connectivity

goMARTI autinomous shuttle van

Minnesota Uses Autonomous Shuttles To Improve Mobility

A pilot program will provide free rides to help rural and elderly residents reach more destinations.

October 10, 2022 - LPTV

Broadband cable spool in rural area

Making Broadband Investments Count

As connectivity becomes increasingly important to everyday life, policymakers at all levels can take action to streamline broadband infrastructure projects and improve internet access for all communities.

April 7, 2022 - Fortune

East Nashville

Nashville Releases 5-Year 'WalknBike' Plan

The plan lays out the city's plans for improving its bike infrastructure and sidewalk network.

February 28, 2022 - News Channel 5 Nashville

Omaha Nebraska

Omaha's Transit Agency Plans to Expand, Enhance Service

The plan calls for more frequent service, expanded bus lines, and connectivity between different modes of transit.

August 2, 2021 - WOWT

SMART Bus

Opinion: Detroit Area Stunted by Lack of Regional Transit

Improved connectivity and reliability in the region's public transit could stimulate growth and help build a more vibrant local economy.

June 21, 2021 - Michigan Advance

Seattle Protected Bike Lane

Bike and Pedestrian Improvements Proposed for Seattle Light Rail Stations

Anticipating the opening of two new stations in 2024, the Seattle Department of Transportation released a study prioritizing bike infrastructure in the surrounding areas.

January 25, 2021 - Seattle Bike Blog

Connectivity

The Dots of Connectivity and Broken Cultural Links

Connectivity is not just a question of geometry, according to this article by Fanis Grammenos. It's critical to consider what people connect for and how.

April 1, 2020 - Fanis Grammenos

Woman Computer

New Fiberoptic Cable Infrastructure Is Changing Alaska’s Classrooms

Rural Alaska has some of the least reliable and slowest internet connections in the country, but new cable infrastructure in the Arctic Sea is changing that.

February 8, 2019 - The Heichinger Report

Stayin’ Alive: The life and death prospects of community ties

Connected communities aren't just about fun and frolic. When the goin' gets rough, they can make the difference between life and death.

February 2, 2014 - PlaceShakers

Fiber Optic Cable

The World's 10 Best Connected Cities

A new report out this week has ranked the Top 10 "Internet Cities" around the globe, based on a set of five criteria: connection speed, availability of citywide WiFi, openness to innovation, support of public data, and security/data privacy.

August 27, 2013 - Future Cities

Old School Strategies for Outreach and Communication

Looking to leverage cheap and easy social media tools to meet your citizen engagement mandate? Read. This. Now.

August 7, 2013 - PlaceShakers

Healthy, or Unhealthy, by Design

We've engineered physical activity out of our daily lives but it need not be a chronic condition. Hazel Borys points to recent suburban retrofits for ways to get moving again.

March 26, 2013 - PlaceShakers

On the Importance of Light, Air and Connectivity Above the Street Level

As we increasingly relearn the lessons of city-building, just getting the ground floor right is no longer good enough.

September 21, 2012 - PlaceShakers and NewsMakers

New Understanding of Traffic Congestion

Congratulations to this year's high school, college and university graduates! The current crop includes our son, who was recruited by a major corporation. The location of his new job will affect his travel patterns and therefore the transportation costs he bears and imposes for the next few years: until now he could get around fine by walking, cycling and public transport, but his new worksite is outside the city center, difficult to access except by automobile. As a result he will spend a significant portion of his new income to purchase and operate a car, and contribute to traffic congestion, parking costs and pollution. This is an example of how land use decisions, such as where corporations locate their offices, affects regional transport patterns and costs.

June 3, 2012 - Todd Litman

The Metabolism of the Urban Web

Regular Planetizen contributors Nikos Salingaros and Michael Mehaffy get deep into the importance of network connectivity in cities and the reasons why sprawl is incredibly ineffective.

December 19, 2011 - Metropolis

Copenhagen's Bikes on Rails

Jonna McKone of TheCityFix looks at Copenhagen's recently added rail cars that are specifically for bicyclists and other passengers with special needs.

January 7, 2011 - TheCityFix

In Planning for the Future, "Integration Is A Key Means of Moving Towards Sustainability"

Jonna McKone details her case for integrated, systematic approaches to problems in the realms of urban mobility and sustainability. Can seamless connectivity between sectors such as planning, business, and energy create better long-term solutions?

December 7, 2010 - The City Fix

Religion and Neighborliness

Ben Brown reads Robert Putnam's new book, which explores the ways in which religion in the U.S. causes greater intolerance but simultaneously a greater civic engagement and likelihood of helping others through charitable acts.

October 9, 2010 - PlaceShakers

Finding Ways to Create "Emerald Necklaces" in Built-Out Cities

A string of connected parks laced through cities has been a vision of city planners since the days of Olmsted. Ben Welle of the Center for City Park Excellence has some ideas how that that vision can be implemented today.

March 19, 2010 - City Parks Blog

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.