This editorial argues that cities should build transit the way they used to build cathedrals: with a long-term mindset from the start.
"The short attention span of today's society presents a remarkable contrast to that longer view. A focus on quarterly results in business, rapid technological changes, busy family life, and democracy's next election all conspire against a multi-generational point of view. We need to be conscious of this tendency toward short-term thinking when making important decisions about how to build a city and its various components."
"Ottawa's new light-rail plan deserves careful scrutiny, not only because of the magnitude of the financial resources required, but also because of the need to ensure our investment stands the test of time. Some call this 'cathedral thinking.'"
FULL STORY: Michel Bellemare . Building transit
APTA Requests CDL Testing Change to Address Bus Operator Shortage
Eighty-four percent of U.S. transit agencies surveyed said CDL complexity was a hiring obstacle, with the “under-the-hood” requirement being the most challenging.
Cincinnati Seeks to Repurpose Its Unused Subway Tunnel
City officials are looking for proposals to use Cincinnati's long-abandoned subway tunnels, but not for transit; they already tried that.
Officials Kill St. Paul Streetcar, BRT Proposals
The proposed transit lines would have linked the St. Paul airport, downtown, and the Mall of America.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions