United States
Transit Use is Growing, But Not Where You Think
Transit saw some big ridership increases over the past few years, but maybe not where you'd expect. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the top ten metropolitan areas where transit use has increased the most.
From Policy to Implementation, CNU Transportation Summit Examines "The Greatest Place"
Mike Lydon reports from the CNU Transportation Summit in Portland, Oregon, the country's laboratory of smart growth. "Change is imminent," says Congressman Earl Blumenauer via video.
Checklists to Rethink the Streetspace
Remaking streets into attractive and successful places can be a challenge. But following a few straightforward checklists can simplify the process. Amber Hawkes and Georgia Sheridan guide the way, in this final article in their series on Remaking the Streetspace.
Planning for Sustainability in New York City
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is both a local challenge and a global imperative, says Rohit Aggarwala, the director of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability for New York City. Nate Berg caught up with Aggarwala to talk about his office's sustainability plans and the possible dangers posed by federal intervention.
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
The Problem With Thinking Regionally
Carol Coletta is a believer in the new emphasis in regional government, but worries that it may be at the expense of the local.
GOOD Magazine
Rethinking Sixty Years of Sprawl
There's no looking back now in the shift away from suburbs to a more sustainable urban model, writes Andre Shashaty, president of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.
Salon.com
More Passengers And Less Funding Threaten To Cripple Transit Agencies
The recession has made many commuters more transit-dependent while shrinking the public coffers that may for the bulk of transit service. Without further subsidies, agencies face tough choices because of this "incredible paradox."
InTransition Magazine
Buffett and Beyond
This article takes a look at the past and future of rail in America, with an emphasis on one surprise success story.
BBC News
Small Cities Struggle Through Recession
Smaller cities are showing signs of struggle, as the amount of college-educated residents continues to drop. Coupled with the economic recession, smaller cities seems to be taking a harder economic hit than their larger counterparts.
Kansas City Star
Large Homebuilders Handed Millions in Tax Breaks
Large homebuilders, including Pulte Homes and Hovnanian Enterprises, will recieve hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars under the recently passed Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009.
The New York Times
Suburban Utopias?
This article from the Guardian argues that despite years of derision, suburbia is gaining a more positive reputation as "utopia in a big way".
The Guardian
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
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
Fed Seeks More Control Over Transit Safety
In light of recent transit accidents, especially the Red Line crash in Washington, DC suburbs, the Obama Administration is seeking legislation to set and enforce safety standards on transit systems nationwide.
The New York Times
Cities With the Shortest Commutes
U.S. News and World Report selects "15 Cities for People Who Hate Driving and Long Commutes," choosing the cities with shorter than average commuting times and high percentages of non-auto commuters.
U.S. News And World Report
Mixed-Use, V.2: Big Box Living
The Rise, a new mixed-use development in Vancouver, includes 1,500 condos, sushi restaurants, art galleries - and a Home Depot.
The Globe and Mail
Reconsidering the McMansion Business
Builders John Wieland Homes & Neighborhoods, hit hard by the downturn, is meeting consumer price points by creating compact home designs instead of the 4,700 sq. ft. homes that were their bread and butter.
The Wall St. Journal
Jaywalking Not As Big A Safety Issue As Assumed
Over the past 15 years, more than 76,000 pedestrians have been killed in the U.S. Some say preventing a significant portion of these deaths is as simple as enforcing jaywalking laws. Not so, argues Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic.
Slate

















