Transportation
After Setback, L.A. Mayor Still Intent on Speeding Transit Projects
In the aftermath of the seemingly narrow defeat of his pet measure to speed up the expansion of L.A.'s transit infrastructure, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa remains unbowed in his attempts to accelerate his key initiative, writes Ari Bloomekatz.
How Traffic Data At Your Fingertips Can Create Smarter Cities
What do recent national politics have to do with transportation planning? For Sarah Goodyear, the connection is clear: it's about having access to good data for solving real-world problems.
Election Recap: How Did Smart Growth Fare?
Tom Madrecki has compiled a roundup of how local land use and transportation related measures fared on Tuesday night. From Maine to Marin, voters approved initiatives to invest in transit, parks, redevelopment, and conservation.
What Was Behind L.A.'s Rejection of its Transportation Ballot Measure?
Was not enough transit spending the culprit for the narrow rejection of Los Angeles County's Measure J initiative, which aimed to speed up construction of a host of the region's transit projects from 30 to 10 years? Damien Newton thinks so.
How Spain’s Building Bust Can Inform the Future of Urbanization
"The City That Never Was" is the title of an upcoming symposium, and series of essays, organized by the Architectural League of NY to explore two decades of growth and decline in Spain through the prism of unrealized architectural ambitions.
Does Urbanism Correlate with Happiness?
Planning policies related to the economy and environment are easier to measure, but Hazel Borys asks, "how do we measure national happiness, well-being, and social capital as they relate to the way we plan our neighborhoods, towns and cities?”
Oberstar's Revenge
Former Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and chair of the House Transportation Committee was ousted by Chip Cravaack (R) in 2010, who took his seat on the committee and proceeded to gut Oberstar's goals. Cravaack was ousted by Rick Nolan (D), on Nov. 6.
Proposals for Obama's Second Term
No sooner had the ink dried on the Times' "Obama's Night" headline, than planning advocates began offering suggestions for what the President should focus on in his second term. With an enduring split in Congress it's unclear what is achievable.
Toronto: Pay Attention to the Pedestrians
The intersection of Yonge and Harbour is just one example of the dangerous conditions that confront Toronto’s pedestrians daily. Are the police to blame for the city’s lack of pedestrian safety?
Is Driving Still an American 'Rite of Passage'?
Economist Joe Cortright doesn't seem to think so. According to his findings, Americans are driving less, with Millennials leading the way, and this unprecedented trend is here to stay.
Tracking the Transportation Initiatives to be Decided Today
While the federal government balks at increasing money for transportation projects, local officials across America are turning to their constituents to get the go ahead for significant transportation investment. What projects are at stake today?
Free Parking 'Drives' Solo Commuting, Study Says
California Watch, a project of the nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting, evaluated the 2009-11 American Community Survey and determined that CA's 'drive-alone' rate to work was 73%. Joanna Lin points the finger at free parking as chief cause.
NYC's Subways Are Up and Running Again - How'd They Do It?
It's taken a Herculean effort to get New York's subway system up and running again after Sandy; but it's one that's progressed far below the streets of the city and out of view of most. Morgan Clendaniel examines what MTA employees have been up to.
Pedestrians in L.A. Get New Focus, Times Two
Amid all the attention L.A.'s recent transit expansion and car culture receive, you couldn't blame the area's pedestrians for feeling like the odd ones out. But with the city’s first official pedestrian coordinators on the job, that may soon change.
Odd-Even Gas Rationing Returns to New Jersey
It's 1973 again in 12 counties - this time Hurricane Sandy, rather than OPEC, is to blame. For those carrying gas cans rather than driving (or pushing) cars to the stations, they're exempt. The military and FEMA will deliver more fuel to NY and NJ.
Grading Obama's Approach to Transportation
Was Obama's top transportation achievement his decision to name Ray LaHood as U.S. DOT secretary? That's the argument Tanya Snyder makes in evaluating the President's hits and misses regarding transportation policy.
S.F. Giants Celebratory Parade Causes Transit Surge - Records Broken
The Oct. 31 parade to honor the World Series-winning San Francisco Giants resulted in record-breaking numbers of riders taking BART, Caltrain, SF Muni and ferries to attend the parade who were accommodated by increased service. Why not continue it?
Dutch Designers Reinvent the Road
You may have heard about smart cars, but what about smart streets? A plan for modernizing European highways has been generating a lot of buzz from civil engineers worldwide, reports Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan.
If You Build It, They Will Come, Says Harrison NJ Mayor
“After 15 years, his vision to transform this long-forsaken industrial town into a bedroom community for single, young professionals is finally taking shape,” writes Ronda Kaysen. Hopes for redevelopment center on the town’s commuter rail station.
Would Building an Outer Beltway Around D.C. Save the Planet?
Some highway advocates in the suburbs surrounding Washington, DC think that building an outer Beltway through Northern Virginia will be beneficial to the planet. Others disagree.
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
