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Cuyahoga County Planning Commission has a weblog. My understanding is that it's the internal staff's blog to keep track of events and news that are relevant to the Commission.

Subway maps of the world

Presented at the same scale. Fascinating to compare. (via)

Politics and the New Urbanism

City Comforts has an interesting, and cautionary, post up about the ability of New Urbanism to fit (or not) across the political spectrum.

Pretty, Pricey and Oh So Crowded

I am unaccountably perturbed by this Washington Post review of a California townhouse development. (And it's not just because the Post doesn't indicate that the author might have an interest in a negative review.

I think it has to do with the author's focus on the downsides of dense development, while barely noticing the context that makes it desirable. It might also be because she seems shocked--Shocked, I tell you!--that architects make trade-offs when designing buildings. Or maybe it's just that she assumes that people insatiably require more and more space.

Gentrification Discussion March 4

The Planner's Network is holding our first event of the semester on THURSDAY
MARCH 4th at 4:30 (room TBA) discussing the topic of Gentrification.  Please
join us!

We encourage everyone to come with questions/comments - this is not a lecture but rather a chance for us to address an issue we as planners often refer to without having a more detailed understanding of what we are suggesting.

How do you define gentrification?
How can planners address this issue?  Is it our place to prevent or encourage
this type of development?  
What are our alternatives?

Community involvement helps save endangered sea tutles in Nicaragua. (via)

Chicago puts tvs on suburban buses. (via, more)

Privately owned public space in New York. (via)

New date for first meeting

How does Sunday, February 1, at 5:00, sound? Discussion of possible discussions can still go here; comments on the suitability of February 1, or Sundays generally, can go here.

-Greg

What do we want to do?

Here are some of the ideas that have been talked about at previous meetings.

-Local servicce (e.g., Adopt-A-Family or working with the Detroit Project)
-Discussion (semi structured? weekly informal gatherings?)
-Host talks (national speakers, local speakers ... possibly look for some sort of in-kind service in lieu of payment?)
-Movie nights
-Participate in the national conference (which, apparently there's now a date for, but it isn't on the website yet)
-Coordinate or assist with forum or panel events
-Food fair/tour
-Trip to Detroit
-Visit AA/Ypsi planning departments
-Reach out to other groups, departments, schools