Infrastructure

King County Metro Transit

Pushing for Cameras to Enforce Bus-Only Lanes

Scofflaws are common and enforcement difficult in the 40 miles of surface street bus-only lanes in King County, Washington. Transit officials are hoping cameras can help fill the gap.

January 1, 2019 - The Seattle Times

Phoenix Light Rail

10 Years Later: Evaluating Phoenix Light Rail

A big feature story celebrates the first ten years of Valley Metro Rail.

December 30, 2018 - Arizona Central

South Carolina Resilience

North Carolina Reconsidering its Stance on Climate Change

Two hurricanes later, residents of North Carolina aren't so willing to deny the need to do something about the effects of climate change. A Democratic governor and a changing State Legislature have already produced action.

December 29, 2018 - Inside Climate News

Traffic Safety Advocates

Traffic Fatalities in New York Decline to Levels Not Seen Since the Dawn of the Automobile

Traffic fatalities declined in New York City for the fifth consecutive year.

December 28, 2018 - Curbed New York

Florida National Guard

The Price of Natural Disasters

Worldwide, natural disasters cost $155 billion in 2018, according to an insurance industry report.

December 28, 2018 - The Washington Post

Seatle Skyline

Is Seattle Ready for the Next Big Earthquake?

Seattle and Bellevue are raising their standards for earthquake preparedness after a study of the Cascadia Fault showed the city was at greater risk than previously thought.

December 28, 2018 - The Seattle Times

San Francisco Muni Buses

In Cities, Transit Isn’t Just for Commuting

A closer look at commuting and ridership shows the differences between urban and suburban transit patterns.

December 28, 2018 - Pedestrian Observations

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Most Popular Planning Articles of 2018

We crunched the numbers on all the features, blog posts, and news articles we published in 2018 to figure out which made the biggest splash with readers.

December 27, 2018 - James Brasuell

Protected Bike Lane

British Columbia's Climate Plan Bans Sales of Gas and Diesel Passenger Vehicles by 2040

Ten years ago, British Columbia launched North America's first carbon tax. This month, Premier John Horgan unveiled the long awaited climate plan, CleanBC, that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent below 2007 levels by 2030.

December 26, 2018 - Vancouver Sun

Monorail. Las Vegas

Mobility Plans and Dynamic Planning

A new survey by Governing and living Cities examines what it takes for cities to innovate.

December 26, 2018 - Governing

U.S. Capital

Year in Review: The APA's Advocacy Work in Washington, D.C.

The APA noted that the 115th Congress was "marked by divisive rhetoric, partisan stalemates, and threats to programs on which local communities rely." At the end of the year, however, it could still celebrate substantial victories.

December 26, 2018 - American Planning Association

Sunnyside Yard

Previewing NYC's Next Big Megadevelopment

Sunnyside Yard, a 180-acre railroad yard in Queens, is in the initial stages of a planning process that may eventually bring development surpassing the scale of Hudson Yards. This time, it is hoped, there will be greater focus on affordability.

December 26, 2018 - Intelligencer - New York Magazine

Oslo Street

In Oslo, Streets for People, Not Cars

New measures will greatly reduce vehicle traffic in the city center as Oslo moves to put pedestrians, cyclists, and air quality before cars.

December 25, 2018 - The New York Times

Texas

A Growing Texas City Rethinks its Transportation Plan

The city of San Marcos, located halfway between Austin and San Antonio, recently adopted its first transportation plan update since 2004.

December 25, 2018 - Community Impact Newspaper

Seattle, Elevated Highway

Dealing With the 'Seattle Squeeze'

Sections of the Alaskan Way Viaduct will begin closing on January 4, 2019. The city's new tunnel to replace the route doesn't open until February.

December 24, 2018 - The Urbanist

New York MTA

Street Reconfiguration Work Anticipates L Train Closure in Brooklyn

More priority will be given buses as 275,000 daily commuters find new ways to and from work while the L Train is closed for repairs in New York City.

December 24, 2018 - Crain's New York Business

Venezuela

Lamenting the Decline of Caracas, Once the 'Jewel of Latin America'

"A generation ago, Venezuela’s capital was one of Latin America’s most thriving, glamorous cities; an oil-fuelled, tree-lined cauldron of culture that guidebooks hailed as a mecca for foodies, night owls and art fans."

December 24, 2018 - The Guardian

City of Las Vegas

New Traffic Management Tech Coming to Downtown Las Vegas

The city of Las Vegas is experimenting with a new traffic management partnership that will add traffic cameras and sensors to the streets in its innovation district.

December 23, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Solar Houses

District of Columbia to Adopt the Nation's Strongest Renewable Energy Target

Move over, Hawaii and California, with your ambitious goals of going to 100 percent renewable electricity generation by 2045. The District's city council passed legislation on Tuesday that sets 2032 as the target to reach 100 percent renewable.

December 23, 2018 - Huffpost

Alaskan Way Viaduct

Seattle Scrambles to Handle Upcoming Traffic 'Squeeze'

Dubbed the "Seattle Squeeze," heavier traffic is expected in the new year as the Alaskan Way Viaduct closes and downtown construction projects continue. While the city prepares, activists want to use the opportunity to encourage other modes.

December 21, 2018 - Crosscut

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.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

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.