Transportation
The Non-Environmental Reasons for a Massive Switch to Electric Cars
There are several practical reasons people will soon be switching to plugin electrical vehicles. Judging from past examples, the shift in consumer preference will be swift and decisive, catching car manufacturers by surprise.
Developer's Ballot Box Planning Would Allow Suburban Development at Ferry Terminal
A June 7 ballot measure in Richmond, California would permit 59 single family homes to be built on a 5-acre bayfront lot within walking distance to a future ferry landing for San Francisco service. The site is zoned for high-density housing.
Planetizen Week in Review: June 3, 2016
Planetizen Managing Editor James Brasuell shares some of the biggest news and announcements from the week in planning, land use, and related topics. All in two minutes and 30 seconds.
Michigan Bill Would Be First to Allow Cars to Drive Without Humans
A state legislation package is aiming to clear hurdles obstructing the development of autonomous vehicles.
L.A. Metro and City of Los Angeles to Launch Metro Bike Share on July 7
One thousand bikes will be available exclusively to Metro passholders who subscribe from July 7 to August 1, when the general public will be able to sign-up. Subscribers will use a single card to access both transit and Metro Bikes. Sponsor needed.
Op Ed: 'What Would It Take to Get You to Ride The Bus?'
The shortcomings of American bus systems are not lost on transportation planners. The adage of "getting what you pay for" appears to be mostly true.
Details of the District DOT's Multi-Modal Crosstown Makeover
A conceptual study released earlier this spring would add new options for alternative modes of transportation between the neighborhoods of Columbia Heights and Brookland in Washington, D.C.
Paris to Begin Serious Car Restrictions on July 1
The carefree days of driving any-old-junker-they-please are over for Parisians, and they'll be even further obsolete when the calendar changes from June to July.
Sidewalk Labs and Transportation For America to Develop Connected Streets
Sidewalk Labs has teamed up with Transportation for America in the hopes of better connecting transportation technology with desired transportation outcomes.
State Threatens Shutdown of Atlanta Streetcar
The commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation warned Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and MARTA CEO Keith Parker that unless corrective actions are not taken in many areas, e.g., maintenance, safety, he will shut down streetcar service.
Researchers Develop 7 Metrics to Evaluate Bike And Pedestrian Projects
New research lays the groundwork for a universal standard by which to measure effectiveness of bike and pedestrian infrastructure projects.
Swiss Complete World's Longest, Deepest Tunnel in Record Time
The Gotthard base tunnel under the Swiss Alps is an "engineering tour-de-force" at 57.5 kilometres in length. Its nearest rival is the Seikan Tunnel in Japan, at 53.9 km.
Proposed $120 Billion Sales Tax Measure Polling Well in L.A. County
A single sales tax measure that would add a new half cent sales tax to fund transportation projects in Los Angeles County for 40 years, and extend an existing half-cent sales tax that terminates in 2039, is supported by at least 68 percent of voters.
Minneapolis Puts Pedestrians First in Adopting New Complete Streets Policy
Expanding on the complete streets policies that have come before it, the new Minneapolis complete streets policy prioritizes users: first pedestrians, then bikes, then transit, and, finally, cars.
U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer Writes in Favor of Self-Driving Cars
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), a famous advocate for alternative transportation, has thrown his support behind the epoch-changing potential of self-driving cars.
Op-Ed Supports Value Capture-Enabled Transit Investments
Two USC professors argue that Los Angeles would be better served if Metro could recapture some of its investment in the county's expanding rail system.
Women Spend More Time in Traffic Than Men
On average, women spend longer in traffic than men—perhaps because of the gendered division of labor that still exists in many households.
What If Buses Could Pass Over Cars?
The latest from China: a concept for street-straddling buses that cars could pass underneath. The giant vehicles could improve worsening traffic and already-dire pollution levels, taking the place of many conventional buses.
10 Ways to Make Cities Livable for the Elderly
How can the New Urban Agenda respect the elderly—and make cities better for all of us in the process?
Broward County, Florida to Select from Four Sales Tax Options on November Ballot
They could opt for a one percent, 30-year infrastructure tax, a .75 percent, 20-year transportation sales tax, approve both, or reject both. The two competing measures arise from differences between the county's 31 cities and county commissioners.
Pagination
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association