Infrastructure
Mayor Emanuel Would Freeze TIF Districts in Downtown Chicago
Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed a plan that would save $250 million for schools and city operations at the cost of one of the city's most powerful funding mechanisms.
It's Patch Bill Time Again for Highway Funding
Though federal highway funding is set to terminate on July 31, the House has proposed an $8.1 billion, five-month extension instead of a six-year reauthorization bill.
Op-Ed: Infrastructure First, Redevelopment Second for Staten Island
With big plans come big responsibilities. Will a massive wave of development investment headed for Staten Island be met with a commensurate investment in infrastructure?
21,000 Miles Later: The History of Rails-to-Trails
CityLab presents a feature extravaganza about the nation's 21,000-mile-long network of trails converted from former rail lines.
Charlotte Streetcar Opens Today
The 1.5-mile, $37 million segment of Charlotte's controversial new LYNX Gold streetcar line is set to open July 14. A former mayor, Anthony Foxx, is now the U.S. Transportation Secretary. A federal grant is paying 68 percent of construction costs.
Chinese 'Sponge Cities' Will Capture Rainwater
Existing grey infrastructure in China cannot cope with rapid urban expansion and frequent droughts and floods. Several cities, with Beijing's approval, are experimenting with rainwater capture methods as an alternative.
Op-Ed: Airport Express Train Unnecessary in Chicago
Plans to construct a prestigious express line to O'Hare airport may be overkill. The existing Blue Line, which could benefit from some investment, already connects downtown Chicago and the airport.
10-Cent Fuel Tax Introduced by Conservative Republican
The basics of South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice's "Highway Trust Fund Certainty Act": Increase federal gas and diesel taxes by 10.1 cents in one year, index to inflation, and issue an income tax credit for $133.
Sunday Funday: Video Game Plays on Fears About Crumbling Infrastructure
The game is called INFRA—the action is set in a city where corruption in the private and public sectors has left the city on the brink of collapse.
Stormwater Improvements Linked to Freeway Project in Northeast Denver
The funding needed to complete the Two Basin Drainage Project in Denver would come as a package deal with a $1.2 billion plan to overhaul I-70. Residents are concerned that they might be getting more than they bargained for.
California Gas Tax Increase Hits Partisan Impasse
SB 16, Sen. Jim Beall's transportation funding bill that would hike gas taxes by 10 cents, diesel taxes by 12, and increase other fees, is stuck in the Senate, lacking one vote to pass.
A Scathing Critique of the New Tappan Zee Bridge
A new book examines the convoluted history of one of the country's most controversial infrastructure projects.
Missouri Shows How Not to Expand Highways, Though Unintentionally
The Missouri Department of Transportation will adhere strictly to a "fix it" (as opposed to "fix-it-first") policy for the next five years, because there are no funds for roadway expansion.
Caltrain Hits Barrier of Litigation on Tracks to Electrification
The Surface Transportation Board's denial of Caltrain's request to provide an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act gives the go ahead to the Town of Atherton's lawsuit requesting the rail board redo its Environmental Impact Report.
Iowa DOT Head Predicts Contraction for State's Highway System
When the director of transportation for the state of Iowa admits that the highway system is overbuilt, Charles Marohn asks the question: which of the 49 remaining DOT heads will also speak honestly about their systems?
California Governor Brown's Conflicting Road Budget Priorities
When his father was governor, California was awash in federal highway dollars. Now Jerry Brown's administration contemplates a risky tax hike, juggling the need for road improvements with a clean, transit-oriented agenda.
Pittsburgh Votes: Keep Our Bridges Gold
In a civic exercise only possible in Pittsburgh, residents voted online in resounding support of keeping the color scheme of the city's famous Three Sisters Bridges.
Need Convincing that Vehicle-Miles-Traveled Fees Make Sense?
Eric Jaffe's July 1 article in CityLab has 18 reasons, and not one in opposition. The date is significant as it marks the official kickoff of the Oregon Road Usage Charge program.
Millennials Lead in Alternate Mobility
It's no secret that Millennials will use alternate modes when they're available and accessible. It's also no secret that adapting streets to those modes—and using them—can be a bargain.
Self-Driving Cars as Public Transportation
No one in the business doubts that autonomous vehicles will have some role to play in the future of transit. But right now, questions abound and answers are still only speculative.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
