Infrastructure

Where the Boston area's water supply once gushed, pedestrians and bikes will now flow thanks to a plan to repurpose the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority's aqueducts as public spaces.

July 16, 2013 - The Boston Globe

The U.S. is in need of new approaches to managing stormwater. Though the EPA has been slow to provide guidance, there's plenty that can be done now. Parking reform provides a handy model for solving seemingly intractable entitlement problems.

July 15, 2013 - Lisa Nisenson

At 76 miles, the tunnel China may soon start constructing beneath the Bohai Sea to connect the port cities of Dalian and Yantai would be longer than the world’s two longest underwater tunnels combined and cost $42.4 billion to complete.

July 15, 2013 - Quartz

Thanks to mobile technology, Los Angelenos no longer have to choose between driving their own cars and paying expensive cab fares after a night out on the town.

July 15, 2013 - New York Times

Keith Laing, with help from Josh Schank of the Eno Center for Transportation, describes the reality facing the new Secretary of the Department of Transportation. With gas tax revenue dwindling and MAP-21 expiring next year, securing funds is crucial.

July 15, 2013 - The Hill

With bike use exploding across North America, The New York Times has asked its readers to submit their suggestions for how best to navigate their city streets on two wheels. Covering 16 cities, the project has received 4,614 comments to date.

July 14, 2013 - The New York Times

In the first in a series of articles exploring 'infrastructure solutions for the next generation', Cynthia Barnett examines the creative ways that communities are solving the problems caused by old and overtaxed water systems.

July 14, 2013 - Orion Magazine

John M. Broder writes about a new U.S. Department of Energy report released July 11th that details the vulnerability of the nation's entire energy system to climate change effects - from droughts, intense storms, rising seas, lower river levels...

July 13, 2013 - The New York Times - U.S.

We've recently looked at the shortage of bike parking plaguing cities like Amsterdam. Designers are on the case, inventing 'ingenious ideas' for parking all those bikes. Ben Schiller looks at five of the best.

July 13, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

While much of America’s southwest and inter-mountain west battles blazing forest fires, Magdalena, NM faces a less spectacular but equally fearsome crisis: a municipal system no longer capable of delivering water to the village's 938 residents.

July 13, 2013 - This Big City

The creator of the TED conference has teamed up with Esri to develop an innovative interactive exhibit and online mapping tool to compare 16 global cities along 16 data points, including: population density, open space, and traffic.

July 12, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

While Staten Island and Rockaway, Queens also suffered devastation from Superstorm Sandy; Broad Channel, an island in Jamaica Bay, Queens, may be the lowest lying area in the City and endures tidal flooding regularly, not just from storm surges.

July 12, 2013 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

More and more local governments are adopting complete streets policies. But gaps in implementation in these places suggests that the building of actual complete streets is dependent on a true culture shift. Angie Schmitt looks at the obstacles.

July 12, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

Recent studies report a noted decrease in traffic congestion in the D.C. area. Robert McCartney credits two trends and asks how the area should spend additional transportation revenues that will be generated by recent tax increases.

July 12, 2013 - The Washington Post

Access to affordable healthy food is a problem in poor communities throughout the U.S. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and a local non-profit have developed one way to quickly boost the healthy food infrastructure in food deserts.

July 12, 2013 - Daily News

An Indian newspaper has started a campaign aimed at making Chennai more accommodating to pedestrians. The issue is particularly acute in the global South, as growing auto ownership threatens the safety of those yet to climb the economic ladder.

July 9, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Despite widespread budget woes and austerity programs, European cities are pushing forward with plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by retrofitting existing transit systems in a "slow-motion revolution" in electric transport, reports Erica Gies.

July 8, 2013 - The New York Times

Wash. state senate Republicans dealt a crushing blow to governors of both Wash. and Ore. by killing a 10.5-cent gas tax bill needed to tap $850 million in federal funds to finance rebuilding of two, obsolete I-5 spans over the Columbia River.

July 8, 2013 - The Columbian

Taichung, Taiwan (pop 2.7 million) has beaten out six other finalists to claim the Intelligent Community Forum’s (ICF) designation as "intelligent community of the year". Robert Bell and Sylvie Albert describe what makes the city an intelligent icon.

July 5, 2013 - The Global Urbanist

As news reports indicate, the recent BART strike made a mess out of the Bay Area's morning and evening commutes. For planning think tank SPUR, it has helped to illustrate significant gaps in the region's transportation infrastructure.

July 5, 2013 - SPUR Blog