During his dramatic presentation last April, President Barack Obama laid out a bold vision for high speed rail in America. Wielding a stylish red, white, and blue map (below) he presented the proposed corridors for new high speed trains. (Similar, if not identical, to plans long sitting on the shelf at the Federal Railway Administration.) He asked Americans to "Imagine whisking through towns at speeds over 100 miles an hour, walking only a few steps to public transportation, and ending up just blocks from your destination." In reality limited funds, our dysfunctional planning processes, and the historical lack of investment in rail will mean the U.S. will most likely end up with a diverse collection of regional rail systems that may not go that fast.
Infrastructure
Not Just About Jobs
When then-Pres. Bush signed a transportation bill in 1991, he said it 'could be summed up in three words; jobs, jobs, jobs. Bruce Katz and Robert Puentes of Brookings say that infrastructure spending is much more than that.
The Hill
Judge Rules Army Corps Responsible for New Orleans Flooding
A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' mismanaged maintenance of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet was the cause of flood damage in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
New Orleans Times-Picayune
Investing in Infrastructure
Private investors are increasingly putting their money into infrastructure assets like bridges and windmills.
The Globe and Mail
Are Prefabricated Overpasses the Answer?
Writer Sarah Lacey, stuck in hours of traffic in Bangalore, decides that prefabricated highway overpasses are the solution to the world's overcrowded, traffic-choked cities.
The Washington Post
Victory for Katrina Homeowners
A judge rules in favor of plaintiffs who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina in a case against the Army Corps of Engineers, saying they failed to properly maintain a navigation channel.
The New York Times
Architecture From Algae
UCLA's cityLAB sponsored a competition to envision new ways public works projects could be used to improve the country's infrastructure. The winning idea: algae-based urban parks connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Fast Company
Mapping: Not Just For Geographers Anymore
Citizen volunteers are democratizing the field of online mapping, spreading out to document neighborhoods and streets worldwide.
New York Times
Whither American Infrastructure?
Bob Herbert wonders why the United States appears to have forgotten about the importance of its built infrastructure, and imagines what the future could hold.
New York Times
The Remarkable Rezoning of NYC
Recently the NYC Planning Dept. announced its 100th rezoning since Bloomberg took office. This article takes a spin through the city's remarkable shift in the last 50 years away from industry to business and tourism and a sustainable approach.
New York Observer
Problems Loom for Urbanizing India
Two sets of graphs from show demographic trends in India that are likely to create a heavily urbanized country. But they aren't building the infrastructure to back up the growth, according to Thomas Crampton.
Thomas Crampton
76,000 Pedestrian Deaths
A new report from Transportation for America reveals that over the past 15 years, 76,000 Americans have been killed while crossing or walking along a street in their community.
Transportation for America
Dubai: The Spaces In-Between
Photographer Dustin Aksland spent four days in Dubai taking pictures of the spaces in-between the buildings, where construction workers rule.
GOOD Magazine
Prince Charles, Vancouverism, and the search for Sustainable Urbanism
Tue, 11/10/2009 - 16:01
This past Saturday, I had the honour of joining a group of invited urbanists and sustainability experts, in a special dialogue put on by The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment, and Vancouver's Simon Fraser University. Among other things, the event was to launch a new partnership between these two innovative organizations around research and curriculum for sustainable urbanism.
Beijing Getting Bigger, Clearing Thousands of Homes
Chinese officials have decided to expand Beijing's Central Business District, clearing out nearly four square kilometers with 10,000 homes on it in the process.
The Infrastructurist
Aging Technology and Infrastructure a Threat for Cities
More than 750 traffic signals in Montgomery County, Maryland, were crippled last week after the failure of a piece of electrical equipment that was 37 years old. The old technology and the repercussions are being called a warning to other cities.
The Washington Post
FasTracks Hitting Fiscal Bumps in Denver
Denver's FasTracks light rail system was set to be the nation's most aggressively constructed transit system when it was approved in 2004. But five years into the 12 year plan, budget issues and delays are calling the system's future into question.
The New York Times
A Sea of Infrastructure
An ex-pat American returns home to Milwaukee, and is overwhelmed by the extensive auto-oriented infrastructure needed to support the U.S. lifestyle, very different from his life in Almeria, Spain.
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
Boom in Utah Town
Growth is at a standstill in most western boomtowns, but not in well-planned, thriving South Jordan, UT. An expedited permitting process and good planning are given credit as catalysts for growth.
Desert News
