United States
BMW Unveils Design Alternatives for BART
A follow-up to last month's story, BMW Group DesignworksUSA released three interior concepts - each one more posh and modern than the last - for BART's "Fleet of the Future." No spy shots needed.
Invest in America's Infrastructure
A new report from an advocacy group called Build America's Future argues that investment in U.S. infrastructure is desperately needed to keep the country from falling behind.
Closing Coal Plants Difficult With Nation's Energy Needs
Across the heartland and the East Coast record heat waves have caused enormous electricity usage, but no blackouts have occurred. Yet there are concerns that EPA regulations that cause older coal plants to shut down could have dire consequences.
The Overdue Pedestrianization of Chicago's Streets
To be released at the end of the year, the Draft Chicago Pedestrian Plan will primarily address safety issues that street users experience for decades.
Seattle to Eliminate Downtown Ride Free Area
A recent "political compromise" forces Metro to phase out the City's highly popular free bus service that serves over 10 million riders per year.
Community Development Corporations Step In Where Business Fear to Tread
With hundreds of billions of dollars in short-term commercial real estate loans underwater, it's safe to say commercial real estate is in trouble. But can community development corporations confront the lending shortfall?
Seattle Plays a Zero-Sum Emissions Game
Aspiring to become carbon-neutral by 2050, the Emerald City commits to an ambitious plan that relies on a 10% purchase of carbon offsets.
A $1.5-Billion Forward Pass by L.A. City Council
Unanimous approval of the five-year outline to build a 72,000-seat football stadium in Downtown L.A. goes to show that the City Council is all game for a politically radioactive project.
Mica To Obama: No Compromise On Transportation Bill
The WSJ report indicates that the debate that led to the FAA ticket tax suspension was just a prelude as to what to expect on Sept. 30 when the federal gas tax expires.
Two Decades, Major Shifts
From growing minority populations to growth in the South and West, The United States has undergone major shifts in the last 20 years, according to this analysis from USA Today.
The Small Town Impact of Post Office Closures
The U.S. Postal Services is considering a plan to close more than 3,600 of its 32,000 post offices. This piece from New Urban News looks at the impact of those closures on the small towns likely to be affected.
Turning Foreclosures into Rentals
As the Federal Housing Administration looks for new ways of dealing with the nation's foreclosed homes, more voices are calling for those homes to be repurposed as rentals.
FAA Impasse Is Omen For Rural America
Four thousand FAA workers furloughed and 70,000 contractors were laid off as a result of a congressional disagreement on subsidies to rural airports and a labor provision.
Reinterpreting the City Clutter of Utility Boxes
Utility boxes are cluttering city streets all over the world. But they're not going away, and cities should start to try to find new ways to blend them into the urban fabric, according to this article from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Bringing New Life to Urban Rail Lines
Cities across the country are breathing new life into abandoned and disused inner city rail lines.
Nation's Poor Reside in Suburbs
Suburban growth has coincided with the increase in immigrant population. Yet, while immigrants account for 30 percent suburban population growth, they account for only a fifth of the increase in the poor population, a recent Brookings study showed.
U.S. Credit Downgrade, Recession Fears May Impact States, Cities
States' borrowing ability may be limited and federal deficit reductions are expected to leave municipal market in limbo, report Kathy Bergen, Kristen Mack and Monique Garcia for Chicago Tribune.
From One Crisis to the Next: Congress Must Pass a Transportation Bill for All Users
The U.S. is going from one financial crisis directly into another, as SAFETEA-LU, the omnibus transportation bill, expires next month, writes Roxanne Blackwell of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Linking American Individualism to Transportation Planning
Author Russell Shorto claims that "the willingness of Europeans to follow top-down social planning" makes public transit and bicycling more feasible in European cities than they are in the States where people don't always agree with technocrats.
No New Taxes = No Renewed Federal Gas Tax?
Matthew Yglesias writes on the upcoming expiration of the federal gas tax as the next political hurdle facing a divided Congress that has enormous infrastructure and budget deficit implications. The Republican 'no new taxes' pledge may apply.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
