Some say the greater Pittsburgh area needs to think more "regionally". This piece from Pop City argues it already is.
Author John Denny offers five ways the Pittsburgh area is already acting like a region.
"Sometimes bigger really is better and that's exactly the case when Pine Twp., Marshall, Bradford Woods, and more recently Richland Twp., merged their independent police departments into one new force called the Northern Regional Police Department of Allegheny County. On their own, each department was too small and too costly for their individual municipalities. Today, with a force of 30 full time officers, led by Chief Bob Amann who was one of the key drivers, 35,000 residents are receiving improved and less costly protection as a whole. In addition to better coordinated protection, the creation of the Northern Regional Police Department allowed for the addition of a detective school resource officer, accident reconstruction, and combined pension money that made the overall plan much stronger and more affordable to each of the individual municipalities."
FULL STORY: 5 Ways We Are Already Acting Like a Region
Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.
Pittsburgh Excels at Low-Cost, Quick-Build Traffic Calming
The city’s traffic calming initiative has led to a 6 percent average reduction in speeds on corridors with recent interventions.
Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units
Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie