Infrastructure

Pyongyang, North Korea Makes Room for Bike Lanes

It's easier to install bike lanes when the country is run by a dictator.

July 23, 2015 - Fast Co.Exist

Democrats Object to 'Bipartisan' Senate Transportation Reauthorization Bill

We look at what happened in the Senate on Tuesday when the six-year DRIVE Act, relying on a variety of non-user fee revenue mechanisms to finance the Highway Trust Fund shortfall for three years, failed a procedural vote, and where it goes next.

July 23, 2015 - The Washington Post

The Implications of Southeast Wisconsin's $7 Billion in Freeway Projects

Some people call it a road-building program. Others call it "an all out war on urbanism."

July 22, 2015 - Politico

Michigan House Stops Short of Gas Tax Hike Plan

The legislature came very close to approving a plan this session to pay for crumbling roads, but the haul in the Republican-controlled House proved too difficult—they adjourned without voting on the Senate plan that passed 20-19 on July 1.

July 22, 2015 - Detroit Free Press

Frisco, Texas Struggles to Coordinate Water, Electricity, and Road Upgrades

An age-old of question of infrastructure is up for debate in Frisco, Texas: whether the utility can bear the cost of running electricity lines under the ground.

July 21, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

House and Senate Republicans Differ on Must-Pass Transportation Funding Bills

The House passed their patch bill on July 15—it's now the Senate's turn at bat on highway funding. Both houses are controlled by Republicans but they appear to be pitching for different teams. A bill must pass by July 31 or road funding ceases.

July 20, 2015 - New York Times

SF Cable Cars

New Streetcar Line Set to Open August 1 in City by the Bay

As Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez of the San Francisco Examiner explains, the 'E' Line has only been over three decades in the making. Credit goes greatly to former mayor, now U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein, and the tireless work of committed advocates.

July 19, 2015 - San Francisco Examiner

Proposed Developments Could Eliminate Oklahoma City's New Dedicated Bike Lane

A traffic study evaluating the impact of proposed developments in Downtown Oklahoma City recommends removing a newly opened dedicated bike lane and parking spots to make room for another traffic lane.

July 18, 2015 - The Oklahoman

5 Resilience Plans for the 21st Century

Resilience is one of the hottest buzzwords in contemporary planning, and planners in communities around the country are only beginning to realize the multiple benefits of the attention and funding devoted to resilience plans.

July 18, 2015 - APA Policy News

Ranking All 50 of Washington, D.C.'s State Avenues

Route Fifty created a ranking system to judge the "gravitas" of each of the avenues in the nation's capital named after the 50 states in the Union.

July 18, 2015 - Route Fifty

Seattle's Alleys Getting a Face-Lift

Since 2010, planners, designers, and community members have been actively transforming Seattle's alleys into beloved places within the city's urban fabric.

July 17, 2015 - The Seattle Times

Wind Turbines Likely Banned From Unincorporated Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors acted against the recommendations of county planners in moving toward banning utility-scale wind energy production from unincorporated parts of the county.

July 17, 2015 - Los Angeles Daily News

Mayor Emanuel Would Freeze TIF Districts in Downtown Chicago

Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed a plan that would save $250 million for schools and city operations at the cost of one of the city's most powerful funding mechanisms.

July 16, 2015 - Chicago Sun-Times

It's Patch Bill Time Again for Highway Funding

Though federal highway funding is set to terminate on July 31, the House has proposed an $8.1 billion, five-month extension instead of a six-year reauthorization bill.

July 16, 2015 - Bloomberg Business

Op-Ed: Infrastructure First, Redevelopment Second for Staten Island

With big plans come big responsibilities. Will a massive wave of development investment headed for Staten Island be met with a commensurate investment in infrastructure?

July 16, 2015 - Staten Island Advance

21,000 Miles Later: The History of Rails-to-Trails

CityLab presents a feature extravaganza about the nation's 21,000-mile-long network of trails converted from former rail lines.

July 15, 2015 - CityLab

Charlotte Streetcar Opens Today

The 1.5-mile, $37 million segment of Charlotte's controversial new LYNX Gold streetcar line is set to open July 14. A former mayor, Anthony Foxx, is now the U.S. Transportation Secretary. A federal grant is paying 68 percent of construction costs.

July 14, 2015 - The Charlotte Observer

China Bridge

Chinese 'Sponge Cities' Will Capture Rainwater

Existing grey infrastructure in China cannot cope with rapid urban expansion and frequent droughts and floods. Several cities, with Beijing's approval, are experimenting with rainwater capture methods as an alternative.

July 13, 2015 - Environment & Energy Publishing (E&E)

Chicago Blue Line Tracks

Op-Ed: Airport Express Train Unnecessary in Chicago

Plans to construct a prestigious express line to O'Hare airport may be overkill. The existing Blue Line, which could benefit from some investment, already connects downtown Chicago and the airport.

July 13, 2015 - Chi.Streetsblog

10-Cent Fuel Tax Introduced by Conservative Republican

The basics of South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice's "Highway Trust Fund Certainty Act": Increase federal gas and diesel taxes by 10.1 cents in one year, index to inflation, and issue an income tax credit for $133.

July 13, 2015 - The Hill

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.