Derided by some, praised by others, Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) is gaining ground, with new systems scheduled to open in London, Abu Dhabi, and South Korea.
The Boston Globe prints a long-form Sunday feature on PRT, balancing blemishes and potential. An historical perspective on the 40 years of mostly-failed PRT attempts is provided. In arguing for momentum, the three current PRT projects with customers are listed: London Heathrow (opens Spring 2010), Masdar ecocity, and Suncheon, South Korea. In addition, the Swedish government announced intent to build a system. U.S. PRT interest in San Jose, Mountain View, Santa Cruz, and Ithaca is sited.
From the article: ""I just don't believe that it's a feasible system," says Vukan Vuchic, an engineering professor at the University of Pennsylvania and a prominent critic of PRT. "The concept of PRT has been discussed now for nearly 40 years. It was promoted very strongly, but it petered out because it did not succeed anywhere."
But in the past few years, the idea has started to come back into vogue. At London's Heathrow airport, a PRT system - with 18 vehicles, 2.4 miles of track, and three stations - is slated to begin running next spring."
Thanks to Steve Raney
FULL STORY: Invasion of the pod car
Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.
Houston Apartments To Be Demolished for Freeway Widening
Despite a federal hold on the controversial freeway widening project, the Texas Department of Transportation is pushing ahead with the demolition of an apartment complex in downtown Houston.
San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.
California Budget Includes $4.2 Billion for High-Speed Rail
The recently approved state budget directs $4.2 billion in bond funding to the Bakersfield-to-Merced leg of California’s long-awaited high-speed rail project.
Biden’s Environmental Legacy (So Far)
President Biden campaigned on promises to restore many of the environmental regulations rolled back by the previous administration, while promising new efforts to tackle environmental injustice and climate change.
Help! Not Police! Crisis Responses That Avert Police Calls
Cities, court systems, citizen groups, and affordable housing operators are crafting ways of responding to emergencies that reduce the risk of negative police interactions.
Grand Valley Metropolitan Council
City of Bothell
Town of San Anselmo
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
