The focus on electrifying personal vehicles misses the opportunity to transform urban transportation systems, reduce congestion, and make cities more affordable.

"Introducing electric vehicles (EVs) on a massive scale has often been framed as the solution to reducing passenger transport emissions," writes Vera O'Riordan, but electrification alone won't be enough to meet emissions reduction goals and keep global warming at less than 2 degrees, according to new research.
In addition, a population that continues to depend on cars poses significant problems for growing cities. With urbanization on the rise and space at a premium, we must reduce car ownership in cities if we are to keep them as affordable and accessible as possible. Huge amounts of land that could otherwise be used to house people or be dedicated to nature are still reserved for roads and car parks.
O'Riordan describes the UN Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change's recommended transportation planning approach, known as "Avoid, Shift, Improve." The framework advocates for policies that allow people to reduce their need to travel very far for their daily needs and outlines solutions for shifting necessary travel to more sustainable modes and improving energy sources for transportation.
Transportation advocates have similarly criticized policymakers' focus on electric vehicles, denouncing this car-centric approach as a perpetuation of our current, flawed systems of transportation and urging support for more efficient, multi-modal transit networks and safe infrastructure.
FULL STORY: Electric vehicles aren’t a fix for carbon emissions. These 3 things need to change—fast

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

A Serious Critique of Congestion Costs and Induced Vehicle Travel Impacts
Some highway advocates continue to claim that roadway expansions are justified to reduce traffic congestion. That's not what the research shows. It's time to stop obsessing over congestion and instead strive for efficient accessibility.

Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City
In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.

Austin’s Project Connect Transit Plan Drastically Reduced
The details of drastic reductions to the proposed building program for Austin’s Project Connect long-range transit plan are now open for public comment.

‘Bus Revolution’ Revised in Philadelphia
The bus system redesign underway in Philadelphia changed direction after riders and local politicians complained about an initial draft plan.

Hudson Valley City Bans Fossil Fuels in New Construction
Beacon will require all-electric appliances in new buildings starting next year.
City of Greenville
City of Greenville
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.