The planners of the 1950s didn’t foresee the growth of the Southwest’s two largest cities. Upgrading the freeway connection between the cities, however, remains a tough task.
Michelle Rindels reports on the political state of plans to improve the interstate link between Phoenix and Las Vegas—the two largest cities in the Southwest.
Both cities boomed after the country’s massive freeway building program of the mid-20th century. The population of Las Vegas is now 40 times larger than it was in 1950, and Phoenix is 13 times larger. The 300-mile corridor of U.S. 93 currently narrows to two lanes and hits stop lights in one town along the way.
Congress recently designated Interstate 11—a critical first step in that will allow builders to tap interstate construction dollars if the project goes ahead. So far, the two states have allotted $2.5 million to study routes and cost. The total cost of the project could run anywhere from $4 billion to $10 billion.
FULL STORY: Interstate Linking Vegas, Phoenix Faces Tough Go
Las Vegas' Growth Tied to its Dwindling Water Supply
Las Vegas has almost maximized its growth potential given projects for its future water supply—something has to give.
Black-White Segregation Decreasing, Slowly
Segregation is decreasing, even in America’s most segregated big cities.
Study: There's a Lot of Vacant Land in Texas Cities
All that empty acreage means that these big, rapidly developing cities don’t really have to sprawl.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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
City of Charlotte
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
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)