Infrastructure
Kansas City Light Rail Plans Fail
A sales tax plan to fund light rail in Kansas City has failed.
News Summary: Urban Policy and the Obama Presidency
The balloons have fallen, and the yard signs have been yanked up. The people have chosen, and in a historic win, Senator Barack Obama will soon be our next president. Now the hopes and promises of the campaign must harden into reality. Managing Editor Tim Halbur summarize what we can expect from an Obama presidency in regards to urban issues.
NYT Columnist Urges Two Infrastructure Stimulus Packages
David Brooks is dismayed at all the failed 'stimulus packages' and those yet to come. Instead, he points to short and long term infrastructure plans, mostly in transportation, that will help the country in addition to any stimulus to the economy.
Mobility Infrastructure: A Better Stimulus Package
Stimulus packages are nothing more than an "economic sugar rush", according to columnist David Brooks. He argues that the country needs to create a larger-scale transportation-based infrastructure project to really bail out the economy.
Freeway Freefall
Next American City takes a look at freeways and sees the end coming -- for some, anyway.
Barack Obama on Energy Policy
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow interviews presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama about his plans for electrical and industrial infrastructure, including plug-in hybrids [Video].
Tolls On the Way for New 18-Laner in Texas
After speeding construction by using county toll revenues, a 23-mile long, 18-lane freeway has opened in Texas.
The Miserable State of California's Roads
Sacramento Bee political columnist took three road trips through 17 states and has a few comments to make, along with some facts, about the condition of the Golden State's roads - in comparison to those he toured, and where the responsibility lies.
Pointing the Finger at Planners
In allowing places to be designed for cars before people, city planners are primarily to blame for creating an "autocentric" America, according to this article.
Obama, the 'Tin-Cup Urbanist'
If history is any indicator, Senator Obama's presidential plans to pump more federal money into fixing cities' problems are futile and wasteful, according to Steven Malanga.
Boston's Other Big Dig
For the last ten years, the Army Corps of Engineers has been dredging the bottom of Boston Harbor in an effort to make more room for larger cargo ships. Dredging is almost complete on the project.
Distribution of Waste
Dow Jones Architects of London are proposing to create "waste towers", designed to compress waste locally before transporting to landfills outside the city.
Fix America's Infrastructure, Fix the Economy
The next president must commit to fixing our infrastructure, says Dave Demerjian of Wired. Such an investment will create jobs, strengthen our economy and make America more competitive.
Curing Urbanitis – the Metropolitan Disease
The problems of today's inner cities and the problems of the suburbs are inextricably linked, says William E. Finley, author of Curing Urbanitis.
California's $10 Billion High Speed Gamble
Sacramento Bee columnist Daniel Weintraub evaluates the pros and cons of California's $10 billion High Speed Rail Proposition 1A. With state revenues are already expected to be over $10 billion short than projected, he thinks it is a risky measure.
Have Bike Lanes, Cyclists Will Travel
Cyclists are much more likely to use bike lanes when they're available -- even if it means going out of their way and taking longer routes, according to a recent study from Portland State University.
Amazon Dam Project Moves Ahead
As construction begins on two large dams in the Amazon, thousands of indigenous people grapple with the prospect of the coming flood and the loss of their land, while environmentalists continue to oppose the construction.
Corps Requests Removal or Levee Encroachments
New Orleans homeowners have begun receiving letters from the Army Corps of Engineers demanding that they remove objects that obstruct nearby levees' rights of way, including fences and trees. If history repeats itself, this may get messy.
Urban Planners, Butt Out!
The authors of one study assert that vibrant cities can't be engineered by the application of "nuanced criteria"; however, this has very much become the paradigm of urban planning.
Navigating Shared-Space Streets in the US
At a time when motorists have a smorgasbord of distractions to contend with, select US streets take a taste of a Scandinavian recipe for street design, where pedestrians, cyclists, other motorists, and even trees are blended together intuitively.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
