Transportation

Complete Streets Gaining Speed

A new report details the growing adoption of Complete Streets policies in locales across the United States, despite the removal of a Complete Streets provision from the recent federal transportation bill.

August 27, 2012 - Better! Cities & Towns

Why Does Transit Cost So Much to Build in the U.S.?

With Manhattan's new Second Avenue subway expected to cost five times as much as comparable projects in Europe and Asia, Stephen Smith looks to transit-construction practices from abroad for lessons on how to contain costs in America.

August 27, 2012 - Bloomberg View

Hong Kong's Pedestrian Networks Redefine Civic Space

Nate Berg looks at how Hong Kong's unique pedestrian infrastructure of elevated walkways and underground tunnels has affected the city's use of public and private spaces, and shifted urban behaviors.

August 27, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Finding Mayor Bloomberg's Fingerprints on a Transformed New York

As the end of the Bloomberg Era in New York draws to a close, The Architect's Newspaper goes agency by agency exploring how the Mayor has steered the forces of NYC real estate to meet goals for a cleaner, greener, and more equitable city.

August 26, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Friday Funny: Full on Double Historic Train Cars - What Does it Mean??

The latest installment in Planetizen's ongoing efforts to promote the world's biggest transit enthusiasts spotlights a very excited fellow who goes double rainbow-style crazy for heritage train cars.

August 24, 2012 - 22 Words

Could Court Ruling Cause Extreme Service Cuts to NYC Transit?

This week, a New York Supreme Court Justice declared unconstitutional a tax covering a 12-county area including the city of New York and its surrounding suburbs, creating a $1.26 billion hole in this year's MTA budget.

August 24, 2012 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Step One to Untangling Delhi's Roads: Untangle the Governance Structure

Delhi attempts to cut its self-imposed red tape with a unified transportation agency.

August 23, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Talking Cars Get Test Drive in Michigan

No this isn't about a gathering of "Knight Rider" enthusiasts. Rather than speaking to their leather jacket-clad drivers, the cars being tested in Michigan communicate with each other, with the goal of improving safety on the nation’s highways.

August 22, 2012 - The New York Times

New Yorkers Get Behind Bike Lanes

Dogged by highly publicized lawsuits and complaints since their introduction six years ago, a new poll conducted by The New York Times shows widespread support for the city's new bike lanes.

August 22, 2012 - The New York Times

Imagining a Future Without Freeways

Giving new meaning to the phrase "take back the streets," Neal Peirce writes about the arguments in favor of a "freeway free" future for the world's cities, which was the subject of a recent Rockefeller Foundation Conference held in Bellagio, Italy.

August 22, 2012 - Citi Wire

New Chicago BRT Rapid in Name Only

Without full-time bus-only lanes, signal priority, advanced ticket sales, or all-door boarding, the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) tentative first steps aboard Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) may not be so speedy after all.

August 21, 2012 - Chicago Tribune

Preparations for Sacramento's New Intermodal Facility Prove Fatal

Sacramento's downtown train station recently relocated its tracks to accommodate new transit oriented development - but the long, winding walk from depot to platform has presented problems for passengers, including a fatal heart attack on day one.

August 21, 2012 - The Sacramento Bee - Transportation

NYC's Taxis Offer Rare Insights into City Driving Patterns

With New York's fleet of more than 13,000 taxi cabs transmitting Global Positioning System (GPS) data, the city's Department of Transportation has been able to develop a highly detailed picture of traffic patterns in the Big Apple.

August 20, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Airports Reinvent Themselves as Destinations

Bill Hooper looks at the global effort to reinvent the airport as a place where people will actually want to spend time.

August 20, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Obama Urges States to Spend Transpo Funds

"Use it or lose it" is the message being delivered to states by an Obama Administration eager to put people to work improving the nation's transportation infrastructure. $473 million is up for grabs, reports Alex Goldmark.

August 20, 2012 - Transportation Nation

In L.A., Pollution is Down Dramatically but Bad Air Remains

A new study by NOAA scientists and colleagues shows a stunning reduction in vehicle-related air pollutants in the Los Angeles basin over the past several decades. Despite the gains, unhealthy air remains.

August 20, 2012 - NOAA

Help Slow in Coming for Atlanta's Pedestrians

With pedestrian deaths on the rise in Georgia, despite falling automotive fatalities, Andria Simmons and Jeremiah McWilliams look at what is being done to make the Atlanta region's streets safer for those on foot and in wheelchairs.

August 20, 2012 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

High-Speed Rail May Bring New Station to Philly

Amtrak is considering where to build stations in Philadelphia for high-speed rail. One of the options is a new station in Market East, an underdeveloped part of downtown. Leadership sees the project as a potential catalyst for new building.

August 19, 2012 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Friday Funny: The Worst Parking Habits in the World

You may have heard of the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan for the "enlightened authoritarianism" of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, or as the world's largest landlocked country. It's now earning a well-deserved reputation for its parking habits.

August 17, 2012 - The Atlantic

Delayed NYC Bike-Share Gets New Launch Date

After weeks of speculation after its supposed July launch date came and went, this morning Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that New York's much anticipated bike-share program will be seen on city streets beginning next March.

August 17, 2012 - The New York Times

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.

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.