Infrastructure

Vancouver, British Columbia

Resistance to Federal Highway Administration's Anti-Painted Crosswalk Position

As the Federal Highway Administration continues its anti-painted crosswalk crusade, attracting new attention at the national level, cities are resisting the notion that rainbow crosswalks are a safety liability.

October 11, 2019 - The New York Times

Pacific Ocean

A C40-Ready Framework for Local Climate Action in Santa Monica

Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole outlines the city's actions and policies to realize its ambitious C40 goals.

October 10, 2019 - The Planning Report

Enhanced Transit Corridors Plan

Federal Approval Clears Way for Bus-Only Lanes in Portland

Portland will soon be spreading out the red carpet for buses.

October 10, 2019 - BikePortland

D.C. Metro

Report: D.C. Area Commuters Driving Alone Less

With all the bad news about plummeting ridership as the D.C. Metro transit system has struggled to deal with maintenance issues, a new report indicates that regional commuters are still driving alone less.

October 10, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

New York Subway Stairs

$5.5 Billion Plan for More Elevators in the N.Y.C. Subway

The city’s subway system is lagging in station accessibility, but the MTA has a plan to add elevators to 70 stations.

October 10, 2019 - The New York Times

Market Street San Francisco

$604 Million Market Street Redesign Nears the Finish Line in San Francisco

Private automobiles could be prohibited on San Francisco's primary downtown thoroughfare, and already-wide sidewalks could be extended and smoothed over. The Better Market Street project is ready for its close up.

October 9, 2019 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Metro Crenshaw/LAX Line

'Destination Crenshaw' Showcases South L.A.'s Strategic Advantage—Black Culture

Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson outlines Destination Crenshaw and highlights the economic development and community investment opportunities it brings to South L.A.

October 9, 2019 - The Planning Report

Car2Go

Car2Go Pulls Out of Five North American Cities

As the company plans to cease operations in a number of markets, carsharing’s future in the rapidly shifting world of mobility is unclear.

October 9, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

California from Space

Massive Power Outages in Northern California as PG&E Avoids Wildfire Risk

Planetizen has collected local and national news on a massive, ongoing environmental and infrastructure story in Northern California. There are maps to keep track of the scope of planned power outages.

October 9, 2019 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Governors Island

A 'Climate Change Laboratory' on Governors Island

New York City is seeking proposals for transforming Governors Island into a "living laboratory" for climate change resilience.

October 9, 2019 - The New York Times

Miami

Mapping the Encroachment of Salt Water on Miami's Aquifers

Rising seas are already impacting drinking water supplies in Miami-Dade County.

October 9, 2019 - Circle of Blue

Colorado

Rapid Growth and a Small Town Recall Effort

A group of organizers in the small town of Elizabeth, Colorado (population 1,700) wants to recall its entire City Council as an act of defiance in the face of rapid change and growth.

October 8, 2019 - The Denver Post

Pennsylvania State Capitol

Will Pennsylvania Become the 11th State in the Northeast to Price Carbon Emissions?

Pennsylvania is the nation’s #2 natural gas producer, #3 in coal, and #4 in carbon emissions. Gov. Tom Wolf issued an executive order on Oct. 3 to initiate the process to join the regional cap-and-trade program, but will the legislature allow it?

October 8, 2019 - The Patriot-News

Caltrans Freeway Planning

Freeway Project, Previously Named as a 'Boondoggle,' Defeated by Environmental Lawsuit

What could have been the first new freeway for Los Angeles County in decades might now only mark the end of an era.

October 8, 2019 - Streetsblog LA

CTA Purple Line train

Editorial: Use TIF to Fund Transit Improvements in Chicago

The Chicago Tribune supports the use of tax increment financing to fund a $2.1 billion project to revamp the Red and Purple lines on the CTA system in Chicago.

October 8, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

Arrivals and Departures

Congestion Tipping Point: Uber and Lyft Banned from LAX

Automobile traffic to LAX has increased by half in the last decade, and congestion has passed a tipping point.

October 7, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Manhattan Bus Transit

Early Reviews for New York's Big Car-Free Experiment

Last week, 14th Street in Manhattan was closed to almost all varieties of automobile traffic, freeing up one of the slowest bus routes in the city. How will residents, workers, and commuters react?

October 7, 2019 - Gothamist

Ford's City Insights Platform Expands to Six New Cities

After a pilot in Ann Arbor, Ford Motor Company is expanding its City Insights Platform to six new cities:

October 7, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Mixed-use waterfront

Revisiting the Resilience Metric—How Does it Relate to Sustainable Development?

An investigation of how resilience relates to sustainability, and how an understanding of that relationship informs more effective development investments.

October 7, 2019 - Edward J. Jepson. Jr.

U District Station

Hopes Dashed for Pedestrian Only Street in Seattle

The city of Seattle is planning for street improvements around the University District station under construction on NE 43rd Street. But the latest designs don't allow for a street designed exclusively for pedestrians.

October 6, 2019 - The Urbanist

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.