Virginia

Hurricane Ike Damage

Insurance Industry Reacting as Flooding Moves From Risk to Certainty

Federal legislation and rising sea levels are changing the way homes are insured against flooding. According to this feature article, in fact, flood insurance "is serving as a kind of advance scout into a more difficult future."

April 18, 2017 - The New York Times Magazine

Working to Ease Gentrification Around D.C.'s Ambitious 11th Street Bridge Project

From the beginning of the proposal for the new 11th Street Bridge between Anacostia and Capitol Hill, planners and designers have promised to prevent the displacement of residents living nearby the new amenities offered by the bridge and its park.

April 12, 2017 - Washingtonian

The Villages Florida

How About Walkable 'Small Town-ism?'

With the high cost of land and housing in most major cities, why don't we just make the hundreds of "walkable" small towns in the United States more desirable places to live for average earners?

April 4, 2017 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

D.C. Metro

D.C. Metro Approves Fare Hike, Service Cuts

For months, transit advocates have dreaded the decision to raise fares and cut service throughout the D.C. Metro system. That day arrived last week. Changes take effect on July 1.

March 27, 2017 - The Washington Post

Water

Trump Budget's Devastating Effect on the EPA and Two of America's Greatest Water Resources

President Trump's budget for 2018 has the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency take the steepest hit—31 percent. Funding for two vital programs, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Chesapeake Bay Program, will have their funds eliminated.

March 20, 2017 - E&E News [Subscription]

Freeway

More States Cracking Down on Slow Drivers in the Passing Lane

Some people just can't help but help themselves to the fast lane.

March 17, 2017 - PBS

Empty Subway

Transit Agencies Struggling to Predict Ridership, Even as They Raise Fares

At transit agencies like D.C, Metro, bad ridership projections beget bad fare scheduling which begets bad budgets. And so on.

March 13, 2017 - WAMU

Caltrain

Trump's California Double Play: Potential Fatal Blow to Commuter and High-Speed Rail

In one of her first major decisions, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao deferred a decision on a critical $647 million federal grant to electrify the 51-mile San Francisco to San Jose Caltrain line, which would also be used by high-speed rail.

February 21, 2017 - SF Gate

Setback for Georgetown-Rosslyn Gondola Project

Funding for a feasibility study is always one thing. Funding for a project is always something else.

February 14, 2017 - The Washington Post

Legislation to Toll Indiana Interstates and Hike Gas Tax Introduced

Tolls on interstate highways are being pushed in Indiana as a means to increase road funding, no easy task even if a waiver is given. The bill would also increase the gas tax and charge electric vehicle owners a fee for road maintenance.

February 6, 2017 - Governing

Masjid Omar ibn Al-Khattab Mosque

Islamophobia Taking Over Planning Processes

A columnist attributes the success of President-elect Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric with a rise in potentially illegal land use decisions around the state of Virginia.

January 9, 2017 - The Washington Post

Whitetail Buck

Legal Bow Hunting in a Suburban County

Large swaths of Fairfax County, Virginia allow bow hunting of deer in park spaces very close to where people live. One writer wonders if the benefits of "urban archery" are worth the risks.

December 28, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

Amtrak Train

Virginia Planning for High-Speed Rail Between Richmond and D.C.

The pieces of the still-speculative Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor—connecting Atlanta to Washington, D.C.—are starting to take shape. The latest leg to come into focus would connect Richmond to D.C.

December 21, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

fisheye photo of DC subway in station

D.C. Metro Will End Late-Night Rail Service for Two Years

A tough decision that has been on the table since the summer has now been made official by the WMATA's board of directors.

December 16, 2016 - The Washington Post

Tide Light Rail

This Light Rail Line Lowers Nearby Home Prices

Not every transit project has a positive effect on adjacent property values. A study finds that people do not, in fact, want to live next to Norfolk, Virginia's Tide light rail.

December 16, 2016 - Next City

Virginia Capital Trail Map

One Year After Opening, Virginia Capital Trail a Bike Infrastructure Success Story

The Virginia Capital Trail is transforming the state's middle peninsula, according to Mobility Lab.

December 14, 2016 - Mobility Lab

D.C. Metro

D.C. Metro and Uber Partnership Seeks a Win-Win

Uber and D.C. Metro are partnering in new ways as the transit agency deals with fallout from its SafeTrack repair program.

December 11, 2016 - WAMU

Transit Fail

WMATA's SafeTrack: Behind Schedule and Over Budget

The SafeTrack repair program has shut down Metrorail lines for much of 2016—and the price for the repairs to the system keep going up.

November 21, 2016 - The Washington Post

Bend, Oregon

Two Towns, One Brewery: What Roanoke Can Learn From Bend, Oregon

The opening of the Bend, Oregon-based Deschutes Brewery in Roanoke, Virginia is bringing a new realm of possibilities for future development in the former railroad town, as it looks to go from "trains to brains."

November 17, 2016 - WSLS

WMATA Stepping Up Efforts to End Sexual Assaults on Transit Lines

The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) recently launched a new campaign to combat sexual harassment and assault—especially toward some of the most marginalized members of the community.

November 16, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

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.

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.