Infrastructure

Utah

Criticism for Plans for Massive Inland Port Plan Near the Great Salt Lake

The Utah Inland Port Authority has moved forward quickly with a plan to build a massive inland port complex, despite the objections of local officials in Salt Lake City.

April 29, 2020 - High Country News

Atlanta Scooter

Atlanta Lowers Speed Limits Citywide

Vision Zero arrives in one of the country's most car-centric big cities.

April 29, 2020 - Atlanta Intown

Wilshire Grand

A High-Rise Condo and Hotel Proposed for Downtown Los Angeles

A trendy new Downtown Los Angels skyscraper would be home to a 160-room hotel and 319 condominium units if an Australian developer moves forward with plans.

April 28, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Clear-Sky Flood

Where Cities Flout Flood Protection Rules, the Public Still Subsidizes Insurance

An investigation by the New York Times reveals the ongoing neglect of flood considerations in developing parts of the United States—practice that comes with large costs to the taxpaying public.

April 28, 2020 - The New York Times

Manhattan, New York City, New York

Density Debate Rages Alongside the Pandemic

Questions about how highly contested questions about the future of the built environment will reference COVID-19 for years to come. The question about whether that debate will achieve any actual change is still very much up for debate.

April 27, 2020 - James Brasuell

Minneapolis Traffic

Removal Over Reconstruction: Rectifying Crumbling U.S. Highways

Successful urban highway deconstruction projects have swapped highways for boulevards and saw economic, public health, and urban design benefits. Will more cities opt for highway removal programs over reconstruction?

April 26, 2020 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Manahattan

Congestion Pricing in Manhattan Likely Stuck in COVID-19 Limbo

The federal government was already slow to cooperate with a plan to charge automobile drivers for entering certain parts of Manhattan, but with coronavirus commanding so much attention, the project isn't likely to move forward any time soon.

April 24, 2020 - New York Daily News

Michigan

$1 Billion Carbon Neutrality Plan Paused in Ann Arbor

The Ann Arbor City Council wants a more specific consideration of expenses before it will hold a final vote on the A2Zero carbon neutrality plan.

April 23, 2020 - MLive

Water Bottles

Clean Water Crisis Exacerbated by Coronavirus

Communities have demanded access to clean water for decades, in some cases. The coronavirus pandemic is compounding the struggle and illustrating the inadequacy of most local government responses.

April 22, 2020 - Vox

Street Fiori Oscuri

Milan Commits to a Less Car-Centric New Normal

Milan is making changes to its streets to ensure that the city's residents and employment base don't overwhelm the city with new automobile traffic when the city reopens for business.

April 22, 2020 - The Guardian

Colorado Interstate

Road and Highway Construction Plan Expected to Take a $250 Million Hit in Colorado

The Colorado Department of Transportation might be building fewer roads than they had originally planned after the coronavirus recedes. A few projects already underway have been able to speed up.

April 21, 2020 - The Denver Post

Metro Train Station

Construction Errors Delay Crenshaw Light Rail in Los Angeles

The Crenshaw/LAX line, under construction in Los Angeles and passing through the city of Inglewood to connect the Expo and Green lines, was originally scheduled to open in 2019.

April 21, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Highway Construction

Opinion: Don't Allow Highway Boondoggles in Stimulus Spending

Instead of doubling down on the unsustainable planning and building practices, the current crisis offers a chance to hit reset, according to this article.

April 21, 2020 - Frontier Group

Paris Street

Is it Time to Revive the Pattern Language?

Software and other fields have made brilliant progress with the pattern language methodology, while built environment fields lag badly, mired in parochial debates over the massive book that invented the methodology.

April 21, 2020 - Michael Mehaffy

COVID-19 Mobility

Watch: The Future of Cities After COVID-19

An expert panel convened to discuss the effect of the coronavirus on the foundations of society and contemporary life. The future, both the remaining time dealing with the pandemic and after, is becoming more clear with every passing day and week.

April 17, 2020 - Planetizen Courses

Electric Car Charging Stencil

The U.S. Passed a Clean Energy Stimulus in 2009—Can the Same Happen in 2020?

The Obama-era American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funded clean energy and created jobs during the Great Recession. Will clean energy be considered in a future stimulus bill to mitigate economic strain cased by the coronavirus pandemic?

April 17, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Coronavirus Economy

Layoffs Sweeping the Construction Industry

Halted construction work has contributed to a growing number of layoffs in the construction industry during the month of April.

April 17, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Purple Line Extension

Maryland's Purple Line Clears Final Legal Obstacle

A third lawsuit tried to halt the Purple Line light rail project in Maryland, but it was just the latest lawsuit to get tossed by a judge.

April 17, 2020 - The Washington Post

NYC from Hoboken

How the Post-Pandemic Future Could Resemble the Pre-Pandemic Future

Response to coronavirus challenges in urban settings will likely be a continuity of work started decades ago.

April 16, 2020 - CityLab

Public Health

COVID-19 Impacts on the Future of Transportation

MoveLA's Denny Zane and Gloria Ohland assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transit.

April 15, 2020 - The Planning Report

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.