Infrastructure

Mexico City, Florida

Commentary: Ensuring a Sustainable Future for Hurricane-Vulnerable Rural Communities Is Imperative

As we brace for the second half of the 2024 hurricane season, we need to take serious action to help rural communities recover and build greater resilience against hurricanes.

September 11, 2024 - John Travis Marshall

Three yellow excavators at a road construction site with elevated roadway in background.

Reconsidering Travel Behavior in an Era of Decarbonization

It is time to reconsider assumptions about how much and how people want to travel. Per capita vehicle travel has saturated. Many people would prefer to drive less and rely more on non-auto modes, provided they are convenient and affordable.

September 10, 2024 - Travel Behaviour Reconsidered in an Era of Decarbonisation

Sign above entrance of United States Department of Transportation.

USDOT Issues $1B in Road Safety Grants

The funding is aimed at helping cities plan and implement safety improvement projects to reduce road deaths and major crashes.

September 10, 2024 - Route Fifty

View from back of woman walking on well-lit small paved path at night.

How Effective Street Lighting Improves Women’s Mobility

A lack of effective lighting in streets, parks, and transit stations limits the places where many women and other vulnerable groups feel safe traveling at night.

September 10, 2024 - The Guardian

Vacant lot on hillside in East Los Angeles.

Envisioning a New Park in East Los Angeles

Los Angeles County is working towards transforming underutilized land into a vibrant pocket park in the City Terrace neighborhood of East LA.

September 9, 2024 - Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation

Pioneer Square, Seattle

Symposium Highlights the Crucial Role of Trees in Combatting Extreme Heat

Experts emphasize that planting and maintaining trees in urban areas is essential for reducing extreme heat, cooling cities, and preventing heat-related illnesses, especially as heatwaves become more frequent and severe.

September 9, 2024 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Aerial view of road construction with yellow heavy equipment parked next to two-lane asphalt road against green forest and blue sky

Study: Cost of Expanding Roads Outweighs Benefits

New research shows that the economic benefits of roadbuilding projects don’t come close to exceeding most projects’ costs.

September 8, 2024 - Bloomberg CityLab

Stormwater

Study: Outdated Stormwater Infrastructure Exacerbates Flooding

Infrastructure built to mitigate flooding a century ago no longer serves current needs.

September 6, 2024 - Tech Xplore

Aerial view of massive freeway interchange with downtown Houston skyline in background.

Houston Bus Lanes Downgraded to HOV Lanes

Metro officials say the new plan for the Iner Katy Project addresses more immediate needs by replacing dedicated bus lanes with HOV lanes.

September 5, 2024 - Houston Chronicle

Close-up on wooden section of bike and pedestrian path marked with ped symbols on one side and bike symbols on the other.

Pedestrians First: Tools for a Walkable City

A comprehensive new website provides information on why and how to improve community walkability and offers practical tools for evaluating walking conditions.

September 5, 2024 - Pedestrians First: Tools for a Walkable City

Austin Pedestrians

Austin Completes First Round of Vision Zero Projects

Small, localized interventions such as changes to signal timing and crosswalk improvements are saving lives and improving traffic safety.

September 4, 2024 - KXAN

Wide shot of group of people with bikes standing in plaza near U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Biking Outpaces Transit Use in DC

D.C. residents and visitors take as many as 30 million trips on bikes or shared mobility, yet bike lanes cover just one quarter of one percent of the District’s streets.

September 4, 2024 - Greater Greater Washington

Close-up of white traffic enforcement camera mounted on concrete pole against blue sky.

Philly Speed Camera Program Cuts Fatalities in Half

Excessive speeding along dangerous segments of Roosevelt Boulevard dropped by 90 percent after the city installed automated enforcement cameras.

September 4, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Aerial view of Rancho Palos Verdes coastal community with large homes on coastal bluffs on Pacific Ocean.

Southern California Utilities Cut Power, Gas to Hundreds of Households on Shifting Coastal Land

Slow but significant land movement is damaging infrastructure, prompting power shutoffs and calls for evacuation in Rancho Palos Verdes.

September 3, 2024 - Daily Breeze

Native demonstrators hold a red banner reading "Bring the salmon home - Remove the Klamath Dams."

Last Dam in Klamath River Removal Project Comes Down

Salmon can now move freely along the river and its tributaries for the first time in over a century.

September 3, 2024 - CNN

Texas Central

Texas High-Speed Rail Awarded $63.9M Federal Grant

In August, Amtrak received a $63.9 million grant from the FRA to continue its work to identify a high-speed rail corridor between Dallas and Houston.

September 3, 2024 - Texas Rail Advocates

Sunset or sunrise view of coastal wetlands in Louisiana

FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant to Fund Marsh Restoration

The grant to fund a marsh restoration project in coastal Louisiana is the first of its kind under FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance program, which is typically used to elevate, acquire, or relocate homes or floodproof businesses.

September 3, 2024 - Insurance Newsnet

Aerial view of an eight-lane highway tunnel with the harbor in the background.

Army Corps Recommends $77M Floodwall to Protect Baltimore Tunnels

In the face of growing flooding risk and increased traffic following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, federal and state officials say protecting two of Baltimore's major transportation corridors from flooding is vital.

September 3, 2024 - The Baltimore Banner

Midwest Flooding

FEMA Extends Deadline for Hazard Mitigation Grant Applications

Tight applications prevented many communities struck by disasters from applying for FEMA resilience grants, so the agency issued a new rule that extended the application window.

September 2, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Row of white electric vehicle chargers in an outdoor parking lot.

California Secures $150 Million for Expanding Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

The Golden State has received almost $150 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build over 9,200 EV charging ports, bolstering the state’s efforts to expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

August 30, 2024 - Los Angeles 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.