Transportation

Big But Familiar Park Changes Mirror L.A.'s Issues

Exposition Park in Los Angeles is on the verge of major changes -- a retired space shuttle, the last days of a stadium, new transit access, and the demolition of a piece of big-name architecture. But looking at its history, changes are nothing new.

May 18, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

Bikes to Get Buck in New Portland Budget

Portland Mayor Sam Adams has pledged to increase the amount of money dedicated to bicycle planning and bicycle infrastructure from 4% to 17% in the city's next budget.

May 18, 2011 - The Oregonian

Tight Timeline A Challenge for Doha Metro

Doha wants to have a fully functioning metro rail system in place by the time Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup, but the tight deadline of the event has some officials worried the system won't be complete in time.

May 18, 2011 - Gulf Times

L.A. Second-Best When it Comes to Transit

Honolulu has the most accessible public transit in the U.S., but apparently the same state with the worst traffic in the nation has the 2nd-most convenient transit.

May 18, 2011 - California Planning & Development Report

To Beat The Backlash, Expand The Bike Network, Say Planners

Bike lanes have become one of the most controversial topics in all of New York City. For cycling to take hold, the city needs to make sure all groups have equal access to cycling, say a team of Hunter College grad students.

May 17, 2011 - Streetsblog

Emergency Avenue

Your streets could be killing you -- or at least making it harder for emergency services to reach you in times of need.

May 17, 2011 - Medill National Security Zone

D.C. Transit Data Now Available on Google Maps

Google announces the addition of D.C.'s Metro and bus routes to their online and mobile maps, including connections to other commuter transit systems.

May 16, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

The Spectre of Death and Speeding

New speed limit signs will alert drivers that they are going to fast by showing them an image of a skeleton -- an image intended to warn drivers that their speeding could kill.

May 16, 2011 - Transportation Nation

Houston Roadway Would Fuel Growth, Harm Migratory Birds

Plans to build a parkway around Houston will help ease traffic and spur growth in the region, but it will also run right through a key stopover point for millions of migrating birds.

May 15, 2011 - Next American City

NYC Streets Transformation a Cause for Celebration

A number of articles have recently been written criticizing New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan for dramatically changing the city's mobility. This column from Metropolis says that criticism is misdirected.

May 14, 2011 - Metropolis

The Best and Worst Cities for Transit

The Brookings Institution recently analyzed the top 100 metropolitan areas in the U.S. to see how easy it is to use transit. Time presents the best and worst from the list, which includes some surprises.

May 13, 2011 - Time

Self-Driving Cars Coming Soon to A Street Near You

...particularly if you live in Nevada, where Google is pressing hard to convince lawmakers to allow their autonomous vehicles on public roads.

May 12, 2011 - The New York Times

Germany Bets Big on Its Own HSR Network

Eager to see the national train system (the Deutsche Bahn) regain its prestige and reputation for efficiency, the state-owned rail operator has pledged to invest 6 billion euros to acquire 300 of the most advanced high-speed trains in the world.

May 11, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Philadelphia Leads the Largest Cities in America for Bicycle Mode Share

A new report from The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia shows that Philadelphia's bicycle mode share is more than double that of Chicago's (the big city with the second-greatest share).

May 11, 2011 - philly.com

Food Deserts Exaggerated

The "food deserts" problem is receiving heightened attention following the release of the USDA's locator map. But this analysis relies on the suspect premise that suburban supermarkets are superior to small, walkable urban foodsellers.

May 10, 2011 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill

The Most Bike-Friendly Cities

CNN does a roundup that includes obvious leaders like Amsterdam and some less predictable choices like Chicago and Bogota, Colombia.

May 10, 2011 - CNN

PWC Ranks Top "Cities of Opportunity"

PricewaterhouseCoopers recently published the fourth edition of Cities of Opportunity. The report rates 26 cities in a range of categories (including transportation and infrastructure, for example) and then comes up with a master ranking.

May 10, 2011 - The Infrastructurist

$2 Billion in New High-Speed Rail Grants Announced

U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood announced this morning which high-speed rail projects would get funded out of the nearly 100 applications they received. The Northeast Corridor was again the big winner.

May 9, 2011 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

What Downtown LA Would Like Without Cars (VIDEO)

Three architecture students from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo teamed to make this video which aims to show what an auto-free downtown LA could be.

May 9, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

Shortcut Considered for California's High-Speed Rail

In a surprise move, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is resurrecting a long-dead proposal to run the train over So Cal's Grapevine, bypassing Bakersfield and several desert towns.

May 9, 2011 - The Los Angeles 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.