Transportation

Realligning the Libertarian Stance in the Urban Planning Culture Wars

Libertarians opposition toward government backed light-rail ignores the longer history of government's pro-car policies, says Timothy B. Lee, contributor for Forbes.

September 1, 2011 - Forbes

All-Door Boarding Considered for SF Transit

Transit officials in San Francisco are considering a plan to allow transit riders to board through all doors of buses in an attempt to cut delays.

September 1, 2011 - San Francisco Chronicle

Urban Noise Forces Birds to Change Their Tune

The amount of urban background noise is affecting the songs that birds sing to attract mates.

September 1, 2011 - Discovery

The Tea Party Goes Too Far in Ventura

Local Tea Party activists gather 10,000 signatures to place an initiative on the ballot to remove Ventura's new parking meters, only to discover that they're pre-empted by the California Vehicle Code.

August 31, 2011 - Mayor Bill Fulton's blog

New Gas Tax Legislation Proposed For CA MPOs

Unlike a state gas tax, SB 791 calls for regional planning agencies to prepare a measure to go before voters in their jurisdiction that would place a new fee on fuel to improve mobility, called a "regional congestion reduction charge".

August 30, 2011 - LA. Streetsblog

Trying to Tackle Mobility Issues in South Africa

New government efforts in South Africa are trying to improve mobility for those who rely on public transportation, walking and biking.

August 30, 2011 - This Big City

In SF, You Are the Bike You Ride

Graphic designer Tor Weeks captures the essence of the bicycle culture in San Francisco by classifying the types of bikes by neighborhood.

August 30, 2011 - The Huffington Post

Florida Businesses Counting on SunRail

Florida Hospital has planned their new facility around the commuter rail project, which they hope will reduce their need for parking for patients and staff.

August 29, 2011 - Progressive Railroading

Back In Service! Most NY Rail Lines Resume Operation

While most of the city's 22 subway lines resumed service on a limited schedule on Monday, the region's commuter rail lines didn't fare as well due to fallen trees and flooded tracks affecting some branches of MetroNorth and LIRR.

August 29, 2011 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

Mileage-Based User Fees Could Work, Says Study

The Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota has prepared a comprehensive report on the shortcomings of the fuel tax and how to transition to what they call a mileage-based user fee, a form of a vehicle-miles-traveled fee.

August 29, 2011 - University of Minnesota: ITS Institute

Irene Preparation Causes Shut Down Of NYC Metro Transit System

In preparation for Hurricane Irene, the MTA is shutting down buses, subways, and commuter rail in the New York City metro area. Transit operated till noon on August 27, then will begin the 8-hour process to store the vehicles and prepare for Irene.

August 28, 2011 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

TODs Spark Parking Reform

Saqib Rahim asks, "If Denver is committed to transit, how much parking should it build?"

August 26, 2011 - The New York Times

The One-Billion Milestone for Cars

The total number of cars around the world exceeded the billion-unit mark in 2010, according to a study by Wards Auto. This figure has essentially doubled since 1986 when the 500-million-unit mark was crossed.

August 26, 2011 - AutoBlog

NYC Transit Extends the Life of C Trains

Due to budget constraints, the current C train (code name: R32) will continue to serve New Yorkers until 2017, making it one of the oldest subway line in the world.

August 26, 2011 - The New York Times

Bus Rapid Transit for the Masses

An ambitious BRT plan for Chicago could be a great boon for inner-city folks greatly in need of better ways to get around, says Yonah Freemark.

August 26, 2011 - the transport politic

Would People Drive Less if Cities Were Built Differently?

Dr. Marlon Boarnet, a professor in UC Irvine's Dept. of Planning, Policy and Design, has based his research around that question and has some answers.

August 26, 2011 - YouTube

Lending Program Could Replace National Infrastructure Bank

Obama supports Boxer's 2-year transportation reauthorization bill over Mica's 6-year bill. However, both bills greatly increase funding for the Transportation Infrastructure and Innovative Finance Act.

August 25, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

Bicycling Towards Recovery

Bike lanes and bike commuters are fueling a significant segment of the economy in Copenhagen. In Portland, a high amount of bike lanes could mean similar economic impacts.

August 25, 2011 - The Oregonian

The Boon in British Cycling

A new report from the London School of Economics looks at the “cycling economy” that is taking the United Kingdom by storm and the economic benefits generated by individual cyclists.

August 25, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Bike Lanes Benefit Drivers

Canadian Urban designer Ken Greenberg and American planner Trent Lethco argue that investing in cycling infrastructure improves driving conditions -- for those times that you really need a car.

August 24, 2011 - The Globe and Mail

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.