Highways

High voltage transmission lines alongside a road.

Trump to allow infrastructure along highways, railways in bid to bypass reviews

By building lines close to existing infrastructure, Trump aims to lower costs and bypass environmental oversight and opposition from local communities.

August 27, 2026 - Yahoo News

Elevated freeway segment with stoplight at underpass in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Milwaukee mayor abandons highway removal plan

Mayor Johnson spoke in opposition to a proposed plan to turn part of I-794 into an at-grade boulevard, expressing concerns about traffic.

July 24, 2026 - Streetsblog USA

Road construction in Alabama.

Alabama DOT wants to fill wetlands for interstate project

The Birmingham Northern Beltline would run roughly 52 miles through forests and wetlands that are home to multiple endangered species.

June 28, 2026 - Inside Climate News

Orange bus and yellow light rail train next to each other on street with downtown Los Angeles visible in background.

LA Metro Increases Highway Expansion Budget by 40%

Metro has plans to expand freeways including the 5, 105, and 405, among others.

March 23, 2026 - Streetsblog LA

Aerial view of Newark Bay Bridge with light traffic.

New Jersey Governor Kills ‘Boondoggle’ Highway Expansion

Gov. Sherrill ‘right-sized’ the Newark Bay Bridge reconstruction project, nixing a second proposed bridge and road expansion.

March 8, 2026 - City Observatory

Vacant freeway underpass.

Report: Land Under US Highways Could Earn Over $5 Billion in Property Taxes Yearly

An analysis of 142 U.S. cities reveals the economic potential of land used for highways.

March 6, 2026 - Bloomberg CityLab

Portland MAX light rail train at station in Portland, Oregon.

February Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

Transit agencies like BART and TriMet face lingering budget shortfalls, forcing major service cuts and layoffs, while federal plans to ban fare-free transit throw a wrench in NYC Mayor Mamdani’s proposal to make the city’s buses ‘fast and free.’

March 5, 2026 - Diana Ionescu

Cover of "Road to Nowhere: How a Highway Map Wrecked Baltimore" book with highway map in background.

Tracing the Destruction of the Highway Baltimore Never Built

In “Road to Nowhere: How a Highway Map Wrecked Baltimore,” historian Emily Lieb demonstrates how the mere threat of a highway project, combined with systemic redlining and predatory real estate practices, can dismantle a community just as effectively as physical construction can.

February 2, 2026 - Jennifer Hiatt

Big rig truck driving alone down two-lane Florida highway.

Florida Highway Will Include Wireless EV Charging Segment

The roadway uses magnetic coils to transfer power to EVs, potentially reducing the need for bulky batteries.

January 5, 2026 - Mashable

Aerial of wide freeway overpasses over large mostly vacant asphalt parking lots.

New Tool Uncovers Exact Costs of Downtown Highways

A new research tool can help cities calculate the economic potential that could be unlocked by replacing highways with other uses.

December 16, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Highway overpasses eith four high-rise buildings sparsely arranged in background in Atlanta, Georgia.

$5 Billion Atlanta Toll Lane Project Moves Ahead

The project is funded by a private group that will collect future toll revenue for the first 50 years after the new toll lanes open.

December 4, 2025 - Urbanize Atlanta

Screenshot of historic Route 66 Roy's Hotel in Amboy, California from Route 66 Rewind AI app.

‘Route 66 Rewind’ Uses AI to Bring Historic Route 66 Sites to Life

The “Route 66 Rewind” AI hub seeks to support the preservation of America’s “Mother Road” by inviting users to go on a virtual road trip along the U.S. Route 66.

November 16, 2025 - Fox 23 News

Rendering of new roundabouts at highway intersection in Baxter, Minnesota surrounded by Costco and other large stores.

Opinion: Minnesota ‘Buttonhook’ Project a ‘Highway Engineer’s Fever Dream’

Charles Marohn argues that building six new roundabouts to preserve access to big box stores and strip malls is an ineffective way to reduce traffic.

July 29, 2025 - Strong Towns

White freight truck on asphalt highway with sunset in background.

How a Truck Tax Could Save the Highway Trust Fund

The freight trucking industry is a prime candidate for a mileage tax that would boost road maintenance revenue.

July 24, 2025 - Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Two men in collared shirts and slacks looking and pointing at drainage ditch.

Alabama Community Sues State DOT Over Flooding

Residents of Shiloh, Alabama want to hold the state department of transportation responsible for flooding caused by a highway expansion project.

July 14, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Aerial view of freeway in Orlando, Florida with construction work.

Disconnecting Communities: Measuring the Social Impacts of Freeways

Research from 50 major U.S. cities shows social connections are weakest in neighborhoods where highways are present.

March 16, 2025 - Next City

Elevated viaduct in Seattle, Washington being demolished.

Highway Removal Slowed by Outdated Policy, Lack of Committed Funding

Resistance from state transportation departments and precarious funding sources mean highway removal projects are few and far between, despite their benefits.

January 6, 2025 - Next City

Busy subway station with people walking on platform and train stopped.

Freedom to Move: Investing in Transportation Choices for a Clean, Prosperous, and Just Future

This Union of Concerned Scientists study examines why and how to improve resource-efficient travel options to achieve diverse goals. It estimates that more efficient transport could save up to $201 billion in energy and $128 billion in health costs.

December 9, 2024 - Freedom to Move: Investing in Transportation Choices for a Clean, Prosperous, and Just Future

Woman and two children riding bikes across a striped crosswalk.

Greenways Plus Highways: A Deadly Combination

The design of intersections between major roadways and bike and pedestrian paths can have fatal consequences.

November 27, 2024 - Strong Towns

Elevated freeway being demolished in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Bridging Divides: The Crucial Role of Collaboration in Highway Removal

Highway removal is most successful when agencies at all levels of government work closely with each other and the impacted community.

November 17, 2024 - Morgan Florsheim

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.