Infrastructure

Wisconsin Public Transit

Madison Redesigning its Transit System, BRT Included

Transit service in the Wisconsin State Capital has been redesigned on a high-frequency grid.

June 12, 2022 - Wisconsin State Journal

The interior of the new Terminal B arrivals and departures hall at LaGuardia Airport

LaGuardia Airport Redesign Fails To Address Key Concerns

After an $8 billion renovation, critics of the much-maligned airport claim the design is disjointed, while public transit access to the new terminals remains minimal.

June 12, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

Concrete dam of almost dried, low water level Stevens Creek reservoir in San Francisco Bay Area, California.

Desalination and Water Recycling Needed to Increase Bay Area Water Supply

In an ongoing drought exacerbated by climate change, the Bay Area needs to look toward two technologies to secure adequate drinking water supply: desalination and wastewater recycling, according to an analysis by the San Francisco Examiner.

June 9, 2022 - San Francisco Examiner

Broadway Bike Lane

Seattle Remains Far From Its Vision Zero Goals

One Seattle councilmember is calling for more urgency in addressing the city’s rising traffic deaths.

June 9, 2022 - South Seattle Emerald

Two bicyclists on a street in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis Revises Complete Streets Ordinance

After the death of a well-known Indianapolis cyclist and growing pedestrian death rates, the city expanded on its 2012 Complete Streets ordinance to highlight equity and renew efforts to make streets safer.

June 9, 2022 - Indianapolis Star

Sound Transit

Seattle Prepares for Major Transit Disruptions

Sound Transit claims maintenance work is necessary to prepare for upcoming transit extensions, but critics question the need to make drastic service cuts.

June 8, 2022 - The Urbanist

Lake TRavis is shown well below capacity, with the city of Austin in the background.

Declining Water Levels Trigger ‘Stage 1’ Drought Response in Austin

The effects of the megadrought in the American Southwest are reaching into Texas.

June 8, 2022 - KUT

Transit map for Washington. D.C.

Federal Program To Award $450 Million to University Transportation Centers

The program will fund research on mobility, congestion, safety, and other crucial transportation issues.

June 7, 2022 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

Powell's Bookstore

How Bike Racks Are Weaponized To Displace Unhoused People

In Portland, a set of mysteriously installed bike racks is prompting questions about their true purpose.

June 7, 2022 - The Portland Mercury

A diagram of funding programs for the The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF), including clean energy, workforce training, regenerative agriculture, and innovation.

Funding Urban Climate Justice

The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund stands out as an example of local grassroots climate action—in this case, the kind of action that makes other climate projects and programs possible.

June 7, 2022 - Joan Fitzgerald

Google Maps street view of Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia

Philadelphia Seeks Federal Funding to Improve One of its Deadliest Streets

Local officials hope to use federal infrastructure funding to make safety improvements on Roosevelt Boulevard, where more than a tenth of the city’s traffic deaths happen.

June 5, 2022 - Insurance Journal

Aerial view of warehouses in San Bernardino, California

Communities Near Warehouses Unprotected by Outdated Zoning Codes

Today’s massive modern distribution centers have outsized impacts on adjacent neighborhoods. But outdated zoning codes often let them slip through the cracks with no environmental review.

June 2, 2022 - Next City

A barren landscape surrounds a reservoir well below its capacity.

Drought Renews Momentum for $4 Billion Reservoir Project in California

Bipartisan political support, billions in state and federal funding, and an unrelenting drought are creating momentum for the Sites Reservoir project in California's northern Central Valley.

June 2, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Amtrak

$368 Million in Rail Investments Announced

The Federal Railroad Administration announced a round of grant funding for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act tripled the amount of funding for the program.

June 2, 2022 - Federal Railroad Administration

Woman sitting on bench at rural bus stop

Transportation Challenges for Older Rural Americans

Vast distances and inadequate funding pose problems for the rural transportation services that older adults rely on to access essential services.

June 2, 2022 - NBC News

Bus bench with "armrests" to prevent lying down

How ‘Hostile Design’ Creates Unwelcoming Spaces

‘Defensive urbanism’ interventions explicitly seek to repel certain, often vulnerable, social groups from public spaces.

June 2, 2022 - Canadian Architect

The ramps of the interchange between the Major Deegan Expressway and the Cross Bronx Expressway

New York City Could Cap Cross Bronx Expressway

A multi-agency effort will assess options for ‘reimagining’ the notorious Cross Bronx Expressway and improving public health and quality of life along the corridor.

June 1, 2022 - StreetsBlog NYC

Diablo Canyon Nuclear

Extending the Life of California's Largest Power Plant

Gov. Gavin Newsom has notified the U.S. Department of Energy of his interest in using funding included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant slated to close in three years.

May 31, 2022 - Bloomberg News

Light Rail Transit Rendering

L.A.'s San Fernando Valley $909 Million Closer to Light Rail

The last time rail transit crossed L.A.'s San Fernando Valley was in the early 1950s.

May 31, 2022 - Los Angeles Daily News

A row of multistory, brick buildings in a small U.S. city, with retail uses on the ground floor and apartments above.

What Is Incremental Planning?

The concept of incrementalism can be applied to numerous fields and disciplines—one of which is planning. In the field of planning, the word incremental is usually used as an adjective to describe other planning words, such as code reform and development.

May 31, 2022 - James Brasuell

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.