Japanese officials recently approved plans to build a 320-mile magnetic levitation train system. The $114 billion project is expected to begin construction in 2014.
Speeds are expected to exceed 300 mph, and will cut the trip between Osaka and Tokyo to one hour.
"Of course, all of these selling points come with a hefty price tag that's hard to swallow for most countries. Japan's project is currently estimated to cost $114 billion with construction to start in 2014 and last until 2045. Such an incredible budget and long timeline is mostly due to the decision to make the route as straight as possible, sending it under mountains and requiring massive tunnels. In fact, 60 percent of the line will exist underground at an average depth of 130 feet.
While Japan has committed to maglev as the future of its rail system, similar projects throughout the United States are still struggling to get off the ground. Only one high-speed corridor exists in the United States, bridging the 456 miles between Boston and Washington, D.C.. With an average cruising speed of just 70 mph, travel time clocks in right around seven hours.
Efforts by the U.S. government to fund the development of new and faster infrastructure have either been demonized by opponents as wasteful spending or been criticized for not going far enough. "
FULL STORY: Big in Japan: High-Speed Magnetic Levitation Trains
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
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.