Infrastructure
Will Congress Pass Up Historic Infrastructure-Building Opportunity?
President Obama will reportedly call for new infrastructure investment in tonight's State of the Union address. Is there any reason to think that Congress will take advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure?
D.C.'s new HOT Lanes off to a Slow Start
Recent financial disclosures from the company that operates the Capital Beltway's new high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in northern Virginia show that the lanes lost $11.3 million in their first six weeks of operation with fewer users than expected.
Arup Proposes Radical Building of the Near Future
The global engineering firm envisions a "smart" building that will plug into "smart" urban infrastructure and cater to an increasingly dense and technology-savvy urban population.
Dutch Shocked by Challenges of Shifting to Electric Cars
The Netherlands is proceeding with one of the most ambitious programs to increase electric car usage in the world. In a country with seemingly ideal conditions for adoption, and heavy subsidy, sales of such vehicles have been disappointingly low.
A Speculative Map Makes the Case for America's Dream Rail System
Despite the best efforts of President Obama, the dream of a countrywide high-speed rail network is still just that. Can a speculative, and tantalizing, map change the debate on high-speed rail in the United States?
Using Pictures to Think About Cities
How does each of us perceive the city? Using photos of pedestrians in Seattle crosswalks and the highly walkable Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Chuck Wolfe challenges readers to think for themselves about what they see.
State Gas Tax Attention Turns to Pennsylvania
Continuing our focus on the need to invest in transportation infrastructure and unwillingness to raise state gas taxes, the most recent proposal comes from Gov. Tom Corbett: Reducing the excise tax while increasing the wholesale gas dealer tax.
Effort to Rethink San Francisco's 'Premier Street' Grows
Planning for the $350 million Better Market Street project, which aims to transform downtown's main thoroughfare into a transit and people-oriented place, has expanded to encompass surrounding streets.
State Gas Tax Outlook Grim - Or Is It?
Two articles from non-profit organizations - a think tank and an advocacy group, seemingly arrive at the same conclusion: the future of the state gas tax is grim due to lack of political will to raise it. However, some states are bucking the trend.
Is a New Approach Needed for Getting Kids to School?
Charles Marohn derides the conflicted approach to creating "Safe Routes to Schools" in the United States. With new data linking transport to school to educational outcomes, is it time to rethink the federal government's popular program?
Neighborhoods First (and Goal)
Howard Blackson's words of advice for San Diego's new administration are applicable wherever it is you call home. Neighborhoods first!
Advanced Graphics Illustrate the World's Extreme Infrastructure
Mike Senese spotlights a new television program on the Science Channel that uses innovative graphics to examine how the world's cities have been built to overcome the challenges of their natural environments and serve their citizens.
L.A.'s Rail Revolution Celebrates 20 Years
Dave Sotero reflects on the "mammoth undertaking" necessary to build L.A.'s modern subway system. He begins with the completion of the first phase of the Metro Red Line 20 years ago, and ends with a look at its promising future.
Florida to Obama: Establish a Department of Cities
Lamenting the lack of a single big, transformative urban idea during President Obama's first term, Richard Florida urges the president to establish a new cabinet-level Department of Cities to build a "lasting urban legacy."
6 Easy Ways to Make a City More Livable
Baltimore has a lot of bold ideas for changing the face of the city. While we wait for them to happen, why not implement some simple solutions for making the city more livable, proposes Mark R. Brown, AICP.
Housing Recovery Gains Momentum, But Are We in for a Bumpy Ride?
While the housing market showed signs of improvement last year, economists are now confident that a recovery is underway. Housing currently adds 13 percent to the nation's economic growth, but is this a good thing?
3 Simple Ways to Make Streets More Walkable
Although leaders in the Twin Cities seem to agree on the need to improve the appeal of city streets for those on foot, turning those words into actions seems difficult. Bill Lindeke offers three easy solutions that don't involve touching the street.
Vote for America's Worst Intersection
Our friends at Streetsblog are hunting for the worst intersection in America. Help them decide from among a host of qualified entries.
Federal Program Develops Innovative Greening Strategies, But Is Anyone Paying Attention?
Kaid Benfield spotlights an innovative federal program that is "not very well known but deserves to be." The "Greening America’s Capitals" program aims to make America's state capitals showpieces for green infrastructure and green building practices.
To Unleash Dallas's Building Boom, Tear Down a Freeway
Patrick Kennedy proposes an elegant and cost-effective way to deal with Dallas's aging elevated freeway and the city's "massive pent-up demand for walkable urban housing" - tear the sucker down.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
