Infrastructure

Road Diet in the Works

24 Road Diet Case Studies from the U.S. Department of Transportation

Following a "Mayors Challenge" for bike safety by Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation recently released a "Road Diets" report, providing a geographical diverse collection of case studies.

June 12, 2015 - Publicola

The Anatomy of Cincinnati's $1 Billion Highway Project

The Cincinnati State viaduct, as Urban Cincy calls the project, would reconstruct a series of ramps and interchanges where I-74 and I-75 meet near Mill Creek.

June 11, 2015 - UrbanCincy

Nashville Metro Council Rejects $100 Million Downtown Flood Control Project

Opponents of the capital investment plan rejected the plan on the basis that it focused too much on the downtown area.

June 11, 2015 - The New York Times

High Bridge Opens to Pedestrians and Cyclists for the First Time Since 1970

Culminating an effort launched in 2007 by the Bloomberg Administration, the public will now be able to walk between the Bronx and Manhattan on the High Bridge.

June 10, 2015 - StreetsBlog NYC

Toronto's Gardiner Expressway: Green Light for Removal This Week?

Toronto City Council votes on June 10 whether to remove or rebuild the Gardiner Expressway East.

June 10, 2015 - PlaceShakers

$60.2 Million Complete Streets Makeover Planned for MLK Drive in Atlanta

Invest Atlanta has announced a plan to finance a complete streets project for a 7.2-mile stretch of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

June 9, 2015 - SaportaReport

Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts Explained

With the dissolution of California Redevelopment Agencies in 2011, those looking to spur economic development have struggled to find alternative tools that create investment in communities where such investments don't flow naturally.

June 9, 2015 - The Planning Report

The Exorbitant External Costs Caused by the Trucking Industry

A new report from the Congressional Budget Office places the spotlight on the trucking industry in terms of the social, health ,and environmental costs it imposes on society but does not pay for, i.e., externalities.

June 8, 2015 - City Observatory City Commentary

Freeway Construction

Friday Funny: The Daily Show Makes Infrastructure Funny—Even if it's Still Not Sexy

Call it gallows humor: Jon Stewart and the Daily Show get a few laughs out of the serious subject of infrastructure.

June 5, 2015 - The Daily Show

Kids Crossing the Street

Op-Ed: Los Angeles Walkability Needs More Crosswalks

Although Los Angeles isn't famous for its walking culture, many neighborhoods are actually quite suited for it. That is, if streets could be made friendlier to the pedestrians they currently repel.

June 5, 2015 - Los Angeles Times

Hummer and Prius

How Much More Damage to Roads is Caused by a Hummer Than a Prius?

A Hummer weighs 2.6 times more than a Prius C, so it must contribute that much more to road wear, right? Actually, that's wrong, not even close. To understand the main cause of road wear, one must look at heavy, not light trucks.

June 5, 2015 - OReGO Communications

Transportation Reauthorization Showdown Likely on Capitol Hill

With the current two-month transportation patch set to expire July 31, Democrat leaders are hankering for a showdown to secure a six-year reauthorization bill. A confrontation may occur with Republicans who prefer another patch.

June 5, 2015 - Politico

Katy Freeway

Too Big for Texas? Houston's 23-Lane Freeway

After a $2.3 billion widening project, traffic once again chokes the Katy Freeway's 23 lanes. For road spending critics who are also taxpayers, this I-told-you-so moment is bittersweet.

June 5, 2015 - Streetsblog Network

Santiago Calatrava

Meet the New Calatrava-Designed Bridge Under Construction in Downtown Dallas

Everything you wanted to know about the Margaret McDermott Bridge, under construction in Downtown Dallas.

June 4, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

Houston Stormwater Infrastructure Falls Short in Recent Flooding

Recent floods in Texas, especially prevalent in Houston, reflect a stormwater infrastructure that both worked as it's designed and is in need of improvements.

June 3, 2015 - Houston Chronicle

North Carolina Inks its First Public-Private Partnership for Highway Construction

The state of North Carolina joins the roster of states working with the private sector to invest in highway infrastructure around growing urban areas.

June 3, 2015 - Infra Insight

The Supply Side of California's Historic Drought

As General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Jeff Kightlinger is a veteran of the states' wet and dry cycles.

June 3, 2015 - VerdeXchange News

Rooftop Solar Panels

U.S. Cities Ranked By Energy Efficiency

According to an ACEEE report, Boston currently leads the way, with New York, Washington, DC, and San Francisco not far behind. Los Angeles, Washington, and Chicago show the most improvement since 2013.

June 2, 2015 - American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

Cities Relearning Their Relationships with Rivers

As the country's industrial past fades, cities are finding new meaning in their rivers—from the meandering to the mighty.

June 1, 2015 - ASLA The Dirt

Christie's Lack of Infrastructure Funding Costing Him Business Support at Home

Bridges are failing in the Garden State for lack of funds to repair them, No, they are not collapsing, but they are shutting down. Many, including the business community, blame the governor for failing to act.

June 1, 2015 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

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.