Transportation
Considering A Car-Free L.A.
New ideas are emerging to address the mobility issues faced by cities. One specific project focuses on the epicenter of congested America: Los Angeles.
Gas Guzzled to Differing Degrees in U.S. Cities
Cities are filled with gas-guzzlers, but some guzzle more than others. This infographic from Mint looks at which U.S. cities spend the most and least on gas.
China's Road Safety Epidemic Attributed To Unskilled Drivers
With one third the number of cars on the road as U.S., China has at least twice the fatality rate. Most vehicles are designed in the West, and driven a similar amount. Road conditions as well as driver and pedestrian error are blamed for crashes.
High Speed Rail Crash In China Leaves 43 Dead
Two bullet trains collided in China killing 43, injuring 211, on Saturday evening, July 23 in Wenzhou city, after one train stalled on a viaduct, causing four cars of the moving train to fall up to 100 ft. to the ground below. Video attached.
California High-Speed Rail at a Tipping Point
Will the California high-speed rail project move forward, or will politicians pull the plug? The fate of the program weighs in the balance as construction is about to begin.
Speed Up Your Commute
In a hurry to catch the train?
A Little More Complete – Making Way for Neighborhood Electric Vehicles
Wave of the future, or glorified golf cart? Lisa Nisenson says that dismissing neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) is a mistake, and planners can use NEV planning to make more walkable urban centers.
Drunk Driving Crackdown In Beijing
Traffic safety is an emerging issue in China, and officials are treating drunk driving, the cause of more than 50% of traffic fatalities, severely - so much so that a new business is flourishing: chauffeur service.
Souped-Up BART Trains Courtesy of BMW
The nation's fifth-largest rail system Bay Area Rapid Transit will collaborate with BMW DesignworksUSA to update its aging fleet.
Freeway Section Closes, No One Misses It
In Vancouver, B.C., a stretch of elevated freeway was closed during the 2010 Winter Olympics for safety reasons. Turned out it wasn't missed, and locals are advocating to have it removed.
Does America Need a National Infrastructure Bank?
A new report published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace proposes, among other things, a 5%-per-barrel tax on petro and the creation of the National Infrastructure Bank to cope with transportation budget cuts.
Harvesting a Bike Frame in One Piece
Student designer Alexander Vittouris won a design award for his bicycle made out of bamboo. What's so special about that? Vittouris shaped the frame as it grew so it needed no assembly.
The Paradox of Minimum Parking Requirements for Bars and Taverns
Zoning codes that mandate a certain number of parking spaces for businesses that serve on-site alcoholic beverages are inconsistent with law enforcement's campaign against drunk driving, says Eric de Place.
Tear Down the Freeway, Or Not?
Using a federal grant, New York City is studying the effects of a highway teardown not just on transportation but on housing, jobs, park access and quality of life.
New Report Evaluates Transportation Policies for Healthier Communities
Major study by the Partnership for Prevention identifies numerous ways to reduce air pollution, increase physical fitness and reduce traffic risk.
NY MTA Chief Resigns, Takes Job In Hong Kong
The head of the New York MTA, Jay Walder, is leaving to take charge of a private transportation company in Hong Kong.
If High-Speed Rail is Made, Will Riders Come?
Dan Leavitt, California High-Speed Rail Authority’s deputy director, says Calif. can either be at the whim of 'market-driven sprawl,' or high-speed rail can revolutionize the state. Yet, arguments for getting people to ride rail are contentious.
Toronto's Budget-Cutting Targets Transit
Consultants hired by the City of Toronto are recommending dramatic cuts to public transit, including contracting out some routes and eliminating a late-night bus service popular with shift workers.
Biking on the Rise in New Orleans
Bicycle use has increased in many parts of New Orleans, thanks to new bike lanes.
U.S. Still Missing Bike Lessons from Europe
Bicycling is growing in popularity in the U.S., but it still isn't considered a serious form of transportation as it is in Europe, according to this piece from Yale Environment 360.
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.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
