Officials are investigating the cause of a crash in which more than 20 people were seriously injured Tuesday riding the Shanghai subway. Citizens have voiced their frustration at ambitious rail projects they view as neglecting safety.
The crash occurred after the failure of a signalling system forced staff to resort to coordinating trains by telephone. In the wake of a large fire and recent high speed rail crash, the public was quick to blame decision makers for putting rapid infrastructure expansion ahead of public safety.
More interestingly, yesterday's crash appears to have fractured Chinese government. The Global Times newspaper, owned by Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily, called the managers of China's cities "backward" and said that increasing speed should not come at a cost to public safety.
FULL STORY: Chinese Authorities Under Fire After Shanghai Subway Crash

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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.
Smith Gee Studio
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City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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