Transportation
How Well Has L.A. Lived up to 25-Year-Old Predictions?
How well could today's futurists predict how everyday life will change by 2038? This was the task that the Los Angeles Times Magazine embarked on in 1988. A class of graduate students at USC has been looking into which predictions came true.
Rail Competitive With Air Between Many U.S. Cities
Data from the Federal Railroad Administration shows that rail is competing well (and mostly winning) against air to claim market share in eight major city-pairs, many outside of the traditionally strong Northeast Corridor.
Maryland Gas Tax Bill May Raise the Bar
One of the nation's most-watched and complex gas tax bills made significant progress in the House of Delegates. It retained one of its most significant parts, indexing the tax (and transit fares) to inflation, overcoming opposition by Republicans.
New Master Plan for L.A.'s Union Station Will Focus on Passengers, not Developers
If you paid attention to the visions unveiled a year ago by the teams competing to develop a master plan for the area around L.A.'s Union Station, you might expect to see a development-focused final product. Apparently, you'd be wrong.
What is the Worst Parking Crater in America?
The March Madness bug has bitten the staff of Streetsblog. Based on nominations submitted by readers, the website has organized a Parking Madness tournament to determine the "ugliest parking scar draining the life from [an American] downtown."
Strong Government Regulations Key to Kicking Oil Habit, Reducing Vehicle Emissions
What will it take to greatly reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles? Efficiency, alternative fuels, and strong governmental policies reports the National Research Council. And it will be highly unlikely.
First Leg of Denver's Multi-Billion Dollar Transit Expansion Set to Open Next Month
After passing a trial run with few problems this week, Denver's 12.1-mile West Rail Line is set to open to the public next month.
Tea Partiers Try to Halt Indy Transit Vote
As the Indiana Senate begins to consider whether to allow residents to vote on a tax referendum to expand mass transit in Central Indiana, Tea Party-aligned groups are trying to derail the legislation.
Park-and-Ride: Good for Cars, Bad for Transit
A new study out of the Netherlands finds that contrary to their intended function of encouraging a mode shift to transit, and away from autos, such facilities might actually increase car use, to the detriment of alternatives.
“Reinvent Phoenix” Seeks to Cultivate Change Along the City's Light Rail Corridor
A multi-agency planning effort is hoping to boost Phoenix's sustainability by creating a new model for urban development around the city's emerging transit corridor.
A Ride Through Berlin's 'Underground Art Gallery'
The variety of designs found in the Berlin subway's 173 stations imbibes each one with its own unique identity. Cataloging this 'underground art gallery' has been the mission of photographer Kate Seabrook.
Design and Construction Errors Render New D.C. Area Transit Center Unusable
A long-awaited report on the problems preventing the opening of a longer-awaited $112 million bus-and-train hub in the D.C. suburb of Silver Spring has revealed design and construction failures that will prevent it from opening indefinitely.
Atlanta Looks to Expand New Streetcar Line
With Atlanta's first new streetcar line in a century set to be completed next year, transit advocates are putting recent defeats behind them and studying how to expand the system.
State Gas Taxes: What a Difference a Year Makes!
Fox News ran two articles on the climate for increasing state gas taxes, almost exactly a year apart. The 2012 article is pessimistic about the ability to increase gas taxes while the March 14th one is decidedly upbeat. Why the change, what happened?
Great Placemaking Begins with Acknowledging the Obvious
Our brains simply tune out anything that might suggest that our behavior is in some way complicit in our problems. Scott Doyon zeros in on the obvious, but often overlooked, problems with our auto-oriented culture.
Top Trends 2012-2013
Over the course of the year, the editors of Planetizen review and summarize thousands of articles, books, studies and editorials related to planning and urban development. Here are our picks for the most notable planning trends of the past year.
What Can Northern Europe Teach Us About Building Livable Communities?
In narrative and in images, Luis Rodriguez discusses the findings of a recent study tour to Germany and Scandinavia to discover the secrets to creating more livable communities.
L.A.'s Transit Agency Gives Bike Safety a Lift
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has kicked off a new bicycle safety campaign designed to raise awareness of cyclists' legal right to take a full traffic lane.
What Can be Done About the Global Scourge of Road Deaths?
1.2 million people are killed by road collisions every year, says a new report from the World Health Organization. Across the world, it's the leading cause of death for 15- to 29-year-olds. Nick Mead discusses the report's chilling findings.
Ending the Ceaseless Cycle of Car Dependency
Rather than the doomsday scenarios envisioned by critics, recent results indicate that closing streets to cars can have a demonstrable effect in improving circulation.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
