Secretary Ray LaHood is promoting livable communities, but the Wisconsin Department of Transportation insists that Madison's new Amtrak station should be located on the edge of town next to a big parking lot at the airport.
"The argument over where Madison, Wisconsin's new Amtrak station should be located seems straight out of the 1970s, with WisDOT ignoring over 25 years of success in planning for transit-oriented development, and instead opting for an easy site at the Dane County airport that offers a big parking lot, but no pedestrian or bicycle access, and only a single bus route. The concept hangs its hat on the limited demand for plane-to-train transfers, calling it multi-modal, while ignoring the more important modes that would actually serve Madison residents and visitors to the city."
Thanks to Barry Gore
Read the full story: Advocates make last-minute pitch to site Amtrak depot on isthmus
Car-Centric LA Suburb Looks to a Train-Oriented Future
City leaders in Rancho Cucamonga, the future western terminus of the Brightline West rail line to Las Vegas, want to reimagine the city as a transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly community.
New Urbanism Emerged in Response to Sprawl, but Does it Really Offer an Alternative?
Daniel Trudeau guest blogs about a recent article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.
High-Speed Rail to Stop Short of Downtown Houston
The latest plan for the Texas Central high-speed rail line would stop trains well short of downtown Houston. Transit advocates are displeased with the change of plans.
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.
US buildings threatened, destroyed by fires set to triple by 2060
Researchers found a high fire risk for socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods in the American West.
LA residents may be allowed to paint their own crosswalks
Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky put out a motion instructing the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation to study the feasibility of allowing volunteers to paint crosswalks.
Dallas moves to overhaul its zoning code
The city's zoning reform will allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments.
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