Transportation
Dark Clouds Over L.A.'s Light Rail
Los Angeles is in the midst of expanding its light rail system. But a new idea to speed up the process has backfired and caused delays and major increases in estimated costs.
Bicyclists Outpace Cars in Downtown, Says New Study
A new study of how people are using the French bikesharing system in Lyon provides ample data for American planners hoping implementing similar systems, and reveals that bicycles are faster and more effective than cars in dowtown commutes.
Mass Transit on Track in Tehran
Over the past 30 years, the overgrown Iranian capital has arrived at unhealthy levels of air pollution and traffic congestion, but with the installation of a metro, BRT system, and bike rental program seems to be heading in a new direction.
'Urbanism Is the Most Cost-Effective Solution to Climate Change,' says Calthorpe
Phil Langdon reviews Peter Calthorpe's latest, called 'Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change'. Langdon says it is "a densely packed, yet concise overview of the troubling situation we all find ourselves in."
Can Portland Become a World-Class Cycling City?
Jay Walljasper writing in Yes! Magazine, reports on all the innovations that make Portland the premier cycling city in the U.S.
Footing the Bill for the Cancelled ARC Project
And the tab is substantial: $271 million. NJ Gov. Christie, who killed the trans-Hudson, $9 billion rail tunnel for financial reasons, is now left owing funds for work completed that his state would not be liable for had he not canceled the project.
Building Bike Lanes to Lure the Creative Class
As the debate over new bike lanes pits New Yorkers against each other, people should refocus on the economic benefits the lanes can provide, argues Richard Florida.
Wasted Oil, By Design
This episode of public radio program 99% Invisible looks at oil, and how the way people move from work to home has been seemingly designed to waste fuel.
D.C. Takes Long-Range Transit Planning Online
Washington D.C.'s Metro is expecting a major increase in ridership over the next 30 years. To try to meet that demand, they're recruiting ideas from the public with a new outreach effort.
Would People Obey Speed Limits If They Were - Fun?
Kevin Richardson came up with a fanciful idea for rewarding good drivers while punishing bad ones: speed cameras could ticket speeders, the money would go into a pot, and good drivers would be selected randomly by the camera to win big money.
Bus-Only Lane Proposal Meets Opposition in L.A.
Officials in Los Angeles are considering a plan to install a bus-only lane on the region's most used commuter route. But neighbors along a small segment of the road are fighting the proposal.
Madison May Be Left Out of Midwest High Speed Rail Plans
The fate of a proposed high speed rail corridor between Chicago and Milwaukee remains uncertain, but if plans do go ahead, Madison may be left out.
Streetcar Revival on its Way to Atlanta
Atlanta's $72 million streetcar plan is taking shape, with lines expected to open in 2013. But not everyone in the city thinks the project is worth the cost.
Theft Apparently Not a Problem for Bike-Sharing Programs in the U.S.
Bike-sharing can't seem to shake its reputation for being a crime magnet, as in Paris. But here in the United States, theft and vandalism simply haven't emerged as problems, says Noah Kazis.
Is 20 Plenty for New York?
The New Yorker takes an informal survey of the Lower East Side with slow-driving proponent Rod King.
A Boom in Bike Commuting
NPR reports on the impressive growth - a tripling, even - of bicycling in the United States, with a particular focus on commuting.
Replacing Costly Asphalt With Sand
Could sand be the next great paving material? Thomas Kosbau and Andrew Wetzler recently won a design competition in Korea with their idea to combine sand with a bacteria that turns sand to stone.
Poor Ridership = Poor Efficiency
Randal O'Toole argues that transit will never be energy efficient because ridership is never high enough to warrant the energy expelled.
Retro Trains of the Future
Popular Science digs through their archives to unearth a collection of fantastical, futuristic trains such as amphibious monorails, suspended railways and "two-headed trains."
Recyclable Subways
A new model of subway car designed by BMW and Siemens is being built for the Warsaw, Poland Metro. The aluminum chassis is reportedly 97.5% recyclable.
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
