Roger Valdez looks back at the history of highways, and the switch from local control to state and federal control due to the burden of financing and maintaining roads.
Valdez says the lack of local control of highway construction results in bad land use decisions.
"So the need to accommodate cars led to greater dependence on gas tax revenue, and with the dependence on gas tax revenue came more control over design by state and federal governments. And from a design perspective that meant a need for speed and capacity."
FULL STORY: End of the Road
Freedom to Move: Investing in Transportation Choices for a Clean, Prosperous, and Just Future
This Union of Concerned Scientists study examines why and how to improve resource-efficient travel options to achieve diverse goals. It estimates that more efficient transport could save up to $201 billion in energy and $128 billion in health costs.
Report: Some Rural States Ahead of More Urbanized Ones in Reducing Transportation Emissions
This is a largely unintended consequence of states with lower populations and resources focusing on repairing existing roads and infrastructure rather than expanding and building new roads.
New York State DOT Invests Heavily in Highways Over Transit
So far, the department has allocated 90 percent of its federal transportation funding to road projects and less than 1 percent to transit.
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.
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.
Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.
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