United States

Last week the Obama administration announced that approvals for seven critical infrastructure projects at five ports along the eastern seaboard will be expedited as part of their We Can't Wait initiative.

July 26, 2012 - Examiner

Winnie Hu reports on how the reopening of the 65th Street Rail Yard in Brooklyn last week is part of a wider, regional rail expansion effort that aims to revive the moribund industry in order to boost economic and environmental benefits.

July 25, 2012 - The New York Times

Even though crime has gone down in the U.S., parents are less likely to let their children walk alone, even to school. Will Doig discusses the argument that "free-roaming" children are a benefit to themselves and the larger community.

July 25, 2012 - Salon

To find Oregon's first energy-neutral building, you'll have to venture 45 minutes outside progressive Portland to the Willamette Valley town of Newberg. There you'll find a first step in an effort to change our physical and cultural environments.

July 24, 2012 - Fast Company

As shifting demographics and the Great Recession increase the functional demands on the typical suburban single-family home, outdated zoning laws are preventing the economical use of underused space, writes S. Mitra Kalita.

July 24, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

With many of America's largest metros experiencing robust growth, Michael Sauter, Alexander Hess and Elisabeth Uible of 24/7 Wall St. have compiled a list of the fastest growing cities in the country.

July 24, 2012 - NBC News

A recently released Amtrak plan doesn't envision high-speed rail servicing the Northeast Corridor until 2040. Paul Nussbaum looks at whether an incremental approach might bring increased speed and amenities to passengers sooner.

July 23, 2012 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

In light of last week's incomprehensible tragedy in Colorado, Richard Florida prefaces the inevitable rekindling of the country's debate on gun rights by mapping gun violence at the state level and exploring its correlating factors.

July 23, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Gone are the days of drab cinderblock housing for America's military families. Taking advantage of an initiative passed by Congress in 1996, today's privatized military housing developments are larger and packed with modern amenities.

July 22, 2012 - The New York Times

As Congress presses to eliminate funding for many of the federal government's sustainable planning initiatives, increased collaboration among agencies around smart growth policies may be irreversible.

July 22, 2012 - Streetsblog

Diverse suburban neighborhoods now outnumber their central city counterparts two to one. How will increasing (or decreasing) diversity change America's suburban stereotype?

July 21, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

New analysis from the Urban Institute and researchers at the U.S. Census Bureau shows that, despite the housing bust and economic recession, exurban growth in recent years has been significantly higher than in more densely populated areas.

July 20, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

As the U.S. experiences its worst drought in over half a century, Kaid Benfield questions the connection with the country's suburban growth patterns over that same period.

July 20, 2012 - Switchboard

Urbanists got excited when new population data from the U.S. Census Bureau suggested bigger growth in cities compared to their suburbs. Eric Jaffe interviews Columbia professor David King on why this isn't necessarily true.

July 19, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

When the railroad was the primary means of interstate travel, America's cities relied on their train stations to provide grand first impressions to travelers. As transit ridership soars, a bevy of new stations are being designed as civic centerpieces

July 18, 2012 - Salon

Kaid Benfield directs our attention to "a terrific, poster-sized graphic highlighting the benefits of public transportation" that was created by an unlikely source - a credit card comparison website.

July 18, 2012 - Switchboard

Representing the Global Cities Initiative, Richard M. Daley and Bruce Katz report on the current status of Miami's economy and offer tips they deem necessary to boost the regional economy into true "global" status.

July 18, 2012 - The Miami Herald

John Hoeffel reports on the unwavering efforts of bee enthusiasts to legalize beekeeping in residential areas of Los Angeles.

July 17, 2012 - The Los Angeles Times

In a 2-part series, NPR reports on the rapid downfall of coal as an energy source and its replacement by natural gas - each now produces about one-third of America's electricity. Fracking is key to increased NG supplies - but it carries its own risks

July 17, 2012 - National Public Radio

As America's beloved shopping mall enters its "golden years", Emily Badger considers the astounding anti-suburban ethos of its inventor, and what the future has in store for this "over the hill" retail development model.

July 17, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities