Transportation

UC Irvine Anteater Express

Can Hydrogen Make a Comeback?

While hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are much less popular than their battery-powered siblings, California remains committed to the zero-emission technology, with three state agencies investing in and monitoring its progress.

January 16, 2020 - CALmatters

SamTrans

S.F. Bay Area Driver Shortage, Canceled Trips and Routes

Amid a nationwide bus driver shortage, transit agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area haven’t been able to fill vacant positions fast enough.

January 16, 2020 - East Bay Times

Street Redesign

A Major Makeover for Houston Street

Bagby Street in Houston will soon have wider sidewalks and a new bike lane.

January 16, 2020 - Houston Chronicle

Capital Metro Metrorail

Details of Austin's Big 'Project Connect' Transit Plan Emerge

The public got its first taste of the ambitions of the Project Connect transit plan in the state capital of Texas.

January 16, 2020 - KXAN

Biking Mayor

Uber Launches 'City Mobility Campaign' to Advocate for Safer Streets

Uber enters the safe streets advocacy fray by offering a new publicly available data tool and launching a coordinated advocacy campaign.

January 15, 2020 - Uber Newsroom

Connecticut

Hartford Facing Tough Choices About Downtown Highway

The Interstate 84 viaduct in Hartford, Connecticut, is past due for major updates, and a variety of very different possibilities are on the table.

January 15, 2020 - CityLab

Interstate Research Triangle Park North Carolina

Research Triangle Commuter Rail Studied

A 37-mile commuter rail line under study in North Carolina could connect cities Raleigh, Cary, and Durham in North Carolina, but the system will cost a pretty penny, and it will have to succeed where light rail previously failed.

January 15, 2020 - The News & Observer

Los Angeles Bus Stop Sign

Metro L.A. Drafts Frequent Bus Service Plan

Late last week, Los Angeles transit riders got a first peak at the proposed NextGen Bus Plan, a system redesign that promises to completely redefine transit access in the county.

January 14, 2020 - The Source

Autonomous Vehicles

U.S. DOT Reveals Latest Autonomous Vehicle Guidelines

The U.S. Department of Transportation, under fire for not doing enough to prevent an Uber self-driving car from killing a pedestrian in Tempe in 2018, has released the latest iteration of guidelines for autonomous vehicle technology.

January 13, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Dallas Freeways

When Cities Are Designed for Driving, Car Bans Are Not the Solution

Banning cars will not be effective as long as U.S. cities continue to prioritize transportation systems where mobility is dependent on driving.

January 13, 2020 - Brookings

Vienna, Austria

The City as a Self-Organizing, Adaptive System – Part 2

The adaptive nature of cities is exemplified once again, by the self-organizing response of street networks after transformative changes.

January 12, 2020 - Fanis Grammenos

Indianapolis Bus Rapid Transit

The Ticket to Opportunity in Indianapolis

An organization successfully balanced the tension between expanding rail line service and improving bus service, and ensuring race was at the forefront of the conversation.

January 10, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Electric Truck

Coming in 2020: Electrification of Transportation, Including Trucks

Auto manufacturers will offer more battery and plug-in hybrid models this year, and the nation's largest state is expected to approve a new regulation requiring medium and heavy-duty truck manufacturers to sell zero-emission vehicles.

January 10, 2020 - Government Technology

Houston

Changes in Houston Over the Last Decade

Comparing Houston in 2010 to the city today reveals a variety of transportation, infrastructure, and economic changes.

January 10, 2020 - Urban Edge

Multi-Modal Intersection

How Cities Can Digitize Their 21st Century Mobility Policies

As we enter the digital age of transportation, cities are finding new ways to digitize their policies.

January 9, 2020 - Wisconsin Autonomous Vehicle Proving Ground

Century City

2010s Were Best Of Times, Worst Of Times in California

California started the decade with a recession and hangover from rampant development in the 2000s. What ensued was an economic boom like none other. Meanwhile, its cities developed only incrementally, spiraling into a catastrophic housing shortage.

January 9, 2020 - California Planning & Development Report

Candidates for President

Urban Planning Trends to Watch in 2020

Planetizen Managing Editor James Brasuell tries to predict the big ideas and trends that will dominate the discussion about the future of land use, planning, and development in the first year of the new decade.

January 9, 2020 - James Brasuell

Toronto Subway

As Canada Grows, Transit a Key Component of Success

The population in Canada will increase substantially in the future, and transit planning is crucial to ensuring that cities thrive.

January 9, 2020 - The Globe and Mail

Charlottesville, Virginia

Regional Transit Could Boost Ridership in Charlottesville

Transit ridership has been waning in Charlottesville, Virginia, but a regional system could benefit the area’s operators and better meet the mobility needs of riders.

January 8, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Second Avenue Subway

Eno to Launch Study of High U.S. Transit Costs

The Eno Center for Transportation is answering long-overdue calls for more information about the well documented costs of transit investments in the United States.

January 8, 2020 - Eno Center for Transportation

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.