Transportation

MIT Develops New Fuel, Dubbed "Cambridge Crude"

A post at The Polis Blog asks the question, "how might Cambridge Crude change cities?"

July 15, 2011 - The Polis Blog

One Lane, One Way, $1 Billion

The weekend closure of the 405 freeway in L.A. highlights the city's limited mobility but also the skewed way transit and transportation projects are debated.

July 15, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

The Future of Los Angeles' Union Station

On Wednesday, LA Metro started the process of soliciting proposals for the redevelopment of the 42 acres of land it owns around Union Station.

July 15, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

Richard Florida Explains "The Geography of How We Get to Work"

In a piece from The Atlantic Richard Florida discusses the factors that shape Americans' commuting patterns. Some of his assertions are counter to commonly accepted explanations for commuting behaviors.

July 15, 2011 - The Atlantic

Have Electricity, Will Travel

Washington state fulfills its share of the West Coast Green Highway initiative by installing nine fast-charging stations for electric cars along the 580-mile Interstate 5 corridor from Oregon to Canada.

July 14, 2011 - The Washington Post

Behavioral Shift in the Way We Drive

When "peak car use" is reached, the only way to go is down, claim Australian scholars Peter Newman and Jeff Kenworthy. They say we're already there - between 1995 to 2000, per capita VMT in some major cities around the world decreased.

July 14, 2011 - The Infrastructurist

Health Concerns For Urban Cyclists

A new Canadian study should be of interest to any urban cyclist concerned about his/her health. The study shows what is apparent to most cyclists already - smoking tailpipes, especially from diesel trucks and buses, can have serious health impacts.

July 14, 2011 - Environmental Health News via San Francisco Chronicle

The Corporate Forces Behind the Transcontinental Railroads

A new book looks into the history of the transcontinental railroads and how the corrupt connection between politics and business helped spread the American economy to the West.

July 14, 2011 - NPR

Experts Weigh Mica's Transportation Bill

Since the release of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica's proposed $230 billion surface-transportation bill, reviews have been mostly negative. National Journal asks its panel of experts for their take.

July 14, 2011 - National Journal

Brazil to Receive Billions for Mobility Ahead of World Cup

The cities hosting the 2014 World Cup in Brazil have been awarded an infusion of $6 billion from the Inter-American Development Bank to fund urban mobility and other efforts ahead of the event.

July 13, 2011 - The City Fix

Mayors Push Gas Tax to Fund Transit in Vancouver

A group of mayor in the metropolitan Vancouver area have proposed an increase in the gas tax to develop a fund for a long-stalled transit project.

July 12, 2011 - The Globe and Mail

Keeping Rail On Track

Rail projects throughout the U.S. are hard hit by the downturn in the economy. The agencies behind them are trying to find ways to keep the projects from falling apart.

July 12, 2011 - Architect Magazine

Would You Trade Your Car for A Lifetime Transit Pass?

The city of Murcia, Spain recently opened a new streetcar system, and is offering lifetime passes to the trolley for anyone who gives up their car for good.

July 11, 2011 - Shareable

Is Biking an Exclusively White Activity?

The rate of workers who commute by bike continues to increase, but it reflects a decidedly white demographic, specifically men. The Washington Post examines biking through the lens of race and gender.

July 11, 2011 - The Washington Post

Why California Should Increase Car Tax

George Skelton of The Los Angeles Times contends that one of Schwarzenegger's biggest blunders as governor of California was lowering the vehicle license fee to 0.65%.

July 11, 2011 - The Los Angeles Times

Bikes Will Be "Incredibly Sexy and Utterly Normal"

Jay Walljasper argues that the era of specialized, Spandex-clad bicyclists dominating the road is coming to an end - the future is in normal folk taking to the road and taking advantage of the numerous benefits to society that comes from bicycling.

July 11, 2011 - Jay Walljasper

EU's Carbon Pricing Mechanism Challenged in Court

Airlines argue in the European Court of Justice that the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is an overreach when imposed on flights to/from Europe.

July 11, 2011 - The Economist

More Lanes Means More Traffic

U. of Toronto economist Matthew Turner discusses his study that shows that building more traffic lanes attracts more traffic. Likewise, providing more transit may lure motorists out of their cars, but those motorists are replaced.

July 11, 2011 - NPR:All Things Considered

Ideological Clash Over Transportation Bill

A proposal to cut transportation funding by chairman of the House transportation committee John Mica (R-Fla.) received wide criticism from the Democrat counterpart.

July 8, 2011 - The Washington Post

Urbanist Heavyweights Compare European and US Planning

Leading urban thinkers weigh-in on a debate of the merits of European and US approaches to urban planning, with a specific focus on the place of automobiles in cities. Ed Glaeser, Ellen Dunham-Jones, and Sam Staley are among the contributors.

July 8, 2011 - The New York Times

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.

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.