The National Journal Online talks to three transportation experts about the recent statements by DOT Secretary LaHood that the agency would begin using livability-based funding guidelines for major transit projects. Will it work?
Lisa Caruso talks with James Corless, the campaign director for Transportation for America; William Millar, President of the American Public Transportation Association; and Anthony E. Shorris, Director of the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management at NYU.
Shorris: "It's long past time for the US to follow in the footsteps of so many other Western nations by learning to evaluate its infrastructure investments using more sophisticated tools than we have seen to date. For more than a decade, the UK has used tools for project evaluation that reflect the multiplicity of goals that public sector investments should achieve and the EU has done some very thoughtful work on these issues. Our appraisal of the benefits of surface transportation projects needs to go well beyond simply estimating reduced travel times for commuters, and even beyond reducing CO2 and other pollutants."
FULL STORY: Are New Transit Guidelines An Improvement?

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide
Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code
The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)