Infrastructure
5 Roadblocks for Electric Cars
Chevy, Ford, and Nissan are all debuting electric models over the next year, but are Americans ready? Eric Jaffe considers why not.
New Earthquake Research Reveals Best, and Worst, Building Locations
A new study finds that surface topography, not solely an area's underlying geology, contributes significantly to earthquake intensity. Researchers hope that the new information can be easily factored into local planning and design processes.
Elections May Determine Future of High Speed Rail
Eric Jaffe highlights projects across the country that could be impacted by today's gubernatorial contests.
Innovative Bike Share System Promises Lower Costs
Cities around the world are eager to launch bike share programs, but many are deterred by high start-up costs. A new system may offer a cheaper alternative.
Rough Roads Cost Drivers
A new report from TRIP, a transportation research group based in Washington D.C., cites San Jose, Los Angeles and San Francisco-Oakland as the urban regions where rough roads lead to higher vehicle operating costs.
Transportation Brawls of 2010
AltTransport takes a look at the biggest skirmishes in the world of transportation and sustainability that took place over the past calendar year.
U.S. Infrastructure Funding is a Bit Fuzzy
The newest U.S. stimulus proposal is aimed at improving infrastructure but could go farther, says Jonna McKone from TheCityFix.com.
Is American Ingenuity Dead When it Comes to Transportation?
Chikodi Chima looks at the innovative ideas coming out of China like the famous road-straddling bus announced earlier this month, and asks, has America lost it's edge?
Could Meetings on The Subway Become As Common As Graffiti?
The current norm of commuting, which happens all at once and too often by car, is placing too much stress on our infrastructure, our resources and even our emotional health. Melissa Lafsky reports how the structure of our workdays could be changed.
Chicago Drivers Inch Toward Congestion Pricing
After three years of false starts, there is renewed interest in a congestion pricing plan for the Chicago area.
Can an Operating System be Developed to Run a City?
Melissa Lafsky asks if citizen initiative facilities like '311' and 'fixmystreet' should be expanded into an "operating system" for cities.
"Not Only Hi-Tech, It's Also Lederhosen"
Munich returns to the top of Monocle's most liveable cities for 2010. According to Monocle, Munich is a place where "wealth and prosperity are reinvested in transport, infrastructure and environmental initiatives."
Are Cities Being Sold off to the "Shadow Elite"?
Facing enormous budget shortfalls created in part by the recession, mayors and governors are increasingly turning to the sale of public assets - often to the very Wall Street businesses that helped fuel the crash, writes Donald Cohen.
Cities Prepare for Electric Cars
San Francisco, Portland, and San Diego lead the charge to ensure everything from power grids to building codes are prepared for arrival of electric cars.
Cong. Blumenauer Updates Federal Cap-and-Trade, Transportation Bill Status
With Congress mired in the health care debate, legislation critical to rebuilding communities, such as ACES and the reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Bill, languish. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) details the political climate in D.C.
Why not rail?
When faced with the costs and logistics of rail, planners and city officials increasingly seem to favor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a trend likely to continue through the current recession. But even with the many persuasive arguments for BRT, the nagging question remains: why not rail?
Commuting By Escalator
A system of escalators in Hong Kong, installed in 1993 to create a new connection between districts, has become an unusual and popular way to commute Hong Kong's steep streets.
Alternative Vehicles Evolve, Infrastructure Still Lags
A group of industry and policy leaders discuss the current state of the technology and infrastructure that will drive change for the auto industry.
Chicago's Answer to NYC's High Line Will Generate Power & Food
A proposed plan from Gensler and 4240 Architecture would turn an abandoned rail line in Chicago into an energy-generating, food-growing powerhouse. Oh, and a park too.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
