Infrastructure
A Stoplight With A Countdown
Designer Damjan Stanković has proposed a stoplight with a "progress bar," the same sort of countdown that many walk signals have today. Zach Patton wonders if this is a good idea.
Distilling the Best Practices for Sustainable City Planning
Planner Alex Aylett discusses the challenges municipalities face when trying to create a successful sustainability plan, and how to overcome them with a new toolkit that takes cues from New York City's PlaNYC.
Two Options for L.A. High Speed Rail Station
High speed rail is slowly transitioning from idea to reality in California, and one of its major stops will be in Los Angeles. But exactly where in Los Angeles remains an unanswered question.
Obama Addresses the Controversy Over "Shovel-Ready"
Since the stimulus package was announced, the emphasis on 'shovel-ready' projects elicited criticism from urbanists. At yesterday's White House jobs summit, Pres. Obama acknowledged the tension it has caused.
Liveability a "Major Priority" at DOT
Among the criteria for evaluating projects, livability is at the top, along with safety and economic competitiveness.
Crumbling Condition
A 'staggering' number of the bridges used by Amtrak trains in and around New York City are in poor or worse condition.
Will War Spending Mean Less For Infrastructure?
Robert Borosage, in response to President Obama's announcement of a troop surge to Afghanistan, points out how the misallocation of resources to military efforts will mean the neglect of the nation's infrastructure.
Superproject Drought?
No major public works are underway in the United States, according to this piece from The New York Times. Some say the absence of major infrastructure projects may be hurting the economy.
Qatar Goes Big For Rail
Last week, officials in Qatar inked a deal with Germany's Deutsche Bahn to develop local and high-speed rail links at an estimated cost of $25 billion.
$70b in Freeway Funding Comes From Non-Users
A new study by Subsidyscope shows that between 1982 and 2007, federal highway revenue derived from non-users of the highway system has doubled.
California's Roads and Highways Remain 'Unspeakably Bad'
In another unsurprising study, California's roads and highways are ranked nearly last, and said to be the worst in urban areas.
Free Electricity for the Poor
Volunteer electricians from the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee reconnect those who can't afford to pay the bill.
The $28 Trillion Question
A new report prepared for the insurance industry says that the rise of sea levels could cost port cities $28 trillion by 2050.
Filling In The Holes From The Big Dig
Boston's Big Dig was supposed to result in a series of glorious, connected public spaces. Two years after the project's completion, the state is finally making the connections a reality.
Aging Sewers and Growing Cities Mean Troubled Waters
As cities grow, aging sewer systems are having trouble keeping up with increasing amounts of waste. Often, the result is sewer system overflows that end up directly in waterways.
Iraqi Civil Engineers Take Over Base Planning
An architect, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and four civil engineers from Iraq have taken over the base planning for the U.S Army's Basrah base, a small city with electrical, sewage and water systems as well as ongoing construction.
Brand-New Offramp Must Be Torn Down, Rebuilt
In Bakersfield, California contractors nearly completed a highway offramp when it was decided the grade was too steep and last-minute exiters might flip over. Parsons Brinkerhoff has agreed to eat the cost of rebuilding.
Not Just About Jobs
When then-Pres. Bush signed a transportation bill in 1991, he said it 'could be summed up in three words; jobs, jobs, jobs. Bruce Katz and Robert Puentes of Brookings say that infrastructure spending is much more than that.
Judge Rules Army Corps Responsible for New Orleans Flooding
A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' mismanaged maintenance of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet was the cause of flood damage in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Investing in Infrastructure
Private investors are increasingly putting their money into infrastructure assets like bridges and windmills.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
