United States
New Report Charts the Growth of Civic Tech
A new report and interactive website from the Knight Foundation attempt to define (broadly) and measure the growing synthesis of technology and civic life.
The Top Protected Bike Lanes of 2013
I know, it's a bit early in the "Best of" season to get this specialized, but gosh darnit if these protected bike lanes aren't the cutest things. Chicago, Indianapolis, Austin, and the other winners: You've got a lot to celebrate.
Putting a Value on Creative Capital
A new report from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) estimates the impact that all those actors, writers, and artists have on the national economy.
Republican Rift Plays Out Over Carbon Pricing
Embracing the inevitability of some sort of carbon pricing scheme being adopted by the U.S. Government, many of the nation's biggest corporations are incorporating such costs into their financial planning. One major player isn't giving up the fight.
Walking to School on the Rise Across America
A new report from the National Center for Safe Routes to School finds that the percentage of students walking to and from school "increased significantly" between 2007 and 2012.
Strike Two for Calif. High Speed Rail: Setback by Surface Transportation Board
After suffering a major setback from a court decision that prevents the authority from selling $10 billion in voter-approved bonds, a key federal agency has ruled that the authority must comply with environmental regulations before laying tracks.
EPA has Underestimated Methane Emissions, Study Says
The EPA has seriously underestimated the emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas, methane, particularly from oil and gas activity (five times) and from cattle and livestock operations (two times), according to a new report published in the PNAS.
Obama Takes on Inequality
In a major economic speech delivered yesterday, President Obama called America's growing inequality and lack of upward mobility “the defining challenge of our time”. Though he may have diagnosed the disease, did he prescribe an effective cure?
"Can I Have a Road Usage Fee with that 15-cent Gas Tax Increase, Please?"
Don't ever accuse Rep. Earl Blumenauer of not thinking big. Accompanying his gas tax increase bill, he has proposed a bill to study ways to charge drivers by the miles they drive. One takes care of the funding problem now, the other in the future.
Would Advanced Technology Have Prevented the Metro-North Derailment?
As federal investigators focus on the likelihood of human error being the cause of the Dec. 1 derailment that killed four passengers, attention has been placed on the federal requirement for all railroads to install positive train control systems.
Car Commuting Rates Decline in 99% of America's Large Metros
A new report by U.S. PIRG and the Frontier Group gives further credence to, and provides a more complete picture of, America's driving decline.
The Startup City You Probably Haven't Heard About
There are some cities that give you everything you need and others that make you work for it. This article profiles efforts to build a startup community in Tallahassee through the eyes of the city's growing network of entrepreneurs.
Blumenauer to Propose Deficit Commission's Gas Tax Increase
If it was good enough for Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, the Republican and Democrat authors of President Obama's deficit commission bearing their names, the phased, 15-cent fuel tax increase should be adopted, says Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.).
Will Backlash Block Technologies Meant to Increase Road Safety?
Self-driving cars may still be several years away, but federal officials are already looking to restrict the ability of drivers to operate their cars to improve road safety. They're pushing for the adoption of new technologies to reduce human error.
Correlating Driving Misbehavior with Crime
Is there a correlation between running red lights and more violent crime like robberies and homicide? Gabe Klein, Chicago's distinguished outgoing transportation commissioner, thinks so. It's been dubbed "the broken windows effect."
Big City School Systems Team Up for Eco-Friendly Food
An innovative alliance of urban school districts is working to lower the cost of eco-friendly supplies and source more sustainable food. Their efforts could provide a template for other schools and large institutions.
Exposing Black Friday's Parking Perversion
Parking lots across the U.S. are designed to accommodate the crowds of cars participating in the busiest shopping day of the year. By asking his readers to capture images of underutilized lots last Friday, Chuck Marohn set out to expose the fallacy.
HOT Revenue Generators?
States are increasingly looking to high occupancy toll lanes as a means of revenue generation as well as congestion management, as they deal with the shortfall in transportation revenue from federal and state governments. Ga. may provide a good test.
"Distress 'Burbs" are the Hot Political Battlegrounds of Today
Forget swing states, Richard Florida says, suburbs are today’s political battlegrounds.
Looking for Your Ideal Community? Try This New Census App
Dwellr is a new app from the Census Bureau that matches the top 25 U.S. cities and towns to your lifestyle preferences. And unlike other recent federal technology rollouts, this one seems to work pretty well.
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
