Infrastructure

Hyperloop

A Boring Lesson for Planners

Elon Musk's vision for transportation networks made of tunnels and powered by magnets may or may not come to pass. But planners can still take a cue from his vision for infrastructure development.

July 26, 2017 - Josh Stephens

The Branham light rail station area.

Traffic Concerns Sink Light-Rail-Adjacent Development in San Jose

The city of San Jose has a mixed record of moving forward with land use changes that complement its existing and expanding transit systems.

July 25, 2017 - The Mercury News

Gov. Jerry Brown's High-Speed Gamble

To secure needed votes to pass a vital cap-and-trade bill, Brown made a deal with California's Republican lawmakers that could cost him his legacy infrastructure project—the high-speed train from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

July 25, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Bus Stop

First Mile-Last Mile, Intermodalism, and Making Public Transit More Attractive

As planners seek to leverage public transit investments with enhanced first mile-last mile connections, it is critical that market analysis guide those initiatives and that impacts and cost effectiveness are part of the performance assessment.

July 25, 2017 - Steven Polzin

Commute

State Transportation Officials Ask Congress to Hike Transportation User Fees

It's not funding Trump's much-talked-about infrastructure package, but the 2020 termination date of the FAST Act has state transportation officials urging Congress to hike fuel taxes to sustain the Highway Trust Fund.

July 24, 2017 - AASHTO Journal

Hyperloop

Reality Checking Elon Musk's Hyperloop Nothing Burger—Again

Elon Musk's desire to tunnel a path to freedom from congestion refuses to die.

July 24, 2017 - Wired

Caltrain Electrification Broke Ground on Friday

Gov. Jerry Brown, Peninsula congresswomen, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and state legislative leaders gathered in Millbrae with shovels-in hands to mark the beginning of a four-year construction project to electrify Caltrain.

July 24, 2017 - The Daily Journal

Los Angeles, California

Like City, Like Stadium

Beloved as it is, Dodger Stadium did not come easily to Los Angeles. Its development was fraught with protests, political rivalries, and debates over public investment and urbanism. Those debates continue today.

July 24, 2017 - California Planning & Development Report

Runners in D.C.

2018 Congressional Transportation Budget Begins to Take Shape

While reduced from current levels, the House Appropriations Committee budgeted far more than what President Trump had proposed, but they agreed with him to eliminate the TIGER grant program and reduce transit investments, though by a lesser amount.

July 24, 2017 - The Hill

Battery Urban Farm

New York Could Launch an Urban Agriculture Plan, Zoning Overhaul

New York's ability to feed itself with locally grown urban agriculture is only being partially realized. Better planning, specific to urban agriculture, would help.

July 23, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

Interactive Feature

Who Recycles in Cincinnati?

A new CincyInsights dashboard shows recycling participation rates all over the city.

July 22, 2017 - City of Cincinnati

Los Angeles Skyline

Every Parking Lot, Visualized

A car spends 95 percent of the time parked, and only 5 percent of its time in use. The huge amount of space that system requires is made "intuitively and accessibly" comparable by the What the Street project.

July 22, 2017 - Fast Company

Miami Tourism

Miami Mayor Rescinds Rail Investment Promises

Mayor Gimenez is citing frugality as the reason behind a decision that favors bus rapid transit over an earlier proposal for new rail lines.

July 22, 2017 - The Miami Herald

Red Light Camera

Chicago Settles Red Light Camera Lawsuit for $37.5 Million

Opponents of red light cameras have achieved a major victory against the Rahm Administration in Chicago.

July 22, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

City of Kigali, Rwanda

Property Tax in Africa

The rapidly growing and urbanizing continent of Africa offers lessons in property tax.

July 21, 2017 - At Lincoln House

Virginia

Big Transit Plans Approved for Richmond, Virginia

The city of Richmond has decided to turn potential to reality by approving, among other big transit changes, five new bus rapid transit routes.

July 21, 2017 - Greater Greater Washington

Pothole

Friday Funny: Infrastructure Woes Cause National Case of Insomnia

Actually-fake-news site The Onion got a few burns on the world of planning this week. One article satirized the nation's inaction over the state of its infrastructure. The other hit the Brookings Institute where it hurts: the policy recommendations.

July 21, 2017 - The Onion

No Self-Driving Cars Without Hyper-Local Maps

While the fame and the glory might go to the first companies that bring self-driving cars to the market, the companies that provide the detailed, constantly changing maps will make a lot of money.

July 20, 2017 - PC Magazine

Boulder, Colorado

Planning for Water Scarcity in Colorado

The state of Colorado is growing quickly, and that means planners and developers will have to actively implement more efficient water infrastructure.

July 20, 2017 - The Journal

Parking Meter Fail

A New Video to Explain the High Cost of Free Parking

Mobility Lab, the Chilton Media Group, and Vox have produced a new video on the price of parking, and "how we have historically done it all wrong" in the United States.

July 19, 2017 - Mobility Lab

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.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA

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.