Alabama

A rendering of the planned bridge over a large river. The bridge has two main support beams that form diamond shaped arches over the bridge.

Alabama scores up to $2.5 billion federal loan for largest infrastructure project in state’s history

The Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project aims to ease congestion at Alabama’s worst bottleneck.

September 20, 2026 - NBC 15

Road construction in Alabama.

Alabama DOT wants to fill wetlands for interstate project

The Birmingham Northern Beltline would run roughly 52 miles through forests and wetlands that are home to multiple endangered species.

June 28, 2026 - Inside Climate News

Yellow wooden building housing historic train depot in Huntsville, Alabama.

Huntsville wants to be a key Southern player in intercity rail

The Alabama city is commissioning a study to assess the potential for 'Amtrak-like' connections to Nashville, Atlanta, and other Southern cities.

April 28, 2026 - AL.com

Red and blue Amtrak train at station in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Amtrak’s Mardi Gras train ‘blows away’ ridership expectations

The line brought back rail service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.

April 5, 2026 - Trains Pro

Empty two-lane rural road in Alabama with forest on both sides.

Study: Alabama’s Neglected Rural Roads Make Commutes Longer

While the state plans to spend millions on urban highways, roads in rural areas remain poorly maintained.

April 3, 2026 - Alabama Political Reporter

Diagram of proposed street redesign in Huntsville, Alabama with illustrations of new bike lanes and sidewalks.

Huntsville, Alabama Launches $30M Complete Streets Project

A redesign of Holmes Avenue will bring new sidewalks, bike lanes, lighting, and street furniture to the corridor.

March 8, 2026 - WAFF

Cochrane Bridge in Mobile, Alabama.

Historic Black Alabama Community Fights Displacement for Concrete Plant

Residents of Mobile’s Africatown neighborhood say building a concrete plant near homes and a historic site is “a step backwards.”

January 11, 2026 - AL.com

Blonde woman in sequined purple hat walking away from Amtrak train smiling at camera with other people behind her.

New Orleans-to-Alabama Amtrak Line Returns, 20 Years After Katrina

The Mardi Gras line now offers two daily round-trip trains between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama.

August 24, 2025 - Transportation for America

Birmingham, Alabama

How Data is Helping Protect Campus Trees

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is using GIS technology, student engagement, and sustainability-driven planning to manage and protect its nationally recognized urban forest.

August 4, 2025 - UAB Reporter

Two men in collared shirts and slacks looking and pointing at drainage ditch.

Alabama Community Sues State DOT Over Flooding

Residents of Shiloh, Alabama want to hold the state department of transportation responsible for flooding caused by a highway expansion project.

July 14, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3, 2025 - New Orleans City Business

Brick school building with mid-sized tree on front lawn.

Alabama School Forestry Initiative Brings Trees to Schoolyards

Trees can improve physical and mental health for students and commnity members.

April 25, 2025 - Governing

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

View of Alabama state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama at night.

Proposed Alabama Bill Would Fund Public Transit

The senator who introduced the legislation cited concerns about the state’s low levels of workforce participation, noting that a lack of transportation is one of the main reasons Alabama residents can’t participate in the workforce.

October 23, 2024 - Alabama Daily News

Aerial view of Union Station train terminal front entrance in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Amtrak Gains Final Approvals for Return to the Gulf Coast

A vote by the Mobile city council secured three key agreements that will pave the way for bringing passenger rail service back to coastal regions east of New Orleans.

August 11, 2024 - AL.com

Row of colorful two-story beach homes on Gulf Coast beach in Alabama.

Alabama Funds Roof Replacements to Stave off Insurance Crisis

The Fortified roof program is helping tens of thousands of homeowners make their homes more resilient against hurricane damage.

June 26, 2024 - Stateline

Green sign with white text 'Shiloh Town Limits' against green grassy field with small road on left.

Highway Construction Flooded Their Homes; The State Says They’re Not Responsible

An earlier settlement for flood damages incurred by residents of Shiloh, Alabama came with an unexpected condition.

May 14, 2024 - Inside Climate News

A view of the rear of four cars parked in angled spaces.

Birmingham, Ala. Passes ‘Landmark’ Parking Reform

New businesses in Birmingham, Alabama will no longer have to provide a minimum number of parking spaces.

May 9, 2024 - WVTM 13

Mobile home with pipe directed into the yard into a pit of standing sewage.

Closing the ‘Wastewater Gap’ in the Black Belt

Newly announced federal funding will help resolve the decades’ long sewer crisis faced by rural majority-Black communities in Alabama and Mississippi.

February 19, 2024 - Word In Black

Exterior side view of a single-story brick home missing back half of roof and a debris pile in the front yard.

Commentary: We Need to Build for Disaster, Not Simply Focus on Recovery

As the frequency and severity of weather events increases, building codes need to be adjusted to include resilience principles.

January 4, 2024 - Route Fifty

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.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

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