Transportation planners and public officials have begun to consider ways to reconfigure cities and alter driving patterns in order to reduce vehicle miles traveled and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"A furious, though still fledgling, effort has commenced to help America's drivers curtail their trips, burn less fuel and, ultimately, emit less CO2. It involves a marriage of transportation planning, land use planning, engineering and public policy to implement everything from smart growth to congestion pricing to increased use of mass transit. And if that wasn't complicated enough, it will involve every level of government, from town hall to the United Nations."
"Transportation planners used to strive for less congestion or faster flows, but overall traffic volume was a fact of life. Now the focus is shifting into reverse. '[Transportation planning] has to be very important [in reducing CO2],' former Clinton administration Energy Secretary Bill Richardson told InTransition. 'You can't have a planet without energy-efficient transportation systems that emphasize commuter rail, light rail, open space and land use policies that protect quality of life.'"
"At more intimate scales, local land use and transportation planning may take a page from urban planning, in which efforts to promote infill, mixed-use, TOD and walkable, bikeable development have long been underway. It is hoped this sort of development would compel residents to walk rather than drive and focus their attention on their immediate communities, whose charms will make freeway trips and gridlock less appealing."
FULL STORY: Transportation Planning Warms Up To Climate Change
Time to Adapt to a Warmer World is Now
Public officials and scientists are starting to say that adaptation to climate change is just as important as trying to stem climate change. One way to adapt is to embrace smart growth principles that reduce energy usage, according to this article.
Planning Trends for 2025: Creative Housing Solutions, Ongoing Transit Woes, and the Ever-Creeping Tentacles of AI
Urban planners have no shortage of urgent issues to delve into, from a deepening housing crisis to an increasingly unpredictable climate to a new federal administration bent on slashing key funding for everything from electric cars to housing assistance.
California Environmental Leaders Call on State Agencies to Prioritize Multimodal Transportation
Even before President Trump took office, California was not meeting its emissions reduction goals.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
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The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)