United States
Friday Eye Candy: Historic Visualization Tracks U.S. Growth from 1790 to 1890
The visualization has something for everyone: a colorful visualization of population trends for the data geeks, a vintage look and feel for the hipsters, and the competitive aspect of comparing cities to each other for everyone else.
A Bad Year for State Transportation Funding
Compared to 2013, few states are increasing transportation spending through tax increases. Only New Hampshire and Rhode Island saw limited gas tax increases, though both were accompanied by road or bridge toll eliminations. Missouri could be next.
Biking as a Late 19th Century 'Emblem of Women's Rights'
Writing for The Atlantic, Adrienne LaFrance details how the bicycle paved the way for many liberating political advancement for women.
A PATH to Nowhere?
After it's first hearing, the PATH Act is not looking very promising to keep federal transportation reimbursements flowing to state DOTs late next month when the Highway Trust Fund is expected to approach insolvency. The one user fee was dropped.
Harley-Davidson Goes Electric
The green, quieter model runs on lithium batteries and gets 100 miles per charge. The Milwaukee company hopes it will appeal to a younger, urban, environmentally-conscious demographic as it's main market has been "aging white male baby boomers."
World Bank Study Finds Large-Scale Benefits for 'Climate-Smart Development'
A new study by the World Bank examines the benefits for policies addressing clean transportation, energy efficiency in industry, and energy efficiency in buildings in five countries and the European Union.
Your IRA Account May 'Patch' the Highway Trust Fund
A $9 billion patch bill was drafted by Sen. Finance Comm. Chair Ron Wyden to continue transportation spending to Dec. 31. Most of the funds come from a change in how Individual Retirement Accounts are administered and a heavy truck use tax increase.
Salt Lake Light Rail System Reduces Vehicle Traffic On Parallel Roadways
A new study finds that Salt Lake City's TRAX light-rail system significantly reduces traffic on parallel roadways. It estimates that a LRT line reduces daily from 44,000 (if it did not exist) to 22,300 (what actually occurs) on one arterial.
Examining Commercial and Mixed Use Development Trends in the Rocky Mountain West
Market trends have changed in recent years, but how exactly are they changing? A newly published report examines the commercial and mixed use market landscape in the rocky mountain west, and suggests how to properly capitalize on evolving trends.
FHWA Releases Findings for 'Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program'
If you build integrated walking and bicycling networks into a community’s transportation system, will people use it? That’s what Congress wanted to know nearly a decade ago when it established the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program.
President Obama OKs Initial Crude Oil Export
An energy policy developed during the 1983 Arab oil embargo is loosening thanks to an order by the Commerce Department, though not as much as oil companies would like. Will gas prices rise? No, they will fall, argues energy expert Daniel Yergin.
National Trust Releases its 27th Annual List of America's Most Endangered Historic Places
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has revealed its annual list of the most endangered places in the country. See anything you might miss when it's gone and can never come back?
What Can a 'Science of Cities' Offer Planners?
Research across a range of fields is beginning to offer useful new guidance for planning policy and practice—and pointing the way to more effective "bottom-up" strategies.
'Consider the Traffic Light'
Dan Saffer asks us to consider the traffic light—and there's plenty to think about.
The Case Against Clogging the Left Lane
June is "Lane Courtesy Month," and Vox used the occasion to describe the sometimes counter-intuitive reasons why drivers should refrain from driving in the left lane except when passing.
Why Would Anyone Want a Smart Home?
A tech columnist reviews the current state of smart home technology and finds that improvements will be necessary before widespread adoption can be expected.
On the Endangered Value of Taxi Medallions
Emily Badger focuses on the signifier at the middle of the ongoing battle between taxi companies and transportation network companies like Uber, Lfyt, and Sidecar—the taxi medallion.
Re-Evaluating the Dynamic Duo: Olmsted and Moses
Anthony Flint examines the commonalities—and disparities—in the historic legacies of Frederick Law Olmsted and Robert Moses.
Breaking News: Supreme Court Strikes Down Part of Obama Climate Initiative
In a 5-4 decision on June 23, the Supreme Court ruled that EPA erred in the permitting processes for new carbon-cutting rules. However, most of the Clean Power Plant rule that reduces emissions 30 percent will not be affected.
Our Elders are Leading the Bike Boom
While biking might be seen as a young person's cause, new data from the National Household Travel Survey show that American's aged 60-79 are responsible for a huge chunk of new riders.
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
