A innovative approach to I-20/59 could thrust downtown Birmingham past other revitalizing cities, but the state has been reluctant to think outside the box.
"As the city of Birmingham remembers the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement, the state of Alabama is in the midst of reenacting the 1960s with two antiquated engineering projects," writes Wesley Vaughan. "Successful communities preserve rural areas and maximize urban areas. Yet, the Alabama Department of Transportation is intent on ruining both."
"The $4.7 billion Northern Beltline project will create more resource-inefficient sprawl, and the $340 million I-20/59 bridge replacement project would further the damage done by a downtown-dividing interstate."
"Both projects will diminish the city of Birmingham's standing in the region, but the I-20/59 project will directly affect its urban makeup."
Read the full story: The downtown I-20/59 project deserves state interest
New York Scraps Cross Bronx Highway Expansion
In the wake of community opposition, the state DOT says it no longer plans to add a “traffic diversion” that would have added an elevated roadway next to the CBX.
Highway Widening Plan Meets Resistance in Birmingham
A petition and a lawsuit are so far the tactics used by local advocates to oppose a plan by the Alabama Department of Transportation to widen an interstate that runs through the heart of Birmingham.
Alabama DOT wants to fill wetlands for interstate project
The Birmingham Northern Beltline would run roughly 52 miles through forests and wetlands that are home to multiple endangered species.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
NYC to turn city-owned property into thousands of homes
The city has scheduled a public hearing regarding the development for October.
Buses travel at 5mph along this route in NYC. The Bronx's first-ever busway looks to change that
Prior to the busway, buses on the Bx36 route traveled as slowly as 5 miles per hour.
Pittsburg launches 'EZ permits,' aims for one-day turnaround for low-risk permits
The pilot ‘fast lane’ for permits is part of a bundle of modernization efforts for Pittsburg’s permitting process.
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 Thousand Oaks
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The Architects Foundation
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The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello