Transportation

2020 Presidential Campaign

Mayor Pete Is Biden's Pick for Transportation Secretary

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate a former rival in the Democratic presidential primary and the former two-term mayor of South Bend, the fourth largest city in Indiana, to head the Transportation Department.

December 16, 2020 - CNN

Avenida Septima

Bogotá Uses 7,000 Public Design Proposals to Redesign its Main Artery

To reimagine the city's most important artery, Bogotá sought community input via an innovative online platform.

December 15, 2020 - The City Fix

Missing Middle Housing

Statewide Zoning Changes Adopted in Oregon to Limit Parking, Add Missing Middle

The state of Oregon made planning history in 2019 by adopting House Bill 2001, paving the way for the state to preempt local exclusionary zoning laws. Now, over a year later, the state land use board has decided how to implement that goal.

December 15, 2020 - Sightline Institute

Purple Line Extension Construction

New Database Quantifies the Costs of Transit Construction in the United States

The Eno Center for Transportation launched the first institutional investigation of the cost of transit projects earlier this year and recently released its initial findings, with promises for more in-depth case studies to come.

December 15, 2020 - Eno Center for Transportation

Auto-Dependency

Automobile Dependency: An Unequal Burden

Automobile-dependent planning has changed automobiles from a luxury into a necessity. Excessive vehicle costs leave many households without money to purchase essential food, shelter and healthcare. They need more affordable transportation options.

December 15, 2020 - Todd Litman

Automated Bus

Keeping Senior Drivers Safe Requires Better Public Transit

Using alternate transportation and driving less can help older drivers keep themselves and others safe. But with many living on fixed incomes in car-dependent communities, how realistic is the NHTSA’s recommendation for a "transportation plan"?

December 14, 2020 - StreetsblogUSA

Mapping Coronavirus Infections

Top Websites for Urban Planning – 2020

Planetizen's annual list of the best of the planning Internet in a year inextricably defined by the uncertainty and constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic.

December 14, 2020 - James Brasuell

Bike and Pedestrian Infrastructure

New Bike and Walking Trail Opens in Houston, With Promises of More

The new Spring Branch Trail in northwest Houston is a 'harbinger' of more bike and pedestrian infrastructure to come.

December 13, 2020 - Houston Chronicle

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Cost Estimates Nearly Double for Toronto Light Rail Plan

Cost estimate for Toronto's proposed Eglinton East LRT have ballooned from $2.3 billion to as much as $4.4 billion.

December 13, 2020 - The Star

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

COVID Illnesses Requires Reduction of MBTA Commuter Rail Service

To many employees are sick with COVID for Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail to operate on its normal schedule.

December 11, 2020 - The Boston Globe

Link and Bus Seattle

Transit's Big Day at the Ballot Box

Even with the fiscal uncertainty of the pandemic, voters around the country overwhelmingly supported new funding for public transit projects.

December 10, 2020 - TransitCenter

New York City From New Jersey

Funding Approved for Key Rail Connection Between New Jersey and New York

The Portal Bridge is a key component of the larger Gateway Program that includes tunnels under the Hudson River. Fixing the Portal Bridge across the Hackensack River will provide tremendous relief to NJ Transit and Amtrak commuters.

December 10, 2020 - New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy

Parking

Parking Reform: Dynamic Pricing Expected Soon in Arlington County, Virginia

The dynamic, demand-based pricing is on its way to Northern Virginia.

December 10, 2020 - Arl Now

Highway Construction

Highway Boondoggles Continue as the Pandemic Stresses Budgets at Every Level of Government

U.S. PIRG has released the latest edition of the Highway Boondoggles report, the sixth edition of the report published since 2014.

December 10, 2020 - U.S. Pirg

Ogden, Utah

Transit Capital Investments Planned in Utah

Utah finds itself in a unique situation, with money to spend on expanding transit capacity at a time when many transit agencies are plotting layoffs and service reductions.

December 9, 2020 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Delivery Trucks

High-Speed Delivery Linked to Increased Congestion and Pollution

It's not only mom and pop shops that suffer from over-reliance on online shopping: streets and the environment also suffer the consequences.

December 9, 2020 - Streetsblog USA

Text and Drive

Report: Distracted Driving Contributes to 57% of All U.S. Traffic Collisions

Drivers are looking at their phones instead of the road in higher shares than ever during the pandemic, according to a recent report.

December 9, 2020 - Auto Connected Car News

Maryland

Zoning Changes Would Allow Transit-Oriented Multi-Family Development in Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Maryland wants to put its zoning where its transit is—it's just the latest in a string of transit-oriented land use reforms for the famously suburban county.

December 9, 2020 - Bethesda Magazine

Amazon Warehouse

Business Booming, Amazon Plans Big Real Estate Expansion

Amazon is moving more moving more products than ever, and the company is expanding its physical footprint to keep up with the trends.

December 8, 2020 - The Boston Globe

Uber Autonomous Vehicle

Uber Bails on Autonomous Vehicles

One of the highest-profile, and most legally fraught, efforts to beat the competition into the autonomous vehicles market is now defunct.

December 8, 2020 - The New York Times

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.

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.