Normal

Electric Pickup Truck Manufacturer Scores Huge 'Climate' Order from Amazon

To show his company's commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2040, Jeff Bezos announced Thursday that Amazon would purchase 100,000 battery-electric delivery vans from Michigan-based Rivian. The trucks will begin service in 2021.

September 23, 2019 - Bloomberg News via Transport Topics

Illinois

Connect Transit in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois is Growing Ridership

Fixed route bus ridership in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois has gone up for 13 consecutive months.

July 19, 2019 - WGLT

Utility Meter

How Much Should Electric Vehicles Be Charged in Lieu of Gas Tax?

Currently, electric vehicles pay a $17.50 annual registration fee in Illinois. A bill to double the 19 cents per gallon gas tax, unchanged in almost 30 years, would also increase the EV fee over 57-fold to $1,000.

May 28, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

Illinois Governor

Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee Becomes Debate Issue in Illinois Gubernatorial Race

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner might as well have accused his Democratic opponent of wanting to hike the gas tax. J.B. Pritzker denies he plans to introduce a VMT fee but admits that he's open to all ideas to raise revenue to maintain infrastructure.

September 27, 2018 - Illinois News Network

Brewery

Bloomington Allows Artisanal Production in Retail Zones

Craft beer aficionados take note. Bloomington, Illinois now allows businesses selling artisanal products to manufacture their goods on-site. The ruling blurs a distinction between industrial and commercial zoning.

July 14, 2016 - Pantagraph

Complete Streets

Report: Complete Streets Deliver More Than Just Good Vibes

Better safety and multimodal ease are not the only benefits offered by complete streets. According to this report, on the average they pay for themselves and then some.

April 24, 2015 - ASLA The Dirt

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.