Government / Politics
If Rail Crossings Can't Be Grade Separated, Can They At Least Be Safer?
That's the question asked by legislation introduced after a Metro-North commuter train slammed into an SUV at a crossing in Valhalla, N.Y., killing six people. More than 200 people die annually in over 2,000 grade crossing crashes.
Implementing Housing Vouchers for Veterans
A look at what HUD-VASH supportive housing vouchers can do, from the perspective of one of the agencies administering them.
Obama Administration Would End Tax-Exempt Bonds for Sports Stadiums
Ending the use of tax-exempt bonds to finance the construction of pro sports facilities has high level support from President Obama's 2016 draft budget, but it's too early to tell if the proposed ban on such financing mechanisms will be approved.
SB 32 to Pick Up Where AB 32 Leaves Off
California's landmark climate legislation, AB 32, ends in five years; i.e., the target year for emissions reduction is 2020, after which there will be no comparable legislation targeting a future year. SB 32 sets emission reduction goals for 2050.
GPS Technology Chosen for Oregon's Road Usage Charge
Oregon's much heralded mileage fee program, known as OReGO, has selected the technology to record the miles driven by participants. A French and Canadian company will collaborate to provide a telematics road usage charging framework to begin July 1.
Business, Government, and Infrastructure in Brazil
With one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Brazil is at the cusp of major change. Arup's Gustavo Ferreria discusses the role that public-private partnerships are playing in modernizing and expanding the country's infrastructure systems.
How a Philadelphia Mayoral Candidate Influenced U.S. Public Housing
Former HUD counsel and current Philadelphia mayoral contender Nelson Diaz laid the groundwork for "entrepreneurial" approaches to public housing. Whether the resulting projects were effective is up for debate.
A Deep Dive into Suburban Retrofits
An interview with Ellen Dunham-Jones, co-author of "Retrofitting Suburbia," and Hazel Borys.
Oregon Bill Would Require Reflective Clothing for Bikers
State lawmakers in Oregon are the latest to consider a law that would require bikers riding at night to wear reflective clothing.
Do Driverless Car Safety Features Merit Fuel Efficiency Credit?
Manufacturers say yes, arguing that the reduction in vehicle crashes decreases traffic congestion. Other features improve traffic flow. But these are safety technologies, not emission-reducing measures, that critics worry will water-down CAFE.
New York Towns Consider Secession, Cite Fracking Ban
Concerned about their economic fate, several upstate New York towns have expressed interest in joining Pennsylvania instead.
Op-ed: "Fix-It-First" is California's New Infrastructure Policy
In this San Francisco Chronicle Open Forum, Brian Kelly, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, makes the case that maintenance as well as capital costs be included when financing new infrastructure projects.
D.C. Streetcar Expansion May Be Further Trimmed
New Washington, D.C. Mayor Bowser may deviate from the prior administration by not supporting the expansion of the streetcar line. This is a double-blow to streetcar advocates, as Mayor Gray had already pared down the new streetcar's expansion plans.
Cause of Crude-by-Rail Explosions Identified
The Wall Street Journal's senior energy reporter, Russell Gold, is interviewed on NPR about the February 16 derailment and explosion in West Virginia of an oil-train hauling 109 tanker cars of Bakken crude from North Dakota.
Residents Protest for the Right to Bear Sleds on Capitol Hill Snow Day
The sledding ban on Capitol Hill was too much for Washington, D.C. residents to bear. They brought wintertime fun to Congress on yesterday's snow day.
Plastic Bag Ban to Be Decided by Referendum in California
Thanks to a vigorous signature gathering effort bankrolled by the American Progressive Bag Alliance, a bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last September that outlawed single-use plastic bags will be decided by the electorate in November 2016.
America's Best Bike Lane May Finally Earn the Title
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency voted 6-0 on March 3 to approve a controversial plan to redesign 1.3 miles of Polk Street, one of the most dangerous corridors for biking and walking in The City. It only took 2.5 years.
California Turns Toward the Sea for Drought Relief
The Wall Street Journal examines desalination efforts on the Central and South Coasts, starting with the reactivation of a Santa Barbara plant. Notwithstanding criticisms on costs and environmental damage, eight plants have been built since 2006.
Another California First: the End of the Carbon Externality for Motorists
California's cap-and-trade market saw its largest carbon sale, $1.02 billion, thanks to millions of motorists now paying about a dime a gallon for the right to emit carbon for the first time since the program began in November 2012.
How Form-Based Ideas Could Transform Community Planning
Let's discuss how community planning could be fundamentally reorganized to improve both efficiency and placemaking.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
