United States

Want More Bike Lanes? Would You Pay a Bike Tax?

Blogger Chewie suggests a controversial idea - a tax on bicycle sales and repair to go to creating more bicycle infrastructure.

August 22, 2011 - Straight Outta Suburbia

$417 Million To Fund Highway Projects

Last week, the Federal Highway Administration awarded discretionary highway grants in what could be among the last expenditures before the Sept. 30 expiration of the gas tax. Included were $8m for Value Pricing Pilot Program projects in 5 states.

August 22, 2011 - FHWA Press Release

Brookings Compares 'Zero-Vehicle Households' To Those With Vehicles

Not to be confused with zero-emission-vehicles, the Brookings Institution looks primarily at the demographics and access to jobs of what they define as zero-vehicle households. Access to vehicles reveals equity (income) and urban vs. suburban issues.

August 21, 2011 - The Brookings Institution

Learning to Love the Megabus

Private bus companies are gaining in popularity, but Aaron Renn says that a large segment of the "urbanist/sustainability community" despise them for no good reason.

August 21, 2011 - The Urbanophile

Publicly-Funded Stadiums Bad Deal for Cities

Sports teams often coerce cities into contributing public funds toward the building of new stadiums. Numerous reports indicate that it's a bad deal for cities with little to no positive economic impact, writes Neal DeMause.

August 21, 2011 - The Nation

Richard Florida Picks Hot Urban Neighborhoods

In USA Today, Florida picks 10 neighborhoods that give a "slice of local urban life," ranging from Miami's Wynwood and Design District to Fort Worth, Texas' West 7th community.

August 20, 2011 - USA Today

Expanding the Panama Canal On Time and Under Budget

Completed in 1914, the project was the most ambitious undertaking by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in its time. Today, the $5.25 billion upgrade is in the works.

August 19, 2011 - The New York Times

NYC Jumps on the Gravy (or, uh, Tomato) Train

Mayor Michael Bloomberg ramps up efforts to support NYC's growing urban food cluster via set up new legislation, signed yesterday.

August 19, 2011 - Initiative for a Competitive Inner City

The Trouble with Designing for Transit Preference

Suburban areas don't necessarily equate with car-dependence, according to some New Urbanist plans for far-out areas. But convincing residents to opt for transit can be a challenge.

August 19, 2011 - Scientific American

Behind the Decline in Driving

Driving is down in the U.S. and countries all over the world, according to a variety of studies. This piece from New Scientist looks into why the road is less traveled.

August 18, 2011 - New Scientist

Crime Dropping in Urban Areas

Crime in urban areas is on the decline. Some attribute the drop to increases in the amount of people returning to city centers.

August 17, 2011 - Governing

South Carolina's DOT Funding Predicament

The S.C. Dept. of Transportation is so broke that it won't be able to pay its contractors after meeting its payroll. It is depending on a payment from the FHWA and requesting additional reimbursements while rejecting federal funds for education.

August 17, 2011 - The (Charleston) Post and Courier

Court Sides with Sadik-Khan: Bike Lane Stays

The ruling by Judge Bert A. Bunyan of the State Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Tuesday added steam to the NYC transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan's campaign for pedestrian-oriented, cyclist-friendly streets.

August 17, 2011 - The New York Times

Florida Found Most Dangerous Place for Pedestrians

Four Florida metropolitan areas recently ranked as the most dangerous places for pedestrians, according to a survey by Transportation America.

August 16, 2011 - New York Times

Psst - Wanna Buy A Parking Spot?

A new app puts parking spots on the open market, as drivers sell access to the spots they are vacating.

August 16, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

Poverty Aid Misfocused

As aid programs continue to focus on battling poverty in cities, suburban areas are becoming the new front lines.

August 16, 2011 - The Brookings Institution

Best Small Towns in the USA

A week after the Ames straw poll in Iowa brought all the hype to America's heartland, Money magazine announces its annual ranking of the nation's best small cities. The Midwest dominates the Top 100 list, with the Northeast coming in second.

August 15, 2011 - Money

Free Interstate Lanes Must Remain Free, States John Mica

House Transportation And Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica, R-Fl, in this opinion in the Orlando Sentinel, states his position on tolling the nation's interstate highways. He supports tolling only if applied to newly constructed lanes.

August 15, 2011 - Orlando Sentinel - Opinion

Deindustrialization and Vulnerability

An overdependence on offshore suppliers has left the American economy extremely vulnerable to disaster, writes political activist Matt Stoller.

August 15, 2011 - AlterNet

Multi-Million Dollar Student Housing in Manhattan

It is not uncommon for wealthy Chinese to spend seven figures - in cash - on real estate "as housing for children studying in New York."

August 15, 2011 - The New York Times

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.