GOOD provides a glimpse of TransMilenio, a Colombian bus rapid transit system and shining example of BRT done right.
"Some TransMilenio bus lines move so many passengers per hour that people call it 'surface subway.' But unlike New York City's Second Avenue subway project-which has been under development, off and on, for 80 years and will take tens of billions of dollars and decades more to complete-Bogotá's then mayor, Enrique Peñalosa, got the first phase of TransMilenio up and running in just 18 months. TransMilenio immediately produced dramatic increases in bus speeds, reliability, ridership, and economic opportunity for people living in neighborhoods far from the jobs in the city center. Along with the construction of extensive bike networks and new public plazas, Peñalosa's TransMilenio is a cornerstone of Bogotá's rapid transformation from a traffic-choked mess to a model of sustainable urban development."
Read the full story: Get On the Bus
Looking to the Future as TransMilenio Turns 20
The world's most famous, and influential, bus rapid transit system, which served 2.4 million riders a day in Bogotá in the days before the pandemic, offers lessons in transit planning and management as it enters its third decade.
Is It Time to Rethink the Legacy of Enrique Peñalosa?
Negative responses to the "Most Influential Urbanists" list published last week overwhelmingly focused on one name on the list: Enrique Peñalosa.
BRT and the Future of Transit
A Guardian Cities article examines bus rapid transit—especially of the variety delivered by the likes Jaime Lerner and Enrique Peñalosa—on its merits as an "urban panacea."
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
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.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello