United States
Cell Phones Fail the Eyeball Test for Public Safety
Citing anecdotal evidence from Montgomery County, the Governors Highway Safety Association, and China, a Washington Post article argues that cell phones are creating public safety concerns.
On the Importance of Maintaining Trans-Hudson Rail Capacity
Amtrak's Gateway project is not only key to maintaining and increasing commuter and intercity rail capacity between the Empire and Garden States, but also to ensuring that the $1 billion investment in the new Moynihan Station makes sense.
13 Small Ideas with Big Potential for Cities
Making no little plans is all well and good, but sometimes it is the smallest ideas that can have the biggest impacts for cities and neighborhoods.
American Community Survey: Recovery Hasn't Improved Poverty
According to the freshly released 2013 ACS by the United States Census Bureau, there have been modest, but insignificant, gains toward alleviating poverty within many urban areas.
Transit Survey Answers the Who and Why of American Transit Use
A new survey from TransitCenter surveyed 11,846 Americans on their transit use, living environment, upbringing, and personal characteristics.
Examining the 'Vehicular Cycling' vs. 'Segregated Cycling' Debate
Joseph Stromberg provides an explainer post detailing both sides, and the common ground, of the "vehicular cycling" versus "segregated cycling" debate.
Home Construction: Too Much Too Soon
Analyzing newly released data from the American Community Survey, Jed Kolko finds reason to believe that construction of singly-family housing is outpacing demand.
Quantifying the Economic and Employment Impacts of Water
The Brookings Institution takes a closer look at the economic and employment impacts that water has on the United States.
Friday Fun: 'Walkblock' and a New Urban Lexicon
Writing for Greater Greater Washington, Matt Johnson has compiled a list of neologisms to describe the unique encounters of contemporary city living.
5 Mid-Sized Cities Rethinking the Urban Waterfront
Nick Addamo discusses and outlines the plans of five small and mid-sized cities that are re-evaluating their waterfront and developing them to be more people-focused.
Real Estate Boom and Bust Hit Minorities the Hardest
A new visualization tool by the Urban Institute provides a vivid portrait of an unfortunate truth: the foreclosure crisis and other effects of the Great Recession real estate market were worse for minority groups.
Top 10 Websites - 2014
Our annual list of the ten best planning, design, and development websites represents only some of the top online resources for news, information and research on the built environment.
Survey: Most Americans Support Increased Spending on Public Transportation
A new survey finds growing public support for increased federal spending on public transportation, even if that means increased taxes.
110-mph Talgo Trains Headed to Michigan [Corrected]
If the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) approves the order, two Wisconsin-manufactured Talgo train sets will reduce travel times from Detroit to Chicago by as much as two hours while significantly increasing on-time performance.
Progress Rises from the Bikelash
Bikelash: some cities dish it out more than others and some bike advocates deal with it better than others. But could it be a sign that the pro-bike agenda is advancing?
Planners, Architects Launch 'Cards Against Urbanity'
The only thing surprising about Cards Against Urbanity, a cities- and city-planner-focused parody of Cards Against Humanity, is that nobody thought of it sooner.
The Cost of 'Cool'
Thomas Rogers writes of the "Life and Death of a 'Cool' City," using the example of Berlin and the many "new Berlins" that have endeavored to follow its lead as the next big thing in Europe.
Proposing a New Model for Regional Stratification: 'The New Donut'
Aaron Renn presents a new model for conceptualizing the health of the many layers of communities that make up metropolitan regions, namely the "new donut."
When Designers Should Just Say No
The accouterments of modern life are heavily designed, replete with ostensible utility. But here's a radical suggestion: "Perhaps we’re solving the wrong problems — or inventing problems that don’t exist — as justification for our excessive output."
Hybrid Vehicle Sales Take a Dive
A new study revealed that more car buyers are choosing plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) while fewer are choosing traditional hybrid vehicles. Both types are considered to be electric vehicles, and hybrid sales far outnumber PEV sales.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
