A writer weaves a "decade by decade" story, complete with diagrams, of how not to manage a public transit system.
At CityLab, Jonathan English uses both text and diagram to trace "[t]hree broad lines of history" that explain how the New York City subway went from an impressive feat of infrastructure building—hundreds of miles were built between 1904 and 1920—to a beleaguered system that opened no more than a few extensions over the last 80 years.
“The first is the postwar lure of the suburbs and the automobile—the embodiment of modernity in its day. The second is the interminable battles of control between the city and the private transit companies, and between the city and the state government. The third is the treadmill created by rising costs and the buildup of deferred maintenance—an ever-expanding maintenance backlog that eventually consumed any funds made available for expansion.”
Last summer, after a derailment, Governor Andrew Cuomo declared the subway to be in a state of emergency, though he was subsequently slow to release a plan. Since then much has been written about the enormous task of restoring the system to a good working order, and the absolute importance of doing so.
FULL STORY: Why New York City Stopped Building Subways
Regardless of Cost, New York Must Rehabilitate its Crown Jewel: the Subway
Depending on what's included, the cost to rebuild the ailing 665-mile system could be $111 billion, but the city's future depends on it. A feature-length New York Times Magazine piece looks at its history and suggests ways to finance rebuilding.
A Strong Voice of Support for Value Capture to Fund Subway Repair
In an opinion for City & State, Kathryn Wylde, president of the nonprofit Partnership for New York City, makes the case that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority should be allowed to tax properties where value is enhanced by subway proximity.
Gov. Cuomo Promised a Plan to Fix the New York Subway; Critics Say it's MIA
Earlier this summer, the governor of New York promised an ambitious plan to fix the MTA subway system. Now, at the end of the promised timeline for that plan, critics are saying that the city is left with more of the same.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.
Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.
When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions