Infrastructure

Houston Bus Lane

Houston Plans for More Bus Rapid Transit

The city's transit agency hopes a more comprehensive and connected rapid transit network will encourage more Houstonians to use buses.

March 27, 2022 - Houston Chronicle

Texas Wind

Outdated Electric Grid Could Hamper Texas Transition to Renewables

Although Texas easily has the potential to phase out coal with the renewable energy projects in the works around the state, its aging transmission lines and outdated infrastructure could delay the transition.

March 25, 2022 - Fortune

Washington D.C.

D.C. Could Expand Traffic Camera Program

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser wants to add hundreds of new traffic enforcement cameras to stem the city's rising rate of traffic fatalities.

March 25, 2022 - The Washington Post

Nighttime view of subway station in Vienna, Austria

How a Feminist Perspective Can Make Cities Better for Everyone

An argument for embedding a feminist analysis into planning practice.

March 24, 2022 - Post Carbon Institute

Floodplain

FEMA Flood Mitigation Initiative Will Pay Homeowners To Move

The Swift Current grant program will distribute $60 million to homeowners in high-risk counties to help pay for flood mitigation measures or relocation.

March 24, 2022 - Grist

View from the summit of Hazard Peak in Montana de Oro State Park, San Luis Obispo County, California

Chumash Tribe Opposes Offshore Wind in Proposed Marine Sanctuary

Environmentalists decry the proposed wind farm as harmful to the fragile ecosystem of the Central California coast.

March 24, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Oil Drills

Sanctioning Russian Energy Exports

European leaders chose not to join the U.S. in an embargo of Russian energy products largely because of dependence on natural gas. Similarly, the world needs the 11% of crude oil that Russia exports. What can the U.S. do to lessen this dependence?

March 24, 2022 - Rhodium Group

Electric Car Charging Stencil

EV Charging Stations Gaining Ground

High gas prices are prompting more cities to invest in electric car charging infrastructure.

March 23, 2022 - The Bakersfield Californian

An aerial view of New Jersey suburbs, with Manhattan and New York City in the distant background.

The Rise of the Megaregion

A new book outlines the benefits of public investment at the regional scale.

March 23, 2022 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

The cover of the book "A Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander is shown next to a page from the booking--the latter shows "stair case steps."

Why Christopher Alexander Still Matters

The author of "A Pattern Language" and "Notes on the Synthesis of Form" had an outsize influence far beyond architecture and urbanism—and still does.

March 22, 2022 - Michael W. Mehaffy

Irrigiation Channel

Booming Arizona Must Confront its Water Problem

Even as more people and companies flock to the state for its climate and economic opportunities, Arizona's water supplies are facing historic shortages.

March 22, 2022 - Circle of Blue

Cash

Lawmakers Question ARPA Spending

Cities and states say the American Rescue Plan Act has been crucial to keeping the lights on during the pandemic, but some Republican lawmakers denounce spending on projects unrelated to COVID relief.

March 22, 2022 - Route Fifty

Gas Pump

Easing the Burden of High Gas and Housing Costs for Low-Income Households

Low-income families suffer most from dramatic spikes in housing and transportation costs, but governments can soften the impact through a series of actions.

March 22, 2022 - Urban Institute

Highway Construction

Federal Rules Let States Count More Road Deaths as 'Progress'

The majority of federal infrastructure funding is not tied to federal requirements, letting states set their own targets for road safety and improvements.

March 21, 2022 - The Washington Post

A map showing the route of a light rail transit line from Boston up through Somerville and Medford.

Long Awaited Green Line Extension Opens Today North of Boston

The Green Line Extension project, in the works for decades, is now providing rail transit service from Boston north into Somerville.

March 21, 2022 - Boston.com

Close-up of row of Healthy Ride bike share bicycles

Pittsburgh To Revamp its Bike Share System With E-Bikes, New Stations

The system overhaul is partly due to nextbike's shift to focusing on its European markets. The new fleet will include 350 e-bikes and expand service to new neighborhoods.

March 21, 2022 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Children Walking To School

School District Takes on Traffic Safety

A school district in North Carolina is leading an effort to improve road safety for students and school staff who walk or bike to school.

March 21, 2022 - ABC 11

Map of proposed project area

Detroit Plans Freeway Removal To Spur Economic Development

City and state officials hope the proposal to turn part of I-375 into a walkable boulevard will help bring back businesses and economic vitality to the area.

March 20, 2022 - WDET

Downtown Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati To Electrify Municipal Fleet by 2035

The city of Cincinnati will beef up its efforts to shift to renewable energy starting next week with electric police cars, fire trucks, and other city vehicles.

March 18, 2022 - Cincinnati.com

Construction fo the California High-Speed Rail project is shown running parallel to Highway 99 in California's Central Valley.

California High-Speed Rail Status Check

The New York Times recently checked in with the California High-Speed Rail project and reported the current details, still in the process of a long evolution.

March 17, 2022 - The New York Times

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.