Infrastructure

Aerial photo of the US 131/M-6/68th St. interchange in Wyoming, MIchigan

Study Finds Traffic Forecasts Consistently Overestimating Congestion

Researchers from Denmark and Norway have looked at the accuracy of traffic forecasts for road projects. Their conclusion is that the forecasts systematically overestimate traffic growth rates and the resulting congestion effects.

December 8, 2014 - Transport Policy Journal

Republican Co-Sponsors Rep. Earl Blumenauer's 15-cent Gas Tax Bill

The good news is that a House Republican now supports raising the gas tax to balance the ailing Highway Trust Fund. The bad news is that come Jan. 3, Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.), a 36-year member, will be a former congressman—he is retiring on Dec. 26

December 8, 2014 - The Huffington Post

Market in Portland Creates Bicycle Bridge Options

A new project to convert a little-used parking lot in a cloverleaf onramp opens the door to improve an awkward bike bridge landing in Portland, Oregon.

December 7, 2014 - Bike Portland

Study Provides Lessons in Bike Lane Politics

Eric Jaffe examines the successful (on the third try) bike lane on the Burrard Street Bridge in Vancouver as a case study in pushing a difficult project through to completion.

December 6, 2014 - CityLab

Does Peak Car Mean the End of Induced Demand?

Aaron Renn provides a dissenting argument on the implications of peak car, namely, "if we’ve really reached peak car, maybe we really can build our way out of congestion after all."

December 6, 2014 - New Geography

Complete Street Makeover in the Works for 2nd Street in San Francisco

Planners in San Francisco are working on a complete street redo of a key corridor through the SoMa neighborhood that will connect downtown, Mission Bay, and the Central Waterfront.

December 5, 2014 - Socket Site

Explained: America's Complex System of Oil Transportation

A new analysis by Joseph Kane, Robert Puentes, and Adie Tomer examines America's current infrastructure of transporting oil throughout the country.

December 5, 2014 - Brookings Institution

Los Angeles River Kayak

A Playful Approach to Activating Spaces along the Los Angeles River

An interview with two of Project 51's co-founders, John Arroyo and Catherine Gudis, on the collective's recent "Play the LA River" card deck, a playable guide which invites participants to discover 56 unique sights along the entire Los Angeles River.

December 4, 2014 - Maayan Dembo

San Jose Enacts 'Pedestrian Safety Zone'—Bans Bikes from Sidewalks

The city of San Jose has responded to concerns of seniors in the community by banning bikes from sidewalks a large swath of downtown near the convention center, City Hall, and San Jose State.

December 4, 2014 - San Jose Mercury News

Brazil's Insight on Climate Change Adaption

A new report from the World Resources Institute illustrates how Brazil is preparing its cities to deal with climate change.

December 4, 2014 - The City Fix

Calatrava Bridge, Dallas

35 New Cities Named as 100 Resilient Cities Members

After its 2013 announcement of support for the first 33 of the 100 resilient cities, the Rockefeller Foundation has announced its next round of member cities: 35 cities, including six from the United States.

December 4, 2014 - 100 Resilient Cities

Designing Permeable Cities for Drought Resilience

Take a kayak trip on the Los Angeles River with KQED science reporter Amy Standen to understand why cities were built on the premise of endless potable water and how we can build cities sustainably in regions that receive low rainfall.

December 4, 2014 - KQED Science

San Francisco Planners Study Extension of Central Subway to Fisherman's Wharf

San Francisco is hard at work on a Central Subway project expected to open in 2019 with a terminus in Chinatown, but planners have already been hard at work studying an extension of the subway to Fisherman's Wharf.

December 3, 2014 - San Francisco Chronicle

Detroit's Latest Power Outage: The Dark Before the Dawn?

Earlier this week a massive power outage struck Detroit. But that type of embarrassment might soon be a thing of the past because Detroit will soon undertake a $200 million upgrade of its electricity grid.

December 3, 2014 - Detroit Free Press

Argyle Street Lane Configuration

Details on Chicago's First Shared Street

Planners are crafting the details of Chicago's first shared street, where pedestrians will rule.

December 3, 2014 - Chi.Streetsblog

Bay Bridge Proposal: Turn Old Eastern Span Piers into a Park

Officials are considering a plan to preserve some of the eastern span of the bay Bridge as part of an effort to cut costs on the project—which is now well over its $6.4 billion budget.

December 2, 2014 - San Francisco Chronicle

Hackensack RIver

Amtrak's Achilles Heel, Infrastructurally Speaking

Aging, obsolete, and deteriorating bridges affect both road and rail. The 104-year-old Portal Bridge, a swing bridge over the Hackensack River in New Jersey that frequently fails to close properly, tops Amtrak's list for replacement.

December 2, 2014 - AP via The Washington Post

BART's Oakland Airport Connector Now in Service

Depending upon which Bay Area newspaper you read, the new 3.2-mile Oakland Airport connector, an elevated, driverless tram that takes eight minutes and costs $6, is either a huge success or a $484 million boondoggle. It began service on November 22.

December 1, 2014 - San Francisco Examiner

To Understand New York's Needs, Think Beyond Manhattan

When most people think of New York City, says CUNY planning professor and activist Tom Angotti, they think of Manhattan. This excessive focus on a narrow slice of the greater New York metropolitan area needs to be reconsidered.

December 1, 2014 - Satellite Magazine

The Impact of Metro Freight Trade on Congestion

Although the holidays cause millions more drivers to hit the road, delays in traffic may also stem from the congestion of goods movements by truck, both locally and across the country.

November 30, 2014 - The Brookings Institution

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.