As a part of its series on pressing issues that should inform the current Canadian federal election, the Globe and Mail examines how other cities around the world have undertaken affordable transportation innovations to ease traffic congestion.
The Globe and Mail points out that Canadians are only too willing to travel on subways or bicycles when they travel but seem resistant to change in their own cities:
"Canadians...remain psychologically gridlocked when it comes to how to improve our daily commute. Change also requires the kind of permanent funding that big-city mayors and others believe should be part of a federal urban strategy – and on the table for discussion in the national election campaign.
According to a new ranking of international cities by the Toronto Board of Trade, Canadian urban centres fare poorly on everything from transit ridership to infrastructure spending. Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, Stockholm and Oslo topped the transportation ranking, while cities as varied as Madrid, New York and Seattle all outperformed Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, where congestion and transit problems were found to be 'crippling' local economies."
As alternatives, it offers New York's transportation planning under Janette Sadik-Khan, Hong Kong's "Octopus" smart card, Stockholm's congestion pricing, Spain's public-private partnerships and time-shifting in Melbourne.
Read the full story: Canadian traffic in psychological gridlock
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.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Malls are becoming the midtowns of the future
Mall and office park redevelopments are a generational opportunity to create new nodes of urbanity.
NYC breaks ground on anti-flooding infrastructure project
New York City's new system will reduce stormwater flows to local sewers by 90%.
One Kentucky town’s secret to affordable housing
The Smoketown Community Land Trust has already built seven affordable homes for community members.
Houston gains petal-shaped cooling infrastructure to make streets more ‘delightful’
The city has installed the pavilions along 15 blocks in Houston.
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
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority