Transportation

Small Cities and Transit-Dedicated Streets

It is commonly accepted that most U.S. cities couldn't support transit-only streets. But Wellington, New Zealand is a model any U.S. city could follow, writes Jarrett Walker.

June 24, 2011 - Tim Halbur

Will Congestion Pricing Backfire in the U.S.?

The U.S. Department of Transportation in 2007 selected five cities it thought could effectively implement congestion pricing, but none have come to fruition. What's holding back congestion pricing in the U.S.?

June 24, 2011 - Next American City

Japan Moves Forward With Maglev Train

Tsunami, earthquakes, and nuclear radiation in the past, Japan proceeds to build a magnetic train that defies Newton's laws of physics.

June 24, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

U.S. Bicycle Master Plan Undergoes a Renaissance

Rendered obsolete in the 1980's, Secretary of Transportation LaHood makes a commitment to bring back a national network of bike routes.

June 23, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

Yacht Race to Bring New Cruise Terminal to San Francisco

As San Francisco prepares to host the America's Cup yacht race in 2013, one of the key building areas for the event is also being fast-tracked as the site of a new cruise terminal.

June 23, 2011 - San Francisco Chronicle

China's Superhighway on Kenyan Soil

Three Chinese companies are building a 31-mile highway to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. It's a move locals see as an effort to gain favor with the Kenyan government.

June 23, 2011 - NPR

'The Johnny Appleseed of Walk-able Communities'

Walkability guru Dan Burden's long-preached message of pedestrian-focused planning is increasingly becoming policy in cities across the country.

June 22, 2011 - The Washington Post

The Top 10 Cities Leading the Way on Climate Change

Predictable cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland are in the Top 10, but cities like San Diego and San Jose also hold prominent spots on the list.

June 22, 2011 - Triple Pundit

A Neighborhood of Stairs

The La Independencia neighborhood in Medellin, Colombia sprawls up a hillside, leaving the inhabitants to walk up to 10 flights of stairs every day. An ambitious development program is considering building an outdoor network of escalators.

June 22, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Seattle Considers Car Fee to Fund Transit

Facing $60 million in deficits over the next year, transportation officials in metropolitan Seattle are pushing a plan to ask voters to approve an increase in the price of registering cars in the area to create a transportation fund.

June 22, 2011 - The Seattle Times

Londoners Expect Olympics to Bring Transportation Legacy

A new survey of Londoners shows that improved transportation is seen as the most likely long-term benefit from hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics.

June 22, 2011 - Rail.co

Which is Greener: Urban Farms or Urban Density?

Edward Glaeser adds "large-scale metropolitan farming" to a list -- which also includes historic preservation -- of barriers to densifying urban development patterns. His argument is that the latter is the greener of the two.

June 21, 2011 - Boston Globe

Higher Vacancy Rates in Walkable Neighborhoods

In comparing data collected during the 2010 Census, walkable neighborhoods are shown to have greater vacancy rates than the cities they're in.

June 21, 2011 - Plannovation

The History and the Flaws of the Cul-de-Sac

This episode of 99% Invisible looks into the history of the cul-de-sac, and why its design flaws overpower its benefits.

June 21, 2011 - 99% Invisible

A Reality Check for Driverless Cars

For autonomous vehicles to roam the freeway, infrastructure and the law will need to accelerate and catch up with innovation, experts say.

June 21, 2011 - The Infrastructurist

Republicans Opening the Door to Public/Private Partnerships

Senator Mark Kirk presented details yesterday about his plan to lease public transportation assets to private companies or partner with them to expand transit.

June 21, 2011 - The Chicago Tribune

More Extensive Bus Service to Serve Seattleites

In Washington state, King County Council will vote on a measure to adopt a new algorithm for transit service policy.

June 20, 2011 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

More Transit than Roads Projects on Deck, But Transit Funding Lags

In Northwestern Indiana, transit projects will outnumber road projects for the firs time in history. Funding for roads, however, still outpaces transit projects.

June 19, 2011 - Post-Tribune

St. Louis Streetcar On Path to Revival

Plans to revive a decades-dead streetcar loop in St. Louis are gathering steam.

June 18, 2011 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Making Room for Public Transit

A report authored by Transportation for America and the American Public Transportation Association suggests that, no less than Social Security and Medicare, retiring baby boomers will have to cope with limited mobility options.

June 18, 2011 - The Antiplanner

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.