Pennsylvania

Book Review: From Steel to Slots
Chloe E. Taft explores the transition of Bethlehem, Pa., from Rust Belt company town to gambling mecca.
Amtrak Crash Shuts Down Northeast Corridor Service on Sunday Morning
An Amtrak train that originated in Boston and headed to Savannah, Ga. struck a backhoe working on tracks about 15 miles southwest of Philadelphia. Two Amtrak construction workers in or near the backhoe were killed; 31 train passengers were injured.

The Great Debate: How to Attract Investment in Neglected Urban Areas
With the key assumption that more of Philadelphia needs to see the benefits of the recent wave of investment that has come to the city's urban core, politicians at varying levels of government are considering multiple policy options.
PennDOT Planning Higher Speed Limits on Interstates
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is scrutinizing the details of a plan to raise speed limits on roads all over the state.
Four Cities to Explore the Frontiers of Infrastructure Finance
City Accelerator selected four cities to test new options for financing the infrastructure investments of the 21st century and beyond.
Visualizing Parking in the City of Brotherly Love: Parkadelphia
An intrepid city employee created Philadelphia's first mapping tool for visualizing the layers of regulation and management that govern when, when, and how people park in Philadelphia.
A Critical Take on Philadelphia's Big Innovation District Plans
Philadelphia Inquirer Architecture Critic Inga Saffron digs into the facts and fictions about innovation districts, as the city reveals a third splashy project touting its innovation district bonafides.
Critic Raises Alarms About North Philadelphia Redevelopment Efforts
The Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic of the Philadelphia Inquirer is concerned about the large-scale redevelopment of North Philadelphia, under the leadership of the Philadelphia Housing Authority.
Revisiting the Archetypal Post-War Suburb
A CityLab article takes a trip to Levittown, Pennsylvania for a lesson in how places change, even when some places stay the same.

Black Residents Displaced in Pittsburgh
Rents are on the rise in Pittsburgh, prompting some longtime residents to relocate farther away. Race, as well as class, figures heavily in this narrative.
New Philadelphia Mayor Pitching $300 Million for Parks and Libraries
Investment in public space is shaping up as a signature initiative for new Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney.

Renewable Biogas Can't Compete with Cheap and Plentiful (Fossil) Natural Gas
Unlike Europe where renewable energy is heavily subsidized, very few biogas projects that convert farm waste to energy using anaerobic digesters are being built in the U.S. State incentives are instrumental due to high capital and maintenance costs.
Pittsburgh-Area Buses Due for a Fare Overhaul
Public hearings have begun for a proposal that would implement a flat fare system on the Port Authority of Allegheny County transit system.
Lots of Positive Signs for Pittsburgh in 2016
Good news for Pittsburgh, which is now officially reversing decades of Rust Belt trends.
Political Support Coalesces Around Protected Bike Lanes in Philadelphia
Bike advocates have high hopes for the leadership of newly elected Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. Among Mayor Kenney's campaign promises: to add 30 miles of protected bike lanes.
Are State Rebates Necessary for Electric Vehicle Sales?
Campaigners for the Sierra Club's electric vehicle initiative make the case that New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo needs to offer a state rebate of $2,000 to $4,000 to make EVs more attractive to car buyers now that he's phasing out coal power.
Land Trusts Holding Ground for Affordable Housing in Pittsburgh
Community land trusts are facing an uphill battle as waves of gentrification reach new neighborhoods around Pittsburgh.
Lead Poisoning in Children Common in Other Parts of the U.S.
The case of the lead contaminated waters in Flint, Michigan has renewed a national discussion of lead poisoning in children across the United States.
Philadelphia Getting Its Very Own 'Complete Streets Commissioner'
Philadelphia magazine says a staffing decision by new Mayor Jim Kenney is a big victory for urbanists and bike advocates.

Philadelphia's Old City Finally on a Roll
The comeback story for the city of Philadelphia's oldest neighborhood—Old City—displays the power of community organization and deliberate planning.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions