Here’s the first edition of my urban news and views in 2011:

• The 5 Smartest Policies Enacted by American Cities in 2010: A look at 5 policies enacted by 5 cities last year that are making a difference. (AlterNet)

• The Ever-Rising Cost of America’s Highways: Gas taxes, tolls, and auto registration fees no longer ensure that our highways ‘pay for themselves’ (if they ever really did). Richard Florida asks “What can be done?” (The Atlantic)

• Cities on the Prowl: City leaders visit other cities around the world because they know that learning from others is cheaper and less risky than pursing untested ideas and ending up in false starts. (Citiscope)

• Measuring the historical diversity of a neighborhood: Jane Jacobs celebrated mixing the old and the new together. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could develop a measure of a neighborhoods historical diversity? (Grist)

• The Future of Urban Development: How can we turn cities into even greater engines of innovation and models of sustainability? (The Globalist)