Infrastructure
Why Infrastructure Costs So Much
A new book details what planners already know: cost estimates for major infrastructure projects are usually a farce. Another book foretells just how much new infrastructure will be needed in the coming waves of climate migration.
Freeway Removal Projects Gain Momentum
Thanks to decades of activism and newly available federal funding, state and local governments are starting to understand the negative impacts of highway construction and working to reverse the effects on cities around the nation.
How the Discount Rate Impacts Future Generations
A wonky policy tool can have significant effects on how public and private money is spent.
Kansas City Requests State Funding for Freeway Cap Park
The city has been working to raise $200 million to create a 5.5 acre park spanning a portion of Interstate 670.
USDOT Federal Grant Program Will Fund Wildlife Crossings
The funding will support projects that reduce the risk of vehicle-wildlife collisions and improve habitat connectivity.
New York Cyclist Deaths Spike, Worrying Bike Advocates
The number of people killed on bikes in the city has already surpassed 2018’s total for the entire year.
Audit Finds Colorado DOT Contracting Process Inconsistent
A state audit criticized the agency for taking a haphazard approach to awarding contracts for major projects.
Opinion: Surprised by Your Neighborhood’s Walkability Score? Don't Be.
A cautionary tale of using indices.
Walmart to Expand EV Charging Facilities to Thousands of U.S. Locations
A private effort will make a major contribution to the domestic capacity for electric vehicles.
Center-Running Bike Lane Pilot Project Approved on Dangerous S.F. Street
A plan to reconfigure Valencia Street between 15th and 23rd streets in San Francisco has been approved despite stiff opposition from community members and bike advocates.
Charlotte Area Transit System Gets an Ultimatum: Fill Staffing Gaps or Cease Operations
The Charlotte Area Transit System must fully staff its Rail Operating Control Center or else. It’s only the latest challenge for the city’s troubled light rail transit system.
25.3-Mile BRT Route Approved for Houston’s University Corridor
The METRORapid University Corridor bus rapid transit route will become the backbone of the Houston Metro system.
Chicago Found Liable for ADA Violations
A federal judge ruled that the city fails to provide “meaningful access” to many of its streets due to a lack of infrastructure for pedestrians with vision impairments at most of the city’s intersections.
Checking in on Washington State’s Complete Streets Law
A new requirement that mandates bike and pedestrian improvements on state road projects is starting to pay off with real commitments to Complete Streets infrastructure.
CA High-Speed Rail’s Latest Challenge: Floodwater
The historic precipitation that fell on the state of California in past months poses a unique and unanticipated threat to the state’s big infrastructure project in the Central Valley.
Houston Metro Proposes Undergrounding BRT Line
To ease community concerns, the agency is proposing an underpass in lieu of a prior plan that would have elevated a new rapid transit line above a portion of its downtown route.
Expressway Expansion Could Threaten Brooklyn Bridge Park
Supporters of the waterfront park worry NYCDOT’s plan to potentially widen the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway could reduce green space in “one of the most expensive urban parks ever built.”
Starpower Hired to Design California High-Speed Rail Station
The planning, engineering, and design team will develop the first four Central Valley stations on the train line.
Proposed Update to Boise Zoning Code Would Boost Density, Discourage Sprawl
A years-long process has culminated in a proposal that would encourage the creation of affordable housing, promote transit-oriented development, and position the city for less car-oriented growth.
Denver-Area Rail Service Disruptions Expected During Maintenance Work
RTD is beginning maintenance on retaining walls along its southeastern light rail lines that is expected to last roughly six months.
Pagination
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