United States
Is American Ingenuity Dead When it Comes to Transportation?
Chikodi Chima looks at the innovative ideas coming out of China like the famous road-straddling bus announced earlier this month, and asks, has America lost it's edge?
High Speed Rail Gradually Develops, But Critics Remain Vocal
As high speed rail projects begin to take shape across America, commuters are anticipating eased travel but skeptics remain critical.
Creating Smart Cities and Replicating Silicon Valley
Google CEO Eric Schmidt discusses what makes a city smart and successful in this interview with Foreign Policy.
High Density and High Concentrations of Cars
Looking at Census data for urbanized areas and auto ownership, Randal O'Toole argues that denser areas have high rates of auto ownership per square mile, a correlation that is likely to increase congestion.
Sprawl and the Free Market
This piece from The Freeman looks at the debate over sprawl and whether free market economics encourage it or offer a solution.
Why Transit Agencies Should Open Their Data
Streetfilms offers this video about how opening up transit agency data can greatly improve urban public transit systems for riders at little or no cost to the agencies.
Kelo Redux: Struggling Malls
The eminent domain case of Kelo vs. New London is seeing new relevance in cities across the country, as empty malls are being classified by locals as blight.
Spain the Model Train Citizen
As the U.S. eases itself into a national system of high speed trains, other nations seem to be decades ahead, especially Spain.
Scoring Your Transitability
A new online tool shows people how accessible their homes, neighborhoods, and businesses are to public transit.
Green Building, Black Lung?
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED building rating system has helped grow the ranks of green buildings, but some say it ignores the human health impact of those buildings.
Slow Pace for Infrastructure Stimulus Funds
The White House has distributed less than a third of the nearly $230 billion set aside for big infrastructure projects, prompting criticism from Republicans.
Reinventing Government in the Wiki Age
Beth Novick, author of Wiki Government, says that today's technology invites us to "rethink not only our democratic institutions, but our democratic theory."
What Cities Can Do to Encourage Electric Cars
Maury Blackman of Accela writes that local governments will have a significant effect on whether electric cars take off or not, because they will be approving and building the necessary infrastructure.
Friday Funny: Environmental Disaster Looms as Tanker Docks Safely
The satirical newspaper The Onion reports on how the safe transfer of millions of barrels of oil into the energy infrastructure of the United States will result in environmental calamity.
Bring Cars In, Or Keep Cars Out?
In some cases, argues Yonah Freemark, it makes more sense to bring cars into your downtown than to keep them out. Freemark visits Raleigh, North Carolina, where the city opened its pedestrian-only downtown to cars with some success.
Beyond the Priesthood
In 1995, author and planning authority Peter Katz wrote an article scolding planners for being "planners who talk" rather than "planners who draw". The original article generated much controversy, and appears here with a postscript added by Katz that reveals a glimmer of hope for the planning profession in the U.S.
Connecting Coders and Cities
Urban Omnibus talks with Jennifer Pahlka of Code for America, a group looking to get the youth involved in developing computer programs and applications that help improve urban areas.
'Density Lobby' Helps Rail Kill Bus
Investments in rail systems in cities across America are pulling crucial funding away from better-used bus systems, according to this column from Joel Kotkin. He blames the "density lobby".
The BP Cleanup and Environmental Justice
In the aftermath of the BP Gulf cleanup, tons of toxic oil waste are being sent to municipal landfills near communities with majority low-income and people of color populations.
Preserving Rurality
Rural areas across America are trying to figure out how they can improve their economies but still maintain their rural qualities.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
