Infrastructure

Austin Debates Competing Visions for Transportation Investments
The city of Austin's political leadership has proposed a package of competing bond proposals to raise money for large congestion relief measures in the fast-growing city.

Gehry's Plans for Los Angeles River Restoration Gaining Clarity
Details are emerging in the controversial effort by Gehry Partners, LLP to plan a new vision for the Los Angeles River. So far, however, Gehry Partners seems to have been listening more than plotting or drawing.
Tampa Has a New Protected Bike Lane
The new Cass Street bike lane is the latest example of a city making unprecedented progress in bike infrastructure.

First Bicycle Traffic Signals Come to Los Angeles
The traffic signals are part of the Los Angeles Street 'full-featured' protected bike lane that also includes transit stop islands and two-stage turn queue boxes. Ribbon-cutting for the cycle track, the third in the city, was held Thursday.

Friday Funny: The Onion Finds Beauty in the Decay of the Nation's Infrastructure
The Onion is back to satirizing the built environment, this time with a kind of philosophy of despair.

Report: China Outspending North America and Western Europe on Infrastructure
There might still be such a thing as too much infrastructure spending, however.

Downtown Portland Moves Forward on Bike Lanes
Portland, Oregon is known for its transit and pedestrian advantages. But many cyclists say protected bike lanes would make it easier for the two-wheel crowd to get around. After some delays, it looks like the project is on course.

Barcelona 'Superblocks' Aim to Cut Down on Cars
Seeking relief from noise, pollution, and incessant traffic, the city of Barcelona has a bold plan to repurpose street space. "Superblocks" will route cars around the perimeter, leaving interior streets open for walkers and bikes.

Study Finds Speed Humps May Have a Pollution Problem
The forced slow-and-go caused by speed humps may have the unintended consequences of increasing the release of the tiny particles that have proven harmful to health within a concentrated area.

Street Paving, Bike Improvements on Different Paths in Cincinnati
Cincinnati's recently launched, $109 million capital investment plan will leave the vision laid out by the city's 2010 Bicycle Transportation Plan in the dust.

More Common Ground Sought for the 'Future of Suburbia'
A review of the recent "Future of Suburbia" event held at the Center for Advanced Urbanism at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

On the End of Big Infrastructure
Repairing civil infrastructure might require rethinking the traditional approach to building infrastructure.

The Tough Legal Path to ADA Compliance
Next City examines the fruits of a Department of Justice effort to force cities to bring their sidewalks and other public spaces into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Lessons learned in an earthquake's aftermath
The response to Ecuador's 7.8-magnitude earthquake went beyond just physically rebuilding the hardest hit cities

$3.5 Billion Bond Measure to Keep BART in Good Repair Approved for November
After extensive outreach, the BART Board of Director settled on the $3.5 billion sum to be on the November ballot. 'Unmet capital needs' are the target of the property tax measure.

What Separates Georgetown From the Rest of D.C.?
Georgetown's grid of small blocks is starkly different from the L'Enfant-designed city that surrounds it.
Pilot Project Transforms Vacant Lots Into Bioretention Gardens
A pilot project combining the brain power and political will of the Detroit’s water department, Land Bank Authority, and the University of Michigan recently completed the first of four vacant lots into beautiful and functional bioretention gardens.

Opposition to $6.9 Billion Dam Proposal in British Columbia
A proposal to dam the Peace River, flooding 5,500 hectares (or about 21 square miles), has met resistance from the legal and scientific communities in Canada.

A New 25-Year Plan for Los Angeles' Water Supply
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has adopted a new 25-year plan that aims to drastically reduce the amount of imported water the city relies on in a given year.

Welcome to a Changed Climate: It Even Floods When it's Sunny
A new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration documents the increasing frequency of nuisance floods and "clear-sky flooding."
Pagination
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