Infrastructure
Secretary Foxx Talks Funding (and Possibly Tolling)
A recent article by Yonah Freemark details the policy agenda of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, the former mayor of Charlotte and successor of well-regarded Transportation Secretary Ray La Hood.
Policy First; Then Technology
Civic leaders chime in on how policy should guide technology and smart cities initiatives.
'Kit of Parts' Streamlines the Process of Converting Streets into Parks
An Atlantic Cities article details how the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s People St program is making it easier for communities to design and build plazas, parklets, and bike facilities on their streets.
Canada Acts while U.S. Lags on Rail Oil Tank Car Safety
Transport Canada jumped past U.S. DOT on April 23 by taking decisive action on "exploding" oil tank cars that are traveling throughout North America due largely to an insufficient oil pipeline network. Within three years, the older cars must go.
Renewables Account for 92 Percent of New Power in the United States
Although the United States built less new energy capacity than in the same time period last year, renewable energy dominated the capacity to come online so far in 2014.
'Sticks' and 'Carrots' Required to Build a Mature Transportation System
Gabe Klein says cities can do a better job providing mobility by focusing on the sticks and carrots of transportation—improving transportation options and creating disincentives to driving, respectively.
Transportation Considerations for Aging Populations
An article on PlannersWeb details the considerations relevant to the needs of people over 65, who are growing more multi-modal and car-independent every year.
Will Tampa Bay Solve its Transit Equation?
Robert Trigaux wonders if the Tampa Bay metro area will be wake up to the country’s changing demands of transportation and end “the parochial arm wrestling over what kind (if any) of mass transit lies in its future.”
Pitching a Queens-Brooklyn Streetcar
Michael Kimmelman resurrects an old plan by Alex Garvin to build a light rail connection between the waterfront neighborhoods of Queens and Brooklyn, except Kimmelman would build a streetcar line.
Which States Best Prioritize Walking and Biking?
The most recent coverage of the Alliance for Biking and Walking’s 2014 Benchmark report compares each of the states for how much federal transportation funding they devote to active transportation.
Atlanta Streets Alive Hopes to Shift City’s Perceptions
Maria Saporta reviews the latest Atlanta Streets Alive event, which shuts down streets to vehicle traffic and turns them over to people, held over the past weekend in the historic neighborhood of West End.
Which Way, Dallas?
Architecture critic Mark Lamster describes Dallas as a city at a defining moment in its history. He poses the following questions: “What are our goals, and how do we achieve them? What exactly do we want Dallas to be?”
Ranking the Most Resilient Cities
Resilience has entered into the planning and urbanism lexicon as a large challenge for all places pursuing prosperous, sustainable futures. A new study examines the world’s leading cities for lessons in resilience.
Biking Boom Takes to the Sidewalks
The city of Santiago, Chile offers a cautionary tale for cities amidst a biking boom that don’t rethink the mode balance on their streets: there’s nowhere for bikers to go except the sidewalk.
The Urban Reordering: Can the United States Make it Stick?
The trend toward the urban has been documented from every possible angle, but a recent op-ed wonders whether it will be possible for the federal government to make a course correction that ceases the endless subsidies for the suburbs.
Ohio River Bridges Project Price Tag Climbs Again, but Why?
The price tag for massive project to bridge the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky complete with dual approach tunnels, has long been a source of controversy. Another sudden cost increase has one commenter wondering how this keeps happening.
Chicago Planning Flyover Fix for North Side El Lines
Fairly sizable funding contingencies still have to be resolved, but the so-called Red-Purple Bypass Project could increase rush hour capacity at a critical North Side junction by 30 percent.
Seattle Adopts New Bicycle Master Plan
Resolution 31515, which officially approved the Bicycle Master Plan, is called a “transformational new way of thinking about bicycle projects within Seattle.” Time, and funding, will tell if the plan lives up to its promise.
The Rising Costs of Water Quality
The pressures on water supply are growing at the same time that water quality is becoming more expensive and more difficult to maintain. A recent article examines the challenges in the farm state of Nebraska.
Capital Beltway Peak Toll Tops $11
Use of the 495 Express Lanes, a HOT variable toll, has been fetching a pretty penny this year for commuters looking to escape the notoriously congested Capital Beltway. The ongoing experiment in commute pricing should recede before a tipping point.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
