Transportation

Cincinnati Bell Connector

Streetcar Facing $1.4 Million Budget Deficit in Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Streetcar, now known as the Bell Connector, weathered numerous controversies on the way to completion. Now it faces the prospect of balancing its budget less than three years after launching.

May 21, 2019 - Cincinnati Enquirer

Starbucks Drive-Thru

Citywide Ban on New Drive-Thrus Moves Forward in Minneapolis

The city of Minneapolis doesn't want any more drive-throughs in the city, in an effort to cut down on emissions, car trips, and conflict points in the public realm.

May 21, 2019 - Star Tribune

Scooter Citations

State Preemption and Electric Scooters

The great battle between local control and state preemption shifts focus again in California. This time micromobility, electric scooters and the like, are on the front line of the conflict.

May 21, 2019 - CityLab

Sprawl

The Wonderful World of Vicious Circles

Government's pro-sprawl and anti-density policies often create problems that justify more of the same.

May 20, 2019 - Michael Lewyn

Tailpipe

As EV Sales Soar, Transportation Emissions Continue to Increase

California has embraced electric vehicles like no other state, with success reflected in increased sales and registration data, yet transportation emissions have increased for the last four years, primarily from light-duty vehicles.

May 20, 2019 - CALmatters

Handcycle

Oakland's Adaptive Bike Share Program

The pilot program seeks to make bike share more inclusive by providing bikes designed to make biking easy and accessible for disabled riders.

May 20, 2019 - The Mercury News

Los Angeles, California

Four Bus-Only Lanes Under Consideration Around Los Angeles

The transit planning agency in Los Angeles is preparing to make a major addition to the city's number of bus-only infrastructure.

May 20, 2019 - Urbanize LA

Las Vegas, Nevada

The Boring Company Gets Paid

Las Vegas is the first city to pay for the services of Elon Musk's Boring Company.

May 20, 2019 - The Guardian

Winter Pedestrians

New York to Consider Fines for Distracted Walking

A state senator in New York thinks one way to lower the number of pedestrians killed every year is to penalize people who cross the street while looking at their phone.

May 20, 2019 - The Guardian

Chicago Mayor

Evaluating the Planning and Development Record of Rahm Emanuel

Mayor Rahm Emanuel came into office in Chicago from the Obama White House. Before a new takes office mayor, on May 20, Curbed looked back at Emanuel's track record on matters related to planning.

May 19, 2019 - Curbed Chicago

14th Street Traffic

Little Support for Congestion Pricing in the D.C. Area

Just about no one in the D.C. regions wants to pay to alleviate traffic.

May 18, 2019 - The Washington Post

Interstate 4 - Florida

Environmentalists Urge Gov. Ron DeSantis to Veto Florida Toll Roads Bill

Florida has the distinction of having more toll roads than any other state. Environmentalists want Gov. DeSantis (R) to veto a bill that would build three new ones, adding over three hundred miles of asphalt through mostly rural, unpopulated areas.

May 17, 2019 - South Florida Sun Sentinel

Uber Driver

Uber and Lyft Worry They'll Be Forced to Share Ride-Hailing Data After Sharing Scooter Data

A fight over the travel data of shared use mobility companies is just starting in Los Angeles.

May 17, 2019 - Wired

President of the United States

Trump Pulls $1 Billion from California High Speed Rail Project

The California High Speed Rail Project is a political pawn in a contentious back and forth between the Golden State and the Trump administration.

May 17, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Kid on Train

Life With Kids and No Car—How Is It Done?

CityLab asked readers in carless households with kids about how they get around and the challenges they face.

May 17, 2019 - CityLab

Regional Transit

Changes to the 2019 American Community Survey, Explained

The 2019 American Community Survey includes a notable changes, including a few relevant to planners.

May 16, 2019 - PRB

Sunset Plaza

Why Harvard Looked to Los Angeles to Imagine the Future of Streets

The so-called car capital of the world is now a "hotbed for mobility disruption," a Harvard studio suggests.

May 16, 2019 - The Planning Report

Carpool Lane

Funding Approved for Interstate 10 Express Lanes in Southern California

Construction of 10 miles of dual express lanes on I-10 received the go-ahead last month after a TIFIA loan closed for $225 million of the $925 million project planned by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.

May 16, 2019 - Inland Empire Community News

Colorado Multi-Modlaism

NACTO to Help Five Cities Design and Build Low-Carbon Transportation Infrastructure

Five cities will help the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) prove that urban streets can provide the location for a drastic shift in the carbon emissions status quo.

May 16, 2019 - National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)

Meter Maid

Vision Zero Proposal Includes Citizen Parking Enforcement

One perhaps overlooked detail of an ambitious Vision Zero bill proposed last week for Washington, D.C.: a provision that would allow ordinary citizens to issue parking tickets.

May 16, 2019 - WTOP

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.