Massachusetts
State Gas Tax Attention Turns to Pennsylvania
Continuing our focus on the need to invest in transportation infrastructure and unwillingness to raise state gas taxes, the most recent proposal comes from Gov. Tom Corbett: Reducing the excise tax while increasing the wholesale gas dealer tax.
Mass. Transportation Plan Admirable, Funding Plan Abominable
In a preview of his statewide transportation plan, Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled an ambitious agenda and an appetizing menu of potential funding options on Monday. The final plan released yesterday has some wanting to send their meals back.
Tax Parking to Fund Public Transit?
In Massachusetts, transportation funding is one of the key issues to be addressed by the state legislature this year. James Aloisi, former Transportation Secretary, offers an inventive way to fund Transit Improvement Districts.
Municipal Services on the Menu at Boston's Newest Food Truck
Boston City Hall is taking its show on the road. Its new food-truck-inspired 'City Hall To Go' is bringing government to the people.
Beantown Builds in Bulk
Boston has seen an increase of new construction over the past few years, mostly concentrated along the waterfront and its "Innovation District." The Architect's Newspaper has compiled a list of the most high-profile developments in the city.
Re-imagining the Fiscal Architecture of Our Cities
For Michael A. Pagano, local municipalities went awry in designing fiscal systems during the 20th century by fabricating what he refers to as “a crazy quilt of local revenue.” He proposes some possibilities for getting cities back on track.
Opening the Atlantic Coast for Offshore Wind Farms
The U.S. Department of the Interior has cleared the way for what could become the first offshore wind projects in the country. Next year, lease sales will be offered on 278,00 acres of land off the coasts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Virginia.
Ranking North America's Smartest Cities
For those of you who've been anxiously waiting since Boyd Cohen published his list of Europe's smartest cities last month...wait no longer, North America's top 10 smartest cities have been revealed.
Rudolph Renovation Shows How Far Brutalism Can Bend
While it doesn't sounds like the most historically sensitive renovation, designLAB's reworking of Paul Rudolph's Carney Library at UMass Dartmouth shows that Brutalist monoliths can be adapted to suit contemporary needs and tastes.
The Cost of Our Cities' Aging Gas Pipes
Andrew C. Revkin follows researchers in Boston on the hunt to map and measure leaky pipes hemorrhaging natural gas out onto the street.
The New Promise of Urban Ecology
Courtney Humphries takes a look at recent federal investment in research on the complex interrelationship between human settlements and the natural environment.
Adapting Modernist Landscapes for Contemporary Needs
Alex Ulam discusses the challenges of redesigning mid-century urban landscapes to accommodate contemporary tastes and social activities, drawing on examples like Dan Kiley's North Court at Lincoln Center and Boston City Hall Plaza.
A Housing Plan to Keep Young Professionals in Massachusetts
Young professionals are choosing to live in "smaller, more transit-oriented developments." To keep them in-state, Gov. Deval Patrick plans to incentivize the building of 10,000 multifamily housing units each year through 2020 in Mass.
Boston Has a Parking Pricing Problem
Patrick Doyle makes a persuasive argument for alleviating Boston's parking problems by raising the rates at the city's overly cheap parking meters.
Luring Millennials through Great Neighborhoods
Millennials have been clustering in urban hotspots, and millions of others will be settling down over the next decade. William Fulton advises less attractive cities and suburbs on how to avoid a brain drain.
Mystery Surrounds Mitt's Urban Agenda
On the eve of the election, with scant mention of his position on issues such as transportation, smart growth, climate change, or even housing while on the campaign trail, Emily Badger tries to divine Mitt Romney's approach to urban issues.
Local Governments Work Together to Fight Recession
Chuck Raasch looks at how combining services can help local governments "to capitalize on the economics of scale and offset declining revenue since the Great Recession."
Never Again Will Mass. Build Superhighways Says DOT Head
At a news conference this week announcing their ambitious "mode shift" campaign, Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey boldly announced that the state will "build no more superhighways," and work to get people out of their cars.
Rising Sea Levels Threaten Boston's Historic Treasures and Much Else
Citing a "near-term risk" of rising tides, city planners in Boston are grappling with how to prepare residents and businesses for the effects of climate change, reports Monica Brady-Myerov.
Amtrak Service Dominates D.C. to Boston Travel Market
Long lines at airport security and weather delays have contributed to Amtrak's commanding travel mode share between D.C. and NYC, and majority share between NYC and Boston, but the lead is threatened by the competition and aging infrastructure.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
