Infrastructure
How to Build a $12 Billion High-Speed Rail Line at No Cost to Taxpayers
Unlike the nation's more well-known high-speed rail project in California, the 205 miles-per-hour, Dallas-to-Houston bullet train will be almost entirely privately financed. How is that possible?
More than Twenty Bills Introduced in Texas Legislature to Stop High-Speed Rail
The California high-speed rail project is not alone in confronting legal and political obstacles. The main issue in Texas that has aroused opposition to the privately financed, 240-mile Dallas to Houston bullet train is the use of eminent domain.
Seattle Hoping to Extend a Successful Traffic Safety Project
After repainting the lanes on Rainier Avenue in Seattle, the street works better for everyone. If it's that easy, why isn't the model implemented more widely?
Checking In With Cities That 'Lost' the Smart Cities Challenge
Denver and Austin were finalists in the competition. Since then, they've found ways to implement their ideas.
Texas Road Subsidies Take Toll on General Fund
Diverting billions of dollars of sales tax revenue from the state's general fund to the Texas Department of Transportation is taking a toll on other programs that lawmakers must fund.
Dams Throughout the U.S. Fail to Meet Safety Standards
It's not just Oroville and Elko County. By 2020, 70 percent of the dams in the United States will be more than 50 years old.
Another Protected Bike Lane Proposed for Washington, D.C.
An early look at designs for a protected bike lane on Florida Avenue shows the District Department of Transportation keeping pace with its tradition of ambitious bike infrastructure projects.
Research Team to Study the Physiological Responses of Pedestrians to 'Physical Disorder'
Associate Professors Yunwoo Nam and lead PI Changbum Ahn from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, were recently awarded an NSF grant entitled "Human-Centric Sensing Platform to Assess Neighborhood Physical Disorder."
Denver's New R Line Light Rail Open to the Public Today
New to Denver today: 22 miles of light rail, two new system connections, and service to 16 stations. The Regional Transportation District's (RTD) new R Line will also be offering free rides on its first day of service.
Blocked Culverts Continue to Plague Washington Salmon Habitat
Ineffective, blocked, obsolete, and in disrepair—Washington is full of culverts that pose an impediment to the survival of salmon. A court decision should have fixed the problem, but the state's budget has a long way to go to clean up the mess.
A Highway Expansion Debate in Portland
The man in charge of public transit in the land of streetcars, bridges without cars, and bike-riding congressmembers is calling for three large highway expansion projects.
Doubling Down on Infrastructure
The challenge facing the nation's infrastructure is massive in scale, requiring ambition lacking since the New Deal and Eisenhower eras. Building on those historic models, the following op-ed suggests a "WPA 2.0" approach to infrastructure.
Are Driverless Cars Good for Cities?
With experts predicting widespread autonomous vehicle (AV) adoption in the not-too-distant-future, many policymakers, designers, and ordinary citizens are left scratching their heads, uncertain of what to expect and how to prepare.
In New York: No Bus Ridership Without Congestion Relief
Bus ridership has dropped for many years in New York City, but much of the bleeding is concentrated in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Could the congestion problems of the central city be the reason for the declining use of bus transit?
Mapping the Country's Bridge Maintenance Crisis
A new, interactive feature by The Washington Post endeavors to bring the point about the nation's crumbling infrastructure closer to home.
Shreveport Debates a Highway Proposal
Strong Towns is rolling out an in-depth analysis of a controversial proposal in Shreveport, Louisiana to build a new connector for Interstate 49 North in the heart of the city.
8,000 U.S. Public Schools Located Near Sources of Pollution
Schools tend to get built on cheap land. Cheap land is often found near busy roadways—sources of pollutants that are harmful to the health of children.
Trump's California Double Play: Potential Fatal Blow to Commuter and High-Speed Rail
In one of her first major decisions, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao deferred a decision on a critical $647 million federal grant to electrify the 51-mile San Francisco to San Jose Caltrain line, which would also be used by high-speed rail.
New Master Plan in the Works at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
The Port of Seattle’s Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) will set an vision for 20 years of growth at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Back From the Dead: The Columbia River Crossing Between Portland and Vancouver
Washington lawmakers are looking for solutions to worsening congestion between their state and the city of Portland—possible solutions includes a controversial bridge proposal that had been abandoned for years.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
