Transportation

Raleigh Developer Thinks PRT is "Fun"

Developer John Kane of Raleigh, North Carolina rode the personal rapid transit (PRT) system at Heathrow, and decided it would be a perfect fit for Raleigh's North Hills area.

June 7, 2011 - TV News Channel 14 Carolina

Explaining Induced Traffic

Eric Jaffe at The Infrastructurist explains the non-intuitive reason why often removing freeways means less traffic.

June 7, 2011 - The Infrastructurist

The History Of the Push for Interstate Highways

"The Big Roads: The Untold Story of the Engineers, Visionaries, and Trailblazers Who Created the American Superhighways" by journalist Earl Swift examines the movement to build interstate highways well before Pres. Eisenhower's landmark legislation.

June 6, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal - BOOKSHELF

Long Commute Takes a Toll on Relationships

Latest study by a Swedish university shows that couples whose commute time exceeds 45 minutes are 40% more likely to experience marital problems.

June 5, 2011 - The Infrastructurist

New Google App: "Mapnificent"

A new google app, dubbed Mapnificent, allows you to choose a starting location and then see all the places that you can reach by public transportation within a specified amount of time.

June 4, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

Bike-Friendly Commuter RR Gets Bike-Friendlier

Mission Accomplished! Bike advocates had been lobbying Caltrain for a guaranteed two-bike car capacity ever since the first 'bike bump' occurred. The train San Francisco-San Jose has had a bike-friendly reputation since a 1992 pilot program.

June 4, 2011 - San Francisco Examiner

How Disneyland Got Its Monorail

Planner Sam Gennawey tracks the history of Disneyland's monorail back to a 1958 visit by Walt Disney to Wuppertal, Germany.

June 3, 2011 - MiceAge

Last Month For Hybrids In CA Carpool Lanes

In Sept. 2005, eligible hybrid vehicles could use CA carpool lanes with only one occupant as an incentive to purchase them. The expiration date was extended by legislation twice, but DMV assures the 85,000 yellow decal owners it ends July 1.

June 3, 2011 - San Francisco Chronicle

Argentina Gets Its First Bus Rapid Transit

Mauricio Macri, the mayor of Buenos Aires, inaugurated Argentina's first bus rapid transit system today, marking its first day of operation.

June 3, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Does Downtown Seattle Have Enough Bike Parking?

A study of bicycle amenities in Seattle concludes that most of the private office buildings downtown lack bike parking, and other amenities such as showers and bike pumps are almost nonexistent. Public bicycle parking downtown has a better showing.

June 3, 2011 - Puget Sound Business Journal

Groundbreaking Climate Change Plan

Once a bastion of sprawl, the San Diego region is now embracing one of the most significant regional planning efforts in the nation's history. It is the first region in California to draft a Sustainable Communities Strategy, as mandated by SB 375.

June 3, 2011 - California Planning & Development Report

Companies Ditch Suburban Office Parks

Suburban areas were once strongholds of corporate campuses and office parks. But there's a shift underway that's drawing companies back to cities.

June 2, 2011 - Grist

Underground Parking Emerges in the 'Burbs

Once thought to be only needed in dense inner cities, underground parking lots are being built now in suburban areas to reduce the use of space in tightening quarters.

June 2, 2011 - The Washington Post

Understanding the Freeways of L.A.

In the latest installment of a year-long series about Los Angeles-focused books, Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne reads the 1981 book "L.A. Freeway: An Appreciative Essay," by David Brodsly.

June 2, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

Mobility Lacking in Toronto

Toronto's lack of focus on transportation planning and the absence of a national strategy for mobility is turning the city into a messy gridlock, according to this column.

June 2, 2011 - Globe and Mail

New Jersey Gov. Scraps Rail, Invests in Mega-Mall Instead

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie defunded the construction of the ARC Tunnel (connecting NJ to NY via increased rail service), claiming that it was fiscally irresponsible. Now, Christie is using state funds to finance the construction of a mega-mall.

June 1, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Building Roads to Cure Congestion Is an Exercise in Futility

University of Toronto professors say that building more roads just encourages more driving. Building transit doesn't help reduce congestion either, though it still maximizes the value of the transportation system.

June 1, 2011 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill

D.C. Bikeshare Suffers From Popularity

NPR reporter Jacob Fenston hits D.C. streets to interview folks about the nation's largest bikesharing program, with 12,000 members.

June 1, 2011 - NPR: Morning Edition

L.A. Metro Tracks Buses With New Tool

Los Angeles' public transit authority has joined those of other major U.S. cities in providing a real-time tool for checking to see how soon buses will arrive at specific stops.

June 1, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

Designing the 'Cycle Space'

Architectural historian and urban planner Steven Fleming is expanding the study of cities and mobility by looking at how designers are reacting to bicycling and how bicycles are set to transform the way cities work.

June 1, 2011 - Bike Portland

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.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

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.