Transportation
King County, Sound Transit Announce $83 Million for Transit Oriented Development
A new regional transit oriented development initiative in Seattle will focus on affordable housing and walkable communities. The Executive's Transit Station Housing and Development Initiative will partner King County and Sound Transit.
DUIDs Rival DUIs as Cause of Driver Fatalities
Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, be they prescription, illegal, or marijuana, now accounts for 40 percent of driver fatalities, about the same as alcohol-related deaths, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Protected Bike Lane Setback in Boulder
Boulder, Colorado may be one of the most bike-friendly cities in the U.S., but that did not stop the City Council on Tuesday night from voting to remove the protected bike lanes on Folsom street and return the road to four lanes of vehicle traffic.
Health by Design: Findings from ULI
A new ULI report finds that innovation in placemaking is about the inter-relatedness of health and the built environment.

What's Up With Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx?
The Hill explores the ambitions and motivations of Anthony Foxx, former mayor of the city of Charlotte and current secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Chicago Approves Big Expansion of TOD Ordinance
Ten times more land in Chicago is now designated for transit oriented development—affording new development reduced parking requirements, density bonuses for affordable housing, and new strength for the city's Pedestrian Street design regulations.
Open Streets Success Story: Atlanta Streets Alive
The vast appeal of the open streets movement was on display in Atlanta last weekend, as the city hosted the Open Streets Summit and its very own event: Atlanta Streets Alive.
Washington State's First Express Toll Lanes Open
Washington has Express Lanes on I-5 and I-90 and HOT Lanes on SR 167, but the 17 miles of lanes that opened Sunday on I-405 from Bellevue to Lynnwood will be the state's first Express Toll Lanes.
Traffic Deaths in California Continue to Rise—How to Stem the Tide
Traffic fatalities in California have been rising since 2010, rising to 3,104 in 2013 after decreasing from 2006 to 2010. Experts point to several specific reasons for the increase; one of the most prominent may be in your hand right now.

Can Reduced Parking Requirements Generate Too Much Development Competition?
A new argument has appeared in the ongoing debate about parking requirements. A university in a college town objected to reduced parking requirements on the grounds that it would make the city too attractive to developers.

Study Quantifies Land Use Benefits of Transit Investments
A study by the Transportation Research Board calculates "land use effect" and "ridership effect" to show how much land is saved when cities include public transit.
Congestion as an Economic—Not an Engineering—Problem
Thinking about congestion as an economic problem generates new solutions for the problem as well as a response to accusations of social engineering.
Transportation Bond Funding Divides Suburban County in Texas
It's a case of the haves vs. the have-nots in transportation spending for a rapidly growing suburban area of Houston.

More and More Americans Working From Home
In a pattern evident in communities all over the country, U.S. Census data shows more Americans are working from home. Researchers from the Brookings Institution are hoping that planners have noticed the trend.

New San Diego Regional Plan Focuses on Public Transit
The San Diego Association of Government on October 9 will consider a 35-year regional plan that prioritizes public transit in its management of an expected 1 million new residents.

Three Parking Solutions for Three Growing Cities
As a new wave of people flood cities to live, work, and play, many arrive on four wheels: cars, which are creating massive headaches for city planners and drivers.
Witness a Car-Free Paris
We call them Open Streets events. In French it's Journée Sans Voiture. On September 27, the world saw a car-free Paris.

As San Francisco Debates Idaho Stop, Gov. Brown Gives All Cyclists a Break
Regardless of how San Francisco's proposed Bike Yield Law fares, all California cyclists who are ticketed for not stopping at stop signs may have the option to pay a reduced fine if they opt to attend bike school thanks to a new law signed Sept. 21.

Does Consolidating Bus Stops Speed Up Buses?
The practice of consolidating bus stops—or stop thinning—is a controversial method to speed up buses. Los Angeles Metro is considering consolidation as part of its ongoing Strategic Bus Network Plan.

Economic Benefit of Increasing Neighborhood Walkability: Is it a Myth?
Researchers from Texas A&M blog about their study of the economic benefits of walkability in neighborhoods in Austin, Texas.
Pagination
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)