United States
Mapping the U.S. Mexico Border Fence
Journalists at the Center for Investigative Reporting undertook the herculean task of mapping the extent of the secretive and sometimes strange fence between the United States and Mexico.
Explained: the Ever-Increasing Transit Fare
Boston, Washington D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles—all major cities that have mulled transit fare increases in recent months. Eric Jaffe examines the numbers behind the continuous need for transit agencies to raise the price of a fare.
New Book Proposes Safety Measures for Fracking
Written by Wall Street Journal energy reporter Russell Gold, the new book offers three recommendations that should be acceptable to all parties, from fracking's strongest supporters to its most ardent opponents.
Development Fails the Public Opinion Polls
A recent article for PlannersWeb called “10 Things You Should Know About How the Public Feels About Development” provides helpful data and insight into the type of opposition encountered whenever new development projects face public scrutiny.
My Kid, the Wikipedia Entry
If you want to be profiled in Wikipedia, it is better to be born in an urban place.
Watch the U.S. Population Grow Over Time
Movoto turned U.S. population density maps into an animated gif to show how the population has expanded over time.
More on the High Cost of Infrastructure
A recent editorial in Atlantic Cities laments the regulations and policies that have, according to the author, driven up the costs of infrastructure investments in the United States.
Coming to a Billboard Near You: The 'Art Everywhere' Project
Voting for a new project called "Art Everywhere" is currently open to the public on works from five of the country’s largest and most respected museums. The vote will help decide which images get placed on some 50,000 billboards this summer.
The Numbers Behind the Country’s Decreasing Traffic Fatalities
Susannah Locke examines some of the data behind the United State’s steady decrease in auto fatalities since a peak in 1969, when 55,043 people died while driving.
Realtors Discover Demand for Walkable Places
After generations of sales focused on conventional suburbia, realtors are discovering the demand for walkable, urban places.
Advocates and Opponents Struggle Over Toll Roads
While tolling will not fill the Highway Trust Fund gap, it can finance improvements for specific interstate highways that would otherwise be funded by a sustainable trust fund, not one approaching insolvency. Why not allow states the option to toll?
State Gas Taxes and P3s Fill Federal Transportation Revenue Void
Beginning last year, states increased gas taxes and entered public-private partnerships, as are some cities. But it's not an easy haul for cities nor states, and Congress has yet to agree how to furnish sufficient revenue to match current spending.
Housing is the Key to Family-Friendly Cities
Why housing should take priority in the effort to attract families back to the city (and welcome them to stay awhile).
Developing the First Well-Being Index for Cities
Santa Monica, California is working to become the first city to develop a first well-being index for its residents. The index will help the city’s government measure and serve citizen happiness.
The Facebook for Neighborhoods
Meet Nextdoor, the social network based on proximity, inspired by the conclusion of Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone that neighborhood social networks make crime go down and test scores go up.
Record Pollution Settlement: $5.15 Billion
Surpassing the BP Gulf spill fine by $1 billion, the settlement covers multi-state environmental sites. While levied on Anadarko Petroleum, the chemical contamination was the fault of subsidiary Kerr-McGee Corp., which Anadarko purchased in 2006.
The Secret to Community Development Fund Success
Two innovative community development funds are behind big impact on affordable housing in New York and Colorado. Enterprise Community Partners spells out how they're structured, the lessons they've learned, and why it's not that scary.
Southwest Airlines Joins Project for Public Spaces to Activate Parks
Southwest Airlines joins Project for Public Spaces in an initiative to reactivate underused public spaces.
One Possibility for Activating Vacant Storefronts in Small Cities
A post on the blog for Utile, a Boston-based architecture and urban planning firm, recommends the coffee cart as a bit of DIY urbanism for cities like Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Friday Eye Candy: New York Public Library Releases Thousands of Historic Maps to the Public
“For the historic cartographile, Christmas may have come late, but here it is,” writes Daniel Stuckey.
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
