Nathan Masters reviews the new book by historian Henry Petroski, "The Road Taken," a historical look at America's roads and the civil engineers who built them.
In his new book The Road Taken, Duke University historian Henry Petroski attempts to tell the story of civil engineers in the construction of America's modern road network. Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Nathan Masters commends the book for going into the minutiae of road design by revealing interesting backstories while also advocating for greater investment in our aging infrastructure.
Petroski also delves into future technologies that may reshape the way our current infrastructure operates and is repaired. But the overall theme of the book, as indicated by the title, is the future investment in our aging roads and bridges. Will funding levels meet demand or will our roads continue to crumble below us?
FULL STORY: Review The freeway that looked like the future in 1940? Now, not so much. Nathan Masters on 'The Road Taken'
America's Infrastructural Reckoning
Through the lens of Henry Petroski's new book, Tom Vanderbilt discusses why infrastructure, as we have come to define it, is such a fraught topic in American life.
The Softer Side Of Shoupism
Journalist Harry Grabar takes Prof. Don Shoup's economic theories about parking (and over-parking) and illustrates them with compelling—and terrifying—stories about the role parking plays in America's cities.
The Mystique of the Bicycle
A new book illuminates the history and meaning of the bicycle in human society.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Dallas Surburb Bans New Airbnbs
Plano’s city council banned all new permits for short-term rentals as concerns about their impacts on housing costs grow.
Divvy Introduces E-Bike Charging Docks
New, circular docks let e-bikes charge at stations, eliminating the need for frequent battery swaps.
How Freeway Projects Impact Climate Resilience
In addition to displacement and public health impacts, highway expansions can also make communities less resilient to flooding and other climate-related disasters.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
