The Houston Chronicle looks at the holes in Houston's transit grid, which force some riders into ridiculously long commutes.
"While some residents inside the Loop continue to hotly debate massive light rail projects that could potentially bring relief to tens of thousands of mass transit riders, there are others who live just outside the Loop who spend hours commuting and have no relief in sight.
Their daily treks to work, to school, to church are precarious ones, filled with unexpected waits, long walks and a labyrinth of bus transfers.
Sundays are the worst, when the number 88 bus is suspended.
'A lot of people get stuck out here on Sundays,' said Leonard Meacell, 63. 'To go to church, I try to get a ride from somebody. Forget going to the grocery store.'"
Read the full story: So near, yet so far ... and so long
Poor Suburbs Struggle with Job Sprawl
Although unemployment has declined, according to this report commutes are getting longer. "Job sprawl" often plagues minority and poor areas where housing is more affordable.
'Jobs Sprawl' Plagues Cleveland Commutes
Research from Brookings puts Cleveland in last place for improving access to jobs from 2000 through 2012. And jobs sprawl is up throughout the rest of the country as well.
Surprising Support for More Mass Transit in Houston
A survey tracking Houstonian opinions for three decades has found that the most striking change in the car-centric city is an embrace of an urban lifestyle led by support for more mass transit options and less reliance on cars, reports Jeannie Kever.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority