:39pm

2011 Sustainable Communities grants announced

Less than a week after the innovative HUD grants program was eliminated, the 2011 recipients are announced.

Mon, Nov 21st 2011 12:18pm

Collaboration’s failing so it’s back to hypocrisy

Because the Sustainable Communities Initiative is only two years old, it may not have built sufficient support among all the private and public sector interests it needs to twist the right arms.

Fri, Nov 18th 2011 4:21pm

A 'slow growth' county shifts to smart growth

Montgomery County, Maryland, will try to encourage mixed-use development—urbanizing parts of what has been a predominantly suburban jurisdiction.

Tue, Nov 15th 2011 12:56pm

Critics assail Britain's new pro-sprawl policies

The Conservative-led UK government wants to encourage development in towns and rural areas, but opposition is intense.

Tue, Nov 1st 2011 11:11am

My right turn at the intersection of good ideas

When things get tough, people start digging in ideologically, increasingly viewing the world through the lens of their own experiences to fortify their already entrenched positions.

Fri, Oct 28th 2011 10:13am

Big-box input from community associations?

Montgomery County, Maryland, is considering requiring big-box retailers to negotiate with civic organizations before opening a store.

Thu, Oct 27th 2011 5:14pm

Sao Paulo's 'Big Worm' must go, planners say

Urban planners from across the globe urge Brazil's largest city to raze a 2.2-mile elevated highway that wiggles through Sao Paulo's center.

Wed, Oct 26th 2011 3:43pm

Despite social media, protesters still need a physical place

The protest movement in Zucotti Park shows how essential a civic gathering place is, says the new architecture critic of The New York Times.

1 Tue, Oct 18th 2011 3:06pm

Build parks beneath freeways? Great! Just don’t inhale

Conversion of land under elevated highways into public space may compromise public health.

7 Fri, Oct 14th 2011 1:24pm

Smart growth will lead to economic growth, New Jersey residents say

A poll by Monmouth University shows that the public associates smart growth with an improving economy.

Wed, Oct 12th 2011 2:25pm

Canadian urbanists turn regional

The Council for Canadian Urbanism, at its third annual summit, vows to reach beyond cities and engage "the whole region," including suburbanites.

Wed, Oct 12th 2011 11:47am

Supreme Court allows pollution fees on sprawl to continue

The US Supreme Court has decided to let stand a lower court ruling that affirms the right of a California pollution control agency to charge developers fees for building smog-causing sprawl.

1 Fri, Oct 7th 2011 9:42am

How to say yes to homeless shelters

An advocacy group in Vancouver has assembled a how-to manual in favor of such projects. But opponents say too many assisted residents in one place causes problems.

Sun, Sep 25th 2011 3:27pm

Pruitt-Igoe: More ego or opportunity for vocational penance?

The restoration of degraded, traumatized, and distressed communities has been a high priority for the Obama Administration.

Fri, Sep 23rd 2011 10:36am

Research

Smart growth will lead to economic growth, New Jersey residents say

A poll by Monmouth University shows that the public associates smart growth with an improving economy.

Wed, Oct 12th 2011 2:25pm

Vision Zero: A critical goal to prevent road fatalities

To paraphrase author Tom Vanderbilt, our nation’s traffic fatality rates are not a collection of “accidents,” but a longstanding public health crisis with far reaching impacts for all Americans.

6 Tue, Jun 21st 2011 4:19pm

Pain at the pump gets worse — and reveals automobile dependence

Many states, especially those in the South, are exceedingly vulnerable to rising fuel prices, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Sun, May 29th 2011 11:35am