Infrastructure
Wanted: Six Cities Yearning to be Bike Friendlier!
For cities that want protected bike lanes but lack the expertise to implement them, the Green Lane Project is soliciting applications to offer technical help (sorry, no funding) now that the initial six recipient cities have implemented cycle tracks.
In Maryland, a Highway Built on Hype is "Stuck in Neutral"
Stretching through suburban Maryland, the Intercounty Connector was sold on promises of boosting development and relieving congestion. Two years after it opened, users are few, while its drain on state transportation finances continues to grow.
A Design and Planning To-Do List for NYC's Next Mayor
Over the past 12 years, New York has been transformed. For the better in some instances (bike lanes, pedestrian plazas), and perhaps not in others (unaffordability). Michael Kimmelman suggests how to build on the successes and correct the problems.
Trick Out Your Street With Two New Design Tools
People-powered street design is getting a major boost with the help of two new tools that make it easy to reimagine unsatisfactory streetscapes.
Reading Between the Crosswalk: On the Significance of Pedestrian Icons
Have you ever noticed that the image of little man (it's usually a man) in pedestrian traffic icons differs depending on which country you're in? Artist Maya Barkai has, and her new project seeks to explore what these guys say about their culture.
New California Law Aims to Prevent Bridge Suicides
A new law hopes to expunge the "impulse and accessibility" aspect of suicides from new or rebuilt bridges by requiring that they "consider" suicide barriers. The price for barriers can be greatly reduced when evaluated in the planning phase.
Can Maryland Pull Off Its Risky Purple Line Partnership?
To finance and construct a new $2.2 billion light rail line in the D.C. suburbs, Maryland will seek to enter into a unique private sector partnership. The ambitious strategy is drawing concern from lawmakers.
Reuse of Old Bridges Elevates Urban Living
Melanie D.G. Kaplan examines a growing trend in adaptive reuse—the transformation of old and underutilized bridges into elevated parks, walkways, and engines of economic development.
Top 100 City Innovators Worldwide
To celebrate its first anniversary, Future Cities has assembled a list of the top 100 city innovators making the biggest difference across a range of industries and specialties.
Sipping from the Tea Party Cup: A Call for an Urbanist Revolt
Musing on the discussion at last week's Citylab conference, Jarrett Walker finds a surprising convergence with the ideology of America's Tea Party: "Big and active national government may not be the answer." Would cities be better off going it alone?
The Next Big Thing: "Sit-able Cities"
Supported by imagery of human urban conduct, Chuck Wolfe argues that walkable is good, but sit-able is better—and that "it’s time for the next big focal point and the next big idea, the 'Sit-able City'."
What if the Smart Cities of the Future Are Full of Bugs?
In an excerpt on Places from his new book, Smart Cities, urban forecaster Anthony Townsend considers the inevitable glitches.
Toronto Asks: How Dense Is Too Dense?
A decade of high-rise condo construction has transformed Toronto's skyline. But it appears the sky's not the limit when it comes to more skyscrapers. A proposal to build three 80-story towers designed by Frank Gehry has sparked a debate over density.
A Hollywood Icon Becomes Overexposed
The Hollywood sign is a global icon and magnet for travelers to L.A., who seem unwilling to admire it from afar. For the residents of the neighborhoods underneath the historic sign, the hordes of tourists bring safety and quality of life concerns.
Roundabouts Win Again, This Time on "MythBusters"
“MythBusters” has put another urban debate to bed. According to a recent episode of the Discovery Channel show, roundabouts really are more efficient than four-way stops.
How a Railway Near the Bastille Revolutionized How We Think About Obsolete Infrastructure
Joseph Heathcott presents a historical narrative of the decline, revitalization, and gentrification of the Parisian neighborhood surrounding the Promenade Plantée and Viaduct des Arts, the pioneering repurposing of obsolete urban infrastructure.
Decision Over Proposed Chicago Area Tollway Divides Regional and State Planners
Amid heavy political pressure, a plan to build a new expressway between Chicago's suburbs and Indiana backed by Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois Department of Transportation was dealt a significant defeat by Chicago's regional MPO this week.
How Do You Plan a City for the Next 90 Years?
Planners in Copenhagen are bringing new meaning to the concept of long-term planning. A 10-person team is focused solely on envisioning how the city will adapt to the next 90 years of climate change.
Bikes Emerge as a Viable Alternative for Urban Freight
It may be hard to image fleets of cargo bikes replacing the large polluting trucks that tear up our city streets. But a European Union project estimates that the majority of freight in 322 cities studied could be moved by cargo bike.
What Is a Place Without the People?
In an illustrated essay, Chuck Wolfe contrasts the ideal form of the New England town with an abandoned French village, calling out the human infrastructure essential to successful urban places.
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.
Ada County Highway District
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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
