Lionel is offering its first ever model subway set, recreating the New York subway system complete with station announcements and subway sounds.
"Subway car No. 8026 stopped, and the public-address system announced, a little too clearly: 'Sheepshead Bay. This is a northbound Brighton local. Next stop, Kings Highway.'
'This was my line,' said Thomas C. Nuzzo, who was driving the train. 'I can name all the stops.'
But No. 8026 was nowhere near where he grew up in Brooklyn. It had been circling a track inside Grand Central Terminal - a model railroad track, that is. No. 8026 and the three drab-green cars it was pulling are the first New York City subway cars ever built by Lionel, which has made model electric railroad trains for more than 100 years.
Of course, in the 21st century, electric trains have wireless controls. Mr. Nuzzo, Lionel's events manager, pushed a button on the device in his hand. The doors snapped shut, and the train sped off."
FULL STORY: A Model Subway, but the Announcements Are Clear

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

US Senate Reverses California EV Mandate
The state planned to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, a goal some carmakers deemed impossible to meet.

Trump Cuts Decimate Mapping Agency
The National Geodetic Survey maintains and updates critical spatial reference systems used extensively in both the public and private sectors.

Washington Passes First US ‘Shared Streets’ Law
Cities will be allowed to lower speed limits to 10 miles per hour and prioritize pedestrians on certain streets.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions