Infrastructure
Masterplanning the Architecture of the Near Future
As the population rises, underused and empty spaces are going to fill in. How well the transition works depends on shifts in demographics and infrastructure, as well as architecture. A studio of UCLA architecture students were asked to plot that transition. But before they could be architects, they had to be planners.
Parkour Enthusiasts Rediscover The American City
While urbanists have long used the built environment as their playground, the French sport of parkour is connecting residents of America's cities to their surroundings in a new, if not extreme manner.
Transit's Big Dig Begins In Jersey
New Jersey Transit has broken ground on what may be the nation's most costly transit project: a commuter rail tunnel under the Hudson River to a new Penn Station Expansion that, to the chagrin of transit advocates, will not connect to Penn Station.
Miami-Dade Busway Could Open Up to Cars
Officials in Miami-Dade County are considering a move to lift car restrictions from an underused two-lane commuter busway. One plan is to convert the busway into a tollroad.
Smart Grid for a Smart City
Amsterdam has taken its smart grid live, installing solar panels and 300 electric car recharging stations throughout the city.
Nation's Largest Mass Transit Project is under Way
The second passenger rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River will link New Jersey with New York and will also double the capacity on the nation's busiest rail corridor.
End Of The Infrastructure Privatization Craze
It was hailed as the solution to America's infrastructure spending deficit, but the influx of private funds has come to halt along with the failure of banks and the huge investment from the Recovery Act. Plus, many schemes aroused taxpayers wrath.
Transportation Reauthorization Battles Ahead - Funding & Revenue Split
The transportation reauthorization bill will be hotly debated this fall on at least two fronts - finding a sustainable funding source and apportioning the revenues. The 18.4 cent gas tax, its funding source, declined 33% due to inflation since 1993.
Biden Plugs CA High-Speed Rail For Funding
Notwithstanding a $24.3 billion state budget deficit, CA is well-positioned to receive at least 10% of the Recovery Act funding for high speed rail, says Biden. Two corridors in southern and northern CA have been identified for funding.
Finding the Silver Lining in California's Drought
Water Lawyer Michael George details the causes and effects of the current California drought, and sees hope that pinched water supplies may drive innovation and collaboration in building sustainable water systems in the West.
LaHood To Learn From Spain On HSR
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is visiting Spain, hoping to glean some knowledge from the country's recent successes with high-speed rail.
AASHTO Releases A National Rail Vision
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has released a report, "Achieving the Vision: Intercity Passenger Rail" to guide investment of the $8 billion Recovery Act and future funding on passenger and freight rail.
An Aerotropolis for Atlanta
Construction begins on Aerotropolis Atlanta, an unusual "live-work-play mini-city" development going up close to Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport- so close, in fact, that there will be a connecting walkway directly to the new international terminal.
PBS Doc Examines Development In Denver, Portland, and NYC
Three cities - three directions on how their transportation infrastructure was shaped by national transportation and housing legislation, and the role of influential leaders like CO Gov. Lamm, OR representative Earl Blumenauer, and NY's Robert Moses.
Making 'Smarter' Roads
States are hoping to use federal stimulus money to add technological advancements to their streets and highways to create "smart" roads.
Guerilla Greywater Goes Public Policy
Once guerrilla, now becoming policy, greywater reuse is picking up in cities across the country.
Bus Stop of the Future
MIT's SENSEable City Lab is featuring a prototype of a futuristic bus stop, complete with real-time route mapping, e-ink surfaces, and estimates of your exposure to pollutants along the way.
The Benevolent Robert Moses of New York's Streets
As New York City prepares to pedestrianize Times Square, New York Magazine profiles Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, who they call "equal parts Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses."
Fixing Potholes with a Flick of a Joystick
A newly-designed truck known as the "Pothole Killer" can fix a pothole with the flick of a wrist (VIDEO).
Light Rail Extension in L.A. Moves Ahead, But Controversy Remains
Expansion of Los Angeles' light rail system is moving ahead, as a new leg heads west. Though funding is secure, controversy still surrounds the route and its design.
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
