Transportation

COVID-19 Mobility

Watch: The Future of Cities After COVID-19

An expert panel convened to discuss the effect of the coronavirus on the foundations of society and contemporary life. The future, both the remaining time dealing with the pandemic and after, is becoming more clear with every passing day and week.

April 17, 2020 - Planetizen Courses

Electric Car Charging Stencil

The U.S. Passed a Clean Energy Stimulus in 2009—Can the Same Happen in 2020?

The Obama-era American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funded clean energy and created jobs during the Great Recession. Will clean energy be considered in a future stimulus bill to mitigate economic strain cased by the coronavirus pandemic?

April 17, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Purple Line Extension

Maryland's Purple Line Clears Final Legal Obstacle

A third lawsuit tried to halt the Purple Line light rail project in Maryland, but it was just the latest lawsuit to get tossed by a judge.

April 17, 2020 - The Washington Post

NYC from Hoboken

How the Post-Pandemic Future Could Resemble the Pre-Pandemic Future

Response to coronavirus challenges in urban settings will likely be a continuity of work started decades ago.

April 16, 2020 - CityLab

Sound Transit Seattle

All Sound Transit Routes Get New, Alphanumeric Names

The "Red Line" didn't fly with people living in neighborhoods historically redlined by discriminatory real estate and land use practices.

April 16, 2020 - The Urbanist

Texas Commercial Real Estate

How One Commercial Real Estate Landlord Assesses the Market

The complete upheaval of the commercial real estate market seemingly happened overnight, but the pandemic followed years of structural changes, so the recovery could take much longer.

April 16, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

Public Health

COVID-19 Impacts on the Future of Transportation

MoveLA's Denny Zane and Gloria Ohland assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transit.

April 15, 2020 - The Planning Report

San Francisco

Early Indications of Car Industry's Future Emerge

Evidence from Wuhan, China, the used car auction market in the United States, and the Trump administration reveal some of the potential futures for the car industry.

April 14, 2020 - Bloomberg

Self-Driving Cars

Ups and Downs for Self-Driving Cars During the Pandemic

While some driverless car companies have expanded operations in the past month, some industry observers caution that the business of autonomous vehicles remains stuck in neutral.

April 13, 2020 - Axios

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

Opinion: Transit Has Always Been an Essential Service

Ridership is the wrong way to think about the importance of public transit.

April 13, 2020 - CityLab

Telegraph Avenue

74 Miles of 'Slow Streets' in Oakland

Suddenly, cars aren't the first priority on 10 percent of the roadway in Oakland, California.

April 12, 2020 - KRON

Regional Transit

A New Ballot Measure Could Increase Caltrain's Funding by $108 Million Per Year

Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco county voters could see a ballot measure to fund an ambitious Caltrain plan with a one-eighth cent sales tax, amounting to more than $100 million dollars per year.

April 12, 2020 - The Mercury News

New York Police Department

Speed Measures the Change on New York City Streets

With so few cars on the road, cars and buses are moving faster in New York City. Some drivers are going too fast, though.

April 12, 2020 - The New York Times

Washington, D.C. Coronavirus

The Geography of Occupations: Some Neighborhoods Will Suffer More Than Others Under COVID-19

Census Bureau data shows we live near people with similar occupations, and right now frontline jobs are riskier for both health and economic well-being than working from home.

April 10, 2020 - Jonathan Stiles

City Planners

Planning More Important Than Ever During the Pandemic

The work of planners might seem unimportant during the pandemic, according to this article, but some of the skills and expertise of planning are more important than ever.

April 9, 2020 - Abundant Housing LA

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

Light Rail Service Restored in South Bay Area

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will start running trains again today, two weeks after shutting down service.

April 9, 2020 - The Mercury News

Cars

California Car Collision Rates Decline After Shelter-in-Place Mandates

A hopeful forecast predicts that thousands of monthly traffic collisions will be avoided due to reduced vehicular travel during California’s shelter-in-place period.

April 9, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Virginia

Transit Shutdown Only Lasts 36 Hours in Petersburg, Virginia

Transit officials quickly rescinded a decision to halt public transit service in the city of Petersburg.

April 9, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Toronto Transit Commission

Who's Still Riding Transit During the Pandemic? Evidence From Toronto

Transit routes used by workers in Toronto heading to industrial jobs have still been crowded with riders during the coronavirus pandemic.

April 9, 2020 - The Star

California Shelter-in-Place

Contrasting the Coronavirus Impact in the Bay Area to New York City

Early intervention, or population density? NPR reporters based in the Bay Area and New York City offer explanations as to why the two regions are seeing such a wide contrast in experiences during the coronavirus outbreak.

April 8, 2020 - NPR

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.