New York City

Mayoral Op-Ed: U.S. Needs to Play Catch-Up on Transportation
Mayors Bill de Blasio of New York and Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City say federal dollars are the only way to restore crumbling infrastructure. China and Europe are investing heavily, while U.S. rates are at a 20-year low.
Debate: YIMBY vs. Preservation in New York City
New York magazine recently convened a debate between two leading voices of an ongoing conversation in New York City: what to build and what to preserve.
What Makes Left Turns So Dangerous?
After breaking down the reasons why left turns are so dangerous, it's also obvious how difficult a problem they are to solve.
A Call for Mayor de Blasio to Fund New York's Public Libraries
The New York Times editorial board questions the priorities of a city that can support sports facilities with hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds but neglects its libraries.
Welcome to the 'Age of Animals as Infrastructure'
Animals are more than just guests or co-habitants in our cities, according to an article in New Scientist—they're a critical component of the infrastructure that keeps cities running.
The Sun Also Hides Behind Skyscrapers
The Washington Post details the concern over the shadows cast by skyscrapers on the city street below. The latest high-profile case study of the ability of skyscrapers to block the sun: New York's Midtown.

99-Cent Stores: the Weed of the Urban Commercial Environment
A proliferation of 99-cent stores in the Woodhaven neighborhood in Queens has strangled the commercial offerings in the neighborhood. But can residents or the local business improvement district do anything about the trend?
FEMA Proposes New Flood Maps: 450,000 More New York Houses Included
FEMA has been hard at work since Hurricane Sandy re-evaluating the risk of floods in New York. Newly proposed maps would cast a much wider net for flood risk on private property.
New York Subway Ridership Hits 65-Year High While Bus Ridership Declines
Subway ridership statistics for 2014 were cause for celebration at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), but the city's bus lines are not experiencing the same growth in popularity.

The Rise of the Fifth Borough
With real estate prices rising in the other boroughs, Staten Island is starting to look more like Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Extensive retail and residential developments are underway in what has always been New York City's suburban borough.

OneNYC Plan Released in New York
Meet the new plan; it's not like the old plan.

NYC Public Housing Still in Grim Shape
Public housing doesn't suffer the derision that it used to, but housing agencies remain strapped. Critics and residents contend that the New York City Housing Authority, the largest landlord of them all, continues to let down the city's neediest.
Inside the $1 Billion 'Hipster Mega-Project' at Brooklyn's Sunset Park
Henry Melcher reports on the massive investment plans for Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Why Are New York Transit Projects So Expensive?
Going back to Robert Moses, New York City has a history of underestimating the price of major construction projects. Inflated infrastructure costs are prompting stakeholders to seek out root causes.

More on the Cost of Anti-Growth Policies
As urban centers start making better sense for a digital economy, NIMBY policies might be worth re-examining. In addition to driving up the cost of housing, they may compound inefficiencies and slow down the economy.

Iconic Queens Clock Tower Anchors 915-Foot Skyscraper
In a complex saga involving the MTA, an 88-year-old tower, and a planned 77-story apartment behemoth, affordable housing may be first to fall by the wayside.
Inside Controversial Jersey City Bikeshare Plans
The New Yorker looks into the motivations of Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop—who takes the bike route less traveled.

Federal Dollars Still Erasing Sandy's Footprint
Subway restoration and resilience efforts depend for a large part on federal relief. South Ferry Station, still new when the storm hit, will basically be rebuilt from scratch.
Movement on the Walk Score Leaderboard
The newest rankings of the most walkable cities in the United States, courtesy of Walk Score, contains a few surprises along with its standard annual recognition of New York City.
Management, Not Technology, Will Solve California's Drought
It should come as no surprise that Eduardo Porter, who writes the Economic Scene column for The New York Times, is not enamoured by technological silver bullets like desalination as ways for California to survive it's four-year plus drought.
Pagination
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.
Tyler Technologies
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions