The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Pittsburgh's Food Deserts
A map of Pittsburgh's food deserts illustrates a nationwide problem with food insecurity.

Denver's New Commuter Rail Line to Airport to Open in April
You will be forgiven for thinking you are looking at an East Coast commuter rail line: It's electrified with level boarding, mostly 15-minute headways, with bike and luggage racks, operating 22 hours a day from Denver's Union Station to the airport.

The Hidden Costs of Building Green
New green buildings may be de riguer, but preservation does less harm.

Republican Attacks Shifting Focus Toward Cities
By focusing their criticism on the federal government, argues Jonathan Chait, Republicans fail to address the real problem: over-regulation on the state and local level.

Gabe Klein's Vision for D.C. Transportation
Drawing on his experience with the Washington D.C. and Chicago departments of transportation, Gabe Klein shared his thoughts about transportation improvements in the capital—if money were no object.

BLOG POST
Research Offers Lessons on Bicycle Planning
This past week at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning conference, planning academics shared their research on planning for bicycles including bike sharing, bicycle education, and the use of cargo bicycles.
6-year Transportation Reauthorization Passes Committee; 3-Week Extension Introduced
The bipartisan, $325 billion STRR Act unanimously passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Oct. 22. A three-week transportation funding extension bill was also introduced, as the Highway Trust Fund expires on Oct. 29.
Checking on the Status of Rebuild by Design
The hoopla has subsided surrounding nearly $1 billion awarded by HUD to fund coastal resilience projects on the Atlantic Coast, but the work of implementing the winning Rebuild by Design projects has continued.
A Tale of Two Chelseas
The neighborhood of Chelsea in Manhattan, location of the High Line and one of the hottest real estate markets in the city, provides a case study of the wealth gap, with each side living in close proximity.
An Online Portal for Making Sense of Toronto Traffic Data
With so many potential sources of data with which to analyze traffic behaviors and real-time conditions, University of Toronto engineers have created an online portal that could one day help drive a system populated with autonomous cars.
SEPTA Investing $18.3 Million in Energy Efficiency
SEPTA has approved funding for $18.3 million in energy-efficient upgrades to the regional transit network.
Railroads Given Three More Years to Install Positive Train Control
Agreement has been reached by Congress to extend the vital but costly safety system said to prevent many train crashes. Had it not been reached, freight railroads warned they would shut down, as would passenger rail lines running on their tracks.
Georgia Responds to Funding Uncertainty by Postponing 34 Road Projects
Though the congressional process of providing a bill that sets the funding agenda for the nation's transportation infrastructure seems to finally be moving forward, Georgia couldn't continue waiting.
Calling on Teens to Participate in Comprehensive Plans
A group of teens were recently participated in the comprehensive planning process for the city of Rockville, Maryland.
Rowing for Restoration on Cleveland's Cuyahoga River
A group of passionate rowers deserve some of the credit in the remarkable comeback story of Cleveland's Cuyahoga River.
Friday Funny: What if Bisquick Played the Silicon Valley Real Estate Game?
Take everything you know about the design and planning of Silicon Valley's corporate offices—but replace tech with pancakes.
A Super Energy-Efficient Home for the Alaskan Frontier
An engineer from Fairbanks, Alaska, has built a house that is "kept toasty without fossil fuels and uses a mere fraction of the energy typically needed, even at 30 below."
Regional Bike Trail Plan Extends West from Portland
Washington County, located just west of Portland, is planning a regional trail that could eventually reap benefits for recreation and transportation.
Saying Bye-Bye to Fireplaces And Wood-Burning Heaters in the Bay Area
In a Bay Area first, new home construction in most of the region will be banned from having these heating devices installed as the result of a rule adopted unanimously by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on Oct. 21.

BLOG POST
Complete Streets Concepts Are Now Being Applied Worldwide
Dehli announced a major new Complete Streets program that will redesign urban roads to favor walking, cycling and public transport over car traffic. This is very good news. It shows that the Complete Streets concept is now being applied worldwide.,
Pagination
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.