Infrastructure

Executives Told To "Pack Suitcases" For Libyan Infrastructure Boom

Tripoli Airport and Misrata hospital are the first specific projects to be named, as western governments begin to release frozen assets to the National Transition Government (NTI) and international corporations spot an opportunity.

October 25, 2011 - Building Design

When a Project Lender Goes Under, A Developer Decides to Go Green

In Atlanta, plans called for a five-building development in the suburb of Dunwoody. With only three buildings completely built, the Providence Group decided to turn the undeveloped land into a park.

October 14, 2011 - Builder

Partisanship Stalls Infrastructure Investment, Says Blumenauer

Congressional support for transportation and infrastructure projects has traditionally been bipartisan. In an interview, Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon discusses how political tantrums in Congress may handicap the US in the long run.

October 10, 2011 - The Planning Report

Digging (in) Detroit

Detroit is the darling of the media.

September 21, 2011 - Barbara Knecht

Lapped on Urban Sustainability - can the US ever catch up?

Summer travel took me out of the US and back to Sweden for the first time in five years.  While my initial reaction was that things seemed much the same, I quickly realized that the Swedes had quietly pushed forward a number of projects that, if located in the US, would be on the vanguard of sustainability.  But over there it's just called urban planning.

September 7, 2011 - Walker Wells

Opinion: Being 'Smart' When Preparing for Hurricanes in New York City

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, Fast Company's Boyd Cohen writes how New York City's preparedness for Hurricane's should include enhancing infrastructure in things like the Internet and transit.

September 7, 2011 - Fast Company

Melbourne Ranked as Most Livable City

With high scores in five broad categories, Melbourne, Australia received the highest spot in livability rankings from The Economist's research unit.

September 2, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Bike Lanes Benefit Drivers

Canadian Urban designer Ken Greenberg and American planner Trent Lethco argue that investing in cycling infrastructure improves driving conditions -- for those times that you really need a car.

August 24, 2011 - The Globe and Mail

The Science of Smart Cities

As part of a special issue, Scientific American magazine examines the science of "Better Smarter Cities."

August 17, 2011 - Scientific American

Invest in America's Infrastructure

A new report from an advocacy group called Build America's Future argues that investment in U.S. infrastructure is desperately needed to keep the country from falling behind.

August 14, 2011 - The Infrastructurist

The Unseen Space: Signal Space

With a growing demand for wireless internet, mobile communication networks may encroach on public space, writes Michael Chen, adjunct assistant professor at the Pratt Institute School of Architecture.

July 7, 2011 - Urban Omnibus

A Neighborhood of Stairs

The La Independencia neighborhood in Medellin, Colombia sprawls up a hillside, leaving the inhabitants to walk up to 10 flights of stairs every day. An ambitious development program is considering building an outdoor network of escalators.

June 22, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

New Report: Measuring Pedestrian Safety in the U.S.

Transportation for America (TfA), a campaign to strengthen the nation’s transportation network, released an update to its “Dangerous by Design” report, an analysis of pedestrian safety in the design and use of American streets.

May 31, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Infrastructure Investment is the Answer to Recovery

New report out of Dartmouth College says America needs to build, to boost recovery and improve global competitiveness.

April 13, 2011 - Huffington Post

Budget Cuts Take Bite Out of Urban Agenda

CNN is reporting on the budget cuts for 2011, many of which will affect America's cities, infrastructure and vulnerable populations.

April 12, 2011 - CNNMoney

Latin America’s Bus Rapid Transit Boom Offers Lessons for the U.S.

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is often the most feasible, quickly implemented and cost-effective way to improve mobility in the United States, concluded a distinguished panel of transport experts at a Brookings Institution event.

March 14, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Canada's Constitution Fuels Urban Crisis

Formed as a primarily agrarian nation, Canada is now seeing its cities crippled by constitutional arrangements that leaves its cities underfunded and with only minimal support from the federal government, writes John Macfarlane.

February 8, 2011 - The Walrus

Planning Senior-Friendly Cities

As part of its ongoing series on Canada's aging population, the Globe and Mail looks at what is being done to adapt cities for a large cohort of senior citizens.

January 12, 2011 - Globe and Mail

Ohio and Wisconsin's HSR Loss is California's Gain

By refusing federal stimulus funds for high speed rail projects in their states, incoming Republican governors in Midwest gifted California over $600 million in new funding for the state's planned 800-mile network, says the Fresno Bee.

December 23, 2010 - The Fresno Bee

More Failed Rail in New Zealand?

Owen McShane argues the newly consolidated Auckland Region government is turning to rail transit initiatives without any evidence that such projects actually work.

December 6, 2010 - New Geography

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.