Infrastructure

Smartphone Fare Cards Now Available for D.C. Metro
The future is now.

R&B Artist Akon Plans for $6 Billion City Built From Scratch in Senegal
Akon City would rise from farmland in Senegal, in the tradition of previous master-planned urban areas like Washington, D.C. or Canberra, with ambitions on creating a "very, very African" city with a futuristic take on technology.

Interior Architects and Designers Decide the Fate of the Traditional Office Space
Coronavirus-mitigating design interventions make their debut indoors as interior architects and designers ponder the possibilities for traditional office spaces.

The Media Can't Stop Talking About the End of Cities
The latest installment of Planetizen's ongoing effort to track the stories about the future of planning in a world forever changed by COVID-19 notices a recurring theme.

Costs, Delays Ballon on Hudson River Tunnel Project
Developers are baling the latest delays and cost increases for the Hudson Tunnel Project on uncertainty surrounding federal environmental review.

Parking on Sidewalks Could Be Prohibited Throughout the U.K.
The United Kingdom could preempt local laws that allow drivers to park cars on sidewalks. The policy would provide clearer paths for people with disabilities and people choosing active transportation modes.

East Link Light Rail Plans Provoke Controversy in Seattle Suburb
A proposal to link local and regional buses with the East Link light rail expansion in Mercer Island, already under construction, threatens to boil over into the courtroom.

Coronavirus Wastewater Testing Yields Positive Results at Universities
Wastewater testing is being hailed as a success at the University of Arizona, credited for stopping a COVID outbreak. In Utah, wastewater analysis forced almost 300 students to quarantine for four days while awaiting their test results.

How to Produce Equitable Pedestrian Plans
The majority of pedestrian master plans consider how to make equitable walking infrastructure. Less than half of plans implement strategies to address the fact that people of color are disproportionately represented in pedestrian fatalities.

If the Postal Service Erodes, So Does American Life
An urban designer argues that protecting the U.S. Postal Service is crucial for maintaining civic values, social ties, and urban life.

The Sounds of Cities: Three Aural Vignettes
Monocle's The Urbanist podcast explores urban acoustic ecology to unveil the sonic signature of the coronavirus pandemic, the Greek island of Corfu, and Vienna streetscapes.

Better Planning Needed to Address Effects of Urban Heat Island in Hong Kong
A recent study reveals the detrimental impact of hot nights compared to hot days, with the region experiencing hotter summers and more hot days due to climate change and the heat island effect.

Compromise Reached to Save Caltrain
The saga of the three-county sales tax upon which the future of Caltrain depends is now in the hands of voters.

Desert Species, Endangered by Climate Change and Renewable Energy, Create Controversy
The wind strewn and sunny parts of California are home to many species threatened both by climate change and renewable energy facilities like wind and solar power facilities. What is an environmentalist to do?

Report Details Dire Fiscal Straits of Local Governments
The National League of Cities has produced a highly-anticipated report detailing the fiscal fallout of the sudden and swift economic downturn that followed the coronavirus to American shores.

Digital Roundtable Discusses Silicon Valley's Urbanist Future
Highlighting the ways in which the pandemic’s disruption is unleashing innovation, panelists share their hope for streamlining public-private collaborations to solve some of the region’s housing, transportation, and equity challenges.

The Cost of Sea-Level Rise Measured in Tens of Billions in California
A new report summarizes the impact rising sea levels would have on California residents, businesses, and infrastructure. The effects would be catastrophic for the San Francisco Bay Area.

Challenging the Permitting Record of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Zoning in the U.S. was originally intended to keep noxious uses out of residential areas. Around Houston, which famously lacks a traditional zoning system, polluting uses are still granted broad permission to operate in residential areas.

Bus Priority Falling to Local Political Opposition in New York City
An ambitious program to add 20 miles of bus lanes and protected bus ways in the city of New York has been diminished by political opposition in parts of the city.

China's Big Recovery Bet: High-Speed Rail
In China, economic stimulus means high-speed rail spending—and lots of it.
Pagination
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.
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
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