Long Commutes

California and Nevada

The New Breed of Super Commuters

After two years of remote work, many workers reluctant to return to the office are compromising with less frequent, longer ‘super commutes.’

April 17, 2022 - BBC News

Commute

Long Commutes in Seattle Fell Sharply During the Pandemic

The number of people commuting 20 minutes or more each way dropped by close to half a million, while short commutes rose slightly.

September 20, 2021 - Seattle Times

Tech Shuttle

Tech Buses: Not Just for Techies, and Not Just for San Francisco

What began as Google buses, transporting highly paid engineers from San Francisco to Silicon Valley, has transformed into multi-company fleets serving white- and blue-collar workers in the 3,000-square-mile Northern California megaregion.

February 13, 2020 - Protocol

New York Bus

Report: Congestion Pricing Could Speed Bus Trips

Advocates say New York's plan traffic management plan could raise $1.5 billion while saving express bus commuters hours per week.

November 8, 2018 - Streetsblog New York City

Houston Traffic

Trends Show Lower-Income Millennials Driving More

Data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey reveals that circumstances may be forcing lower-income young people to drive greater distances.

April 20, 2018 - State Smart Transportation Initiative

Subway Entrance

Many New Yorkers Face Punishing Transit Commutes

As sky-high real estate prices force many lower-income New Yorkers to the periphery, they're paying an additional price in lengthy transit commutes. Meanwhile, real estate interests that benefit from transit investment bear few of its costs.

December 13, 2017 - The New York Times

Bay Area Rapid Transit

Housing, Transit Crunches Collide in the Bay Area

The New York Times explores the Bay Area housing crisis through one woman’s three-hour commute.

August 25, 2017 - New York Times

Rural Community

Metropolitan Corridors Absorb Rural Counties

As urban economies continue their upward trajectory, residents of counties once considered rural are commuting to cities. This has had both negative and positive effects on the communities in question.

June 22, 2016 - StatChat

Four-Lane Freeway

Reports of 'Mega-Commutes' Greatly Exaggerated

No one is denying that many Americans endure long, arduous commutes. But the data does not verify reports that "mega-commutes" are on the rise.

March 24, 2016 - City Observatory

Commuter Traffic

Census Data: Renters Have Shorter Commutes

According to an analysis by the data research team at Trulia, renters have shorter commutes in 43 of 50 major metros. But despite there being more renters, commutes are still getting longer.

March 4, 2016 - Trulia

The Negative Effects of the Nation's Lengthening Commute

The collective amount of time Americans spend commuting is staggering, and it's only growing.

March 2, 2016 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Toronto Mid-Rise

Zillow: Suburbs Becoming More Like Cities

According to the real estate website, urban home values are growing faster than those in the suburbs, bucking a longtime trend. This isn't exactly surprising, but it has serious social justice implications.

February 17, 2016 - Puget Sound Business Journal

Bay Area Extreme Commuting for the Love of Larger, Affordable Single Family Homes

It's a tradeoff that 3.9 percent of the Bay Area workforce are willing to make to own an affordable home. It's often not even a choice between living in the city or the suburbs, but the close-in suburbs or the exurbs or San Joaquin Valley.

October 4, 2015 - San Jose Mercury News

Commute

Mapping the Country's 38 Million Epic Commutes

The Wonkblog team puts new American Community Survey data to good use.

August 19, 2015 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Exurbs Black and White

Homebuyers Return to the Exurbs

It's been a while since 2008, and a new crop of homeowners is colonizing the far-flung exurbs. Mostly foreclosed and even abandoned last time around, the exurbs are still a risky buy.

July 30, 2015 - Bloomberg Business

Bus Stop Winter

Poor Suburbs Struggle with Job Sprawl

Although unemployment has declined, according to this report commutes are getting longer. "Job sprawl" often plagues minority and poor areas where housing is more affordable.

May 29, 2015 - Al Jazeera America

Traffic and Speed

'Jobs Sprawl' Plagues Cleveland Commutes

Research from Brookings puts Cleveland in last place for improving access to jobs from 2000 through 2012. And jobs sprawl is up throughout the rest of the country as well.

April 11, 2015 - Green City Blue Lake

Dallas skyline

Dallas Addresses Transit-Dependent Poverty

In Dallas poorer people often rely on transit, a familiar pattern throughout the United States. But when car ownership grants access to opportunity, this can be a problem.

March 18, 2015 - Dallas Morning News

Is Your Commute Killing You?

Though research has been piling up on the adverse health impacts connected with driving long distances every day, it turns out that no matter how you travel to work, "having a job far from home can undermine health."

October 29, 2013 - The New York Times

Another Reason to Dislike Huge Suburban Homes: They're Warming the Planet

A new research study out of Switzerland quantifies the disproportionate contribution to greenhouse gas emissions made by large homes and relatively long commutes. In one Swiss town, twenty-one percent of households create 50 percent of the emissions.

June 28, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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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.