A key commercial corridor connecting Oakland and Fremont in the East Bay Area is due for a dramatic transformation in the form of a new Bus Rapid Transit line.

AC Transit will ramp up construction on a $204 million bus rapid transit line along International Boulevard in the East Bay Area, according to an article by Erin Baldassari. The 9.5-mile route will connect the San Leandro BART station to 20th Street and Broadway in Oakland, with buses arriving every seven minutes. The new line also includes "elevated platforms and more comfortable stations, its own travel lane and forward-facing cameras to ticket motorists who block its path," according to Baldassari.
As with most major transit investments, planners also have hopes that the project can be a catalyst for new investments and development along the corridor. And as with most catalytic projects, "some residents, community advocates and business owners fear the same economic development will only accelerate the displacement of Oakland and San Leandro’s most vulnerable residents and small businesses as rents rise throughout the region," according to Baldassari.
The feature-length article then tours several case studies from other cities, like Cleveland and San Francisco, to examine the question of who will benefit from the project.
FULL STORY: Oakland, San Leandro: Some fear ‘transformative’ rapid transit system coming to storied thoroughfare

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont