Infrastructure

Oakland Architecture in Music Video

Does Oakland Have a Future as a Public City?

The city is experiencing significant growth and development, but it has a complicated history of booms and lags and its civic future is uncertain.

May 30, 2019 - Places Journal

Los Angeles River

Concrete’s Contribution to the Rise and Decline of Civilization

As the world becomes more encased in concrete, the detrimental effects of its widespread use are increasing in scale and severity.

March 17, 2019 - The Guardian

Street With No Sidewalk

Costs and Outcomes of Seattle Sidewalk Program

Move Seattle included a promise of 250 blocks of new sidewalks and pathways. But costs are much higher than predicted and the low-cost pathways are minimal improvements for pedestrians.

January 26, 2019 - The Urbanist

New York

Expert Voices 2019: Why Cities?

As cities define our world in new ways every day, Penn Institute for Urban Research asked nearly dozen urban experts, “Why cities?”

January 18, 2019 - Penn IUR Urban Link

Apartments

Can Rapidly Urbanizing Cities in Low and Moderate Income Countries Become 'Smarter'?

Penn IUR's Eugenie Birch, Richard Voith and Susan Wachter ask: Can rapidly urbanizing cities in low and moderate income countries become "smarter"?

December 22, 2018 - Penn IUR Urban Link

Chicago

CTA to Fund 'FastTracks' with Ride-Hailing Fee

CTA upgrades will speed up trains and increase capacity for four train lines in the city.

February 14, 2018 - Streetsblog Chicago

Seattle, Washington

The $5 Billion Question: Will Cities Win or Lose in the Bid for Amazon's Second Headquarters?

We asked more than a dozen urban experts: How will cities gain or lose from the competition to host Amazon's second North American headquarters?

January 18, 2018 - Penn IUR Urban Link

Nighttime Traffic

Average Commute Times Won't Change Because of the Hyperloop

Hyperloops and wider highways don't shrink commute times, the real factor in how long people will drive is how long people are willing to drive.

August 19, 2017 - The New York Times

A Subway Station in the Middle of Nowhere

Chongqing train station has become famous in China for its extremely isolated location, but its construction illustrates the ambition of the country’s building spree.

August 1, 2017 - CNN

Meter Maid

Tickets Keeping Detroiters in Poverty

Michigan suspends approximately 100,000 driver’s licenses every year when drivers can't afford to pay tickets and fines.

July 8, 2017 - The Detroit Free Press

Electric Cars

EVs Not Exempt From California’s Transportation Infrastructure Plan

Governor Jerry Brown and the California Legislature reached a historic agreement to raise the gas tax, but electric vehicle owners will now be required to pay a yearly fee, Will this impact EV sales in the US's best market?

May 6, 2017 - The Planning Report

Fresno State

FresYes: How Fresno Fueled and Funded a Comeback

Recently termed-out Mayor Ashley Swearengin sits down for an exclusive interview about how she planned for high speed rail investments, championed sustainable water management, and took steps to rebuild the local economy.

March 30, 2017 - The Planning Report

What Will Trump's Budget Cut In Your City?

A look at what the president's proposed budget will mean for cities, and reaction from city leaders.

March 21, 2017 - Modern Cities

Capitol

Everyone in the Federal Government Seems to Want a New Infrastructure Bill

Deborah Fisher has proposed a highway bill, Chuck Schumer wrote an infrastructure bill, and Donald Trump campaigned on the issue. The shape the final bill will take is still in flux.

February 10, 2017 - The Hill

Cars

Forced to Drive or Loving Driving?

In rural America, young people overwhelmingly prefer driving to using other forms of transit, whether that's a function of the options available or natural preference is subject to debate.

January 28, 2017 - Wired

Tunnel Boring Machine

Ready, Set, Dig: the Northern Line Extension on the London Underground

This March, London will start six months of digging for a two-stop extension of the city's underground train system.

January 26, 2017 - The Evening Standard

Expert Voices 2017: America's Urban Infrastructure

In light of President Trump's comments about infrastructure in his inaugural address and during the campaign, Penn IUR asked its urban experts to respond to the question: What should the United States do about urban infrastructure?

January 26, 2017 - Penn IUR Urban Link

A $350 Million Bond to Repair San Francisco's Seawall

As seas rise, San Francisco is looking to shore up its costal protection against earthquakes and extreme weather events.

January 17, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Oakland Coliseum

Oakland Stadium Deal Gains Support

The Raiders are threatening to move to Las Vegas, but the city of Oakland intends to offer a land and infrastructure deal to convince the team to stay.

December 28, 2016 - San Francisco Gate

Casinos

Madrid to Build Mega Casino, Betting on New Jobs and Tourist Dollars

Spain's capital may build a huge casino, but many fear that the facility will flounder in the way similar mega-projects have in the past.

December 17, 2016 - CityLab

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.

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.