Once again, Harvard professor Ed Glaeser makes a persuasive case that the anti-urban bias of federal spending and policy continues.

Writing in The Boston Globe, Ed asserts that "the billions of dollars being spent on infrastructure across the nation
provide…

In this essay, Vishaan Chakrabarti argues for an alternative policy approach for the U.S. that tackles the fundamental challenges we face in an integrated, purposeful way with dense urban living at the heart of it.

He imagines leaders promoting “time-tested ideas of density and mass transportation, of cities…

Trendwatching.com has named Urbany a top ten trend of 2010.  As Trendwatching puts it, "Urban culture is the culture. Extreme urbanization, in 2010, 2011, 2012 and far beyond will lead to more sophisticated and demanding consumers around the world."  And demanding consumers lead to innovation. 

Read more here.

Those who met Enrique Penalosa at our national meeting in San Diego last spring know that he is unapologetically pro-urban, pro-pedestrian and anti-car.  We recently ran across a series of videos featuring Enrique's thoughts on a car-free world, investing in public space and cities as a means of achieving equality…

With home prices bottoming out in many areas nationally, people are looking for any way to get more for their homes. For some, there is a ray of hope….walkability. A new study says that if you want more dough for your house (tell us if anyone says no) it helps…

More from the brilliant Nate Silver's column from Esquire... "...suburban voters are starting to look — and behave — more like their urban brethren. According to a poll by the National Center for Suburban Studies, 20 percent of suburban voters are nonwhite — not much behind the national average…

Hint:  It wasn't rural America.  Check Nate Silver's chart in Esquire.

Bob Yaro, who continues to lead on good regional planning from his post as head of New York's Regional Plan Association, has prepared a statement to the new administration on the economic stimulus plan that outlines a five step program for infrastructure investment as part of the America 2050 Coalition:

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told the NYT that Starbucks is "more relevant to our customers than ever before...arguing that his cafes can be a refuge from the economic storm."  Schultz said, "We are not selling a commodity cup of coffee.  We have created a  unique experience."  But the company…

In the past week, I've been in South Africa and Canada, as well as the U.S., speaking and exchanging ideas with leaders.  It occurred to me that in all three nations, there is a romanticized notion of the role rural areas still play in their success. 

In the U.S., we've…

Here's how the New York Times describe the Carnegie Hall concert of Joao Gilberto: "...it is also very clearly an urban music, working its subtleties within confined spaces and rigid limitations, like an apartment dweller intent on not disturing neighbors."

The Center for an Urban Future (New York City) has published a new report that offers 51 specific recommendations for what Washington could do to help New York City. The recommendations encompass a wide range of the most critical issue areas affecting New York, including public safety, transportation infrastructure, economic…