Infrastructure

What Gets Left Behind in the Rush to Privatize Public Improvements?

As public-private partnerships to invest in aged urban infrastructure gain in popularity in Chicago, and across the country, Christopher Weber asks who will fund the improvements unaligned with corporate interests.

May 9, 2012 - Rust Wire

Care and Maintenance Instructions for Urban Infrastructure

Morgan Clendaniel reports on a Minneapolis artistic intervention, Urban Plant Tags, that call attention to often overlooked amenities in the built environment.

May 6, 2012 - Fast Co.Exisit

Expansion on the Panama: A Boon for East Coast Ports?

In spite of doubts about economic viability, port cities on the Atlantic scramble to make room for mega cargo ships, Curtis Tate reports.

May 5, 2012 - McClatchy

What's Driving Water Rates and Combativeness in San Diego?

Steven Erie, a professor of political science and the Director of the Urban Studies Program at UC San Diego, discusses how the San Diego County Water Authority's finger-pointing obfuscates the region's discourse on what is really driving water rates.

May 4, 2012 - The Planning Report

Federal Bike/Ped Pilot Project a Success

Included in the 2005 federal transportation bill was $100 million for four regions to invest in bike and pedestrian infrastructure to determine, essentially, if they build it, will they bike and ride more and drive less. The final results are in.

May 3, 2012 - Fast Lane (DOT blog)

Bringing Ways to Reduce Cities' Energy Expenses to Light

Often seen only when they're out, streetlights are a "secret energy drain" on city budgets. Nate Berg looks at some promising efforts to take a substantial bite out of municipal budgets through the replacement of old streetlight bulbs.

May 1, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Should Your City Build Its Own Broadband Network?

April 30, 2012 - Christopher Mitchell

Sowing the Seeds of a Local Food Boom

Ariel Schwartz reports on the efforts of a Silicon Valley-based "food incubator" that aims to bring a lean start-up approach to scaling up the local food movement.

April 30, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

The Place-Based Implications of the Digital Manufacturing Revolution

The Economist describes the dawn of the third industrial revolution, brought by the rise of digital manufacturing, and its implications for the how and the where of the future of industry.

April 28, 2012 - The Economist

Marshalling Public Support is Key to Funding Infrastructure Improvements

As repeated pleas for the need to repair and replace America's crumbling infrastructure go unheeded, a new report outlines "practical, actionable ways to sell the American public on the need to invest in the nation’s transportation infrastructure."

April 26, 2012 - The Washington Post

The Paradox of the Motor City

Spencer Fleury looks into the contradictory nature of his hometown Detroit; as the city commonly praised for its car culture is now being crushed by it.

April 25, 2012 - Beyond the Cul de Sac

San Diego Cries Foul Over High Water Prices

Allegations of conspiracy and bullying haunt access to water in the arid, Mediterranean climate of San Diego, Adam Nagourney and Felicity Barringer report.

April 25, 2012 - The New York Times

Trading Trash For Tomatoes in Mexico City

Michael J. Coren reports on a new program in Mexico City that lets residents trade their recyclable trash for credits with nearby farms.

April 25, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Green Infrastructure Worth Its Weight in Gold

Nate Berg looks at a new study analyzing the cost benefits of large-scale green infrastructure projects, which demonstrates that governments are wasting billions of dollars a year by not going green.

April 25, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Identifying the Key Steps to Building Baltimore's Economy

Baltimore has ridden out the recession better than most metropolitan areas. However, in advance of a study to be released this week, Jennifer S. Vey outlines the ways in which it can better align workers' skills with economic opportunities.

April 24, 2012 - The Baltimore Sun

What Value Does An Infrastructure Bank Provide?

As the concept of infrastructure banks gets increasingly bandied about (see Emanuel, Rahm and Obama, Barack), Aaron M. Renn examines what exactly they do for us that we can’t already do.

April 24, 2012 - Urbanophile

The Biggest NYC Infrastructure Project You Haven't Heard of...

NYC's long-declining waterfront industry is expected to experience a new boom time, as the expansion of the Panama Canal will allow double the cargo and much larger ships to call at New York's harbor by 2024.

April 24, 2012 - MetroFocus

Planning for New York's "Sixth Borough"

A year after its release, Tom Stoelker tracks the progress of New York's comprehensive plan for its waterfront, Vision 2020, the recent recipient of the APA's Daniel Burnham Award.

April 19, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Concluding the APA Convention: 'The Cost Comes Before the Benefit'

Renée Jones-Bos, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the United States, spoke about water, infrastructure, planning, ports, and cost-benefit analysis as the closing keynote speaker at the 2012 APA National Convention in Los Angeles.

April 19, 2012 - The Planning Report

Serving Drivers with Instant Bridge Replacement

John Schwartz reports on a bridge replacement technique that demonstrates innovation in construction, as well as customer service.

April 19, 2012 - The New York Times

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.