The San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Center offers good news about California's slow-to-start high speed rail.
It's been all quiet on the Western front since recent bad news for the California High Speed Rail Authority.
"There’s a new business plan; some routes are finalized; environmental impact reviews are done; the first construction phase has started; and groundbreaking is imminent," writes Ben Tripousis and Boris Lipkin.
The update offers and optimistic future for the rail project that has thus far been challenged with hundreds of lawsuits and other hurdles such as exceeding expected service times.
"Combined with the previous environmental clearance for the Merced-to-Fresno project section, the authority is now poised to finish obtaining permit." SPUR's analysis offers a view contrary to the most recent narrative, and is worth a critical look.
FULL STORY: What’s Happening With California’s High-Speed Rail System
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.