Infrastructure

In Crosswalks, Public Art Meets Transportation
Colorful, engaging crosswalks aren’t the norm, but they’re popping up around the country. And while they aren’t in line with federal guidelines, they have transformed streets and intersections.

Shuttering a Large Coal Plant: A Tale of Two States
Environmentalists in California are upset that Los Angeles will build a new 840-megawatt natural gas plant to replace a 1,800-megawatt coal plant. The coal plant has been crucial to the economic development of Millard County, Utah.

Congressional Report on Transit Spending Stops Short of Accountability
Transit advocates were hoping the U.S. Government Accountability Office was finally going to expose the systematic failures of transit spending in the United States by comparing the practices of other countries.

Public Opinion Differs on New Bay Area Road Diet
Some love it; some hate it: The main drag of Downtown Los Gatos, at the southern end of the South Bay Area, got a complete streets makeover.

Rethinking Downtown Streets in a Revitalizing Pittsburgh
With $5.2 billion of investment in the past 10 years, and another $3.5 billion in the development pipeline, Pittsburgh planning organizations are considering ways to rethink the streets of the city's downtown.

The Car-Centric World and the Ongoing Expansion of Police Powers
While cars are still equated with freedom of mobility and personal liberty, they've also offered courts the chance to expand police powers in the public realm, time and time again.

After a Bus Kills a Scooter Rider, Two Councilmembers Call for Complete Streets
No victim blaming or scooter shaming here. Two Atlanta politicians have responded to a recent tragedy by calling for more traffic safety improvements.

A Complete Streets Building Spree in Philadelphia
Philadelphia has a busy schedule of complete streets projects in the works. The city has a goal of building 20 miles of protected bike lanes by 2020.

One Wet Year Doesn't Mean the Drought Is Over
Rivers are high and drought conditions have been lifted, but experts say that the 19-year drought in Colorado isn't over.

Pedestrian Plan Takes Big Step Forward in Milwaukee
There is still political work to do, and questions to be answered about funding, but a new pedestrian plan for the city of Milwaukee has cleared a key council committee.

Opinion: Here’s Hoping the New BART Inspector General Can Help Get the Agency Back on Track
BART is a financial and operational mess, and its new inspector general has a slew of major issues to tackle.

No More 'Manholes' in Berkeley
In removing all gendered language from its civil code, the city of Berkeley is tossing out some familiar nomenclature.
A Climate Change Preview Underway in Michigan
Water is encroaching on neighborhoods and shorelines in Detroit at rare levels. Those impacts and many more are considered only a preview of what's to come when the worst effects of climate change strike the Great Lakes region.

The Great O'Hare Race (And its Discontents)
Four intrepid reporters from the Chicago Tribune raced to O'Hare International Airport by personal car, a ride-share, on CTA, and on Metra to decide which is fastest.

More EV Charging Coming to San Francisco Private and Public Parking Facilities
To reach an ambitious net-zero target for transportation emissions in San Francisco, Mayor Breed and two supervisors introduced legislation to require large parking facilities provide electric vehicle charging for 10% of spaces.

Anti-Displacement Efforts and Green Infrastructure Signal Hope in Portland
The Living Cully coalition prioritizes the well-being of long term, lower-income residents with future-building revitalization projects.

Report Makes Business Case for Vancouver-to-Portland High Speed Rail
Washington State released a report detailing the business case for connecting Seattle to Portland and Vancouver by high-speed rail.

A 20-Year To-Do List for Cities
Predicting the future of challenges facing cities isn't very hard when the future is already staring cities right in the face.

Does the Plan to Revitalize a D.C. Canal Too Much Resemble the High Line?
Controversy over a plan to revitalize the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal in Washington, D.C. has some questioning whether the High Line in New York City is the best model for the adaptive reuse of public space.
'Vision Zero 2.0' Launched When Vision Zero 1.0 Didn't Save Any Lives
Toronto has gone back to the drawing board for more effective strategies and tactics for reducing traffic fatalities after its first attempt failed to produce any measurable results.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions