United States
'The Road Taken' Uncovers the Civil Engineer's Hand in Building America's Roads
Nathan Masters reviews the new book by historian Henry Petroski, "The Road Taken," a historical look at America's roads and the civil engineers who built them.
An App Made for Urban Explorers
The Likeways app offers a "Space Recommender System" that aims to return serendipity to the process of navigating a city.
Op-Ed: Affordability Crisis Dwarfs Affordability Policies
Although the political optics are hard to see, Daniel Hertz argues that policies like inclusionary zoning need to be strengthened by orders of magnitude to have more than a token impact on housing affordability.
America's Infrastructural Reckoning
Through the lens of Henry Petroski's new book, Tom Vanderbilt discusses why infrastructure, as we have come to define it, is such a fraught topic in American life.
A Map of the Most Economically Distressed Communities in the United States
The economic recovery of recent years has not reached all corners of the country—it hasn’t even reached all corners of many cities. A new report plots a new map of the nation's distressed communities.
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.
The Not-So-Great Lessons of SimCity
A game encountered as a youth has brought many adults to the ranks of professional planning. What, then, is the legacy of the lessons offered by SimCity and its brethren?
Making the Case for Mixed-Use, Walkable Development: #BuildHereNow
A new social media-fueled engagement effort is shedding light on the policies that make it hard to build walkable, mixed-use infill in communities around the country.
The United States of Startup Accelerators
The Brookings Institution mapped the proliferation of startup accelerators—an increasingly popular tool for economic growth.
Ten States Could Hike Gas Taxes this Year
With gas prices the lowest since 2009, ten state legislatures and governors consider raising state gas taxes, though many are accompanied by fiscally questionable tax shifts. Some tried and failed last year. All of the proposed increases are modest.
A Failing Anchor Sinks All Mall Businesses
The big anchor businesses of malls are bleeding business and closing stores, dragging the rest of the mall business down with them.
'Peak Millennial' Has Passed: What Comes Next for Cities and Suburbs?
The largest cohort of Millennials (those born in 1990) recently turned 25, leaving only smaller waves of their generational peers to follow. Are economic and generational trends primed for another, suburban shift?
9 Ways to Ruin a Community Meeting
An article in CityLab says organizers and facilitators should avoid a few simple mistakes to help improve community meetings.
Study: Location Matters for Farmers' Markets
Research conducted in Flint, Michigan, found that changing the location of the local farmers' market had a dramatic effect in how residents shopped.
Has Planning Become Too Rational?
A recent study describes the evolution of planning has become far too sensitive to government thinking (i.e., fiscal conservatism and economic logic) instead of the emotional processes of citizens.
National Safety Council Reports Huge Jump in 2015 Traffic Fatalities
According to preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council, 38,300 people were killed on U.S. roads in 2015, an 8 percent jump from 2014. In fact, the annual increase is the most in half a century. Note that the figure differs from NHTSA's.
The Continuing Story of the High Costs of Free Parking
A new study has found that despite higher monetary incentives, most commuters won't ditch their cars as long as their parking remains free.
The Lost Art of Great Infrastructure in America
Writing in the New York Times, Allison Arieff asks what happened to the great works of public infrastructure from years past that stand as today's monuments to America’s achievements.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Hoverboards Unsafe Until Regulated
The federal government will implement safety protocols for the popular new personal mobility device known as hoverboards. Hoverboards are deemed officially unsafe until the industry complies with the new regulations.
Auto Repairs From Potholes Got You Down? You Are Not Alone
A new report from the AAA indicates that American motorists encounter damage from potholes three times a year, with each incident costing an average $300 to repair. Middle and working class drivers feel the pinch disproportionately.
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.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
