The county completed the draft environmental impact study for a monorail and people mover planned as part of its rapid transit system.

According to an article in The Next Miami, Miami-Dade County has issued the draft environmental study for a rapid transit line that would connect downtown Miami and Miami Beach as part of the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Program. “The study covers the Beach Corridor Trunkline from the existing Metromover system in Downtown Miami to 5th Street and Washington Avenue in the City of Miami Beach.”
The project would include a monorail to Miami Beach and a “Metromover-type system” to the city’s Design District.
As noted in the study’s executive summary, “The purpose of this project is to increase the person-throughput to the Beach Corridor’s major origins and destinations via a rapid transit technology. The need for the project is the extensive population growth throughout the study area, resulting in ever-increasing traffic congestion and the demand for enhanced access to the area’s employment centers, facilities and services.”
Critics of the project question the price tag, which ballooned to over $1 billion from the original estimate of $587 million.
FULL STORY: Studies Completed For Miami Beach Rapid Transit, People Mover To Design District

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas
Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.

Native American Communities Prepare to Lead on Environmental Stewardship
In the face of federal threats to public lands and conservation efforts, indigenous groups continue to model nature-centered conservation efforts.

Proposed Bill Would Direct Funds to Road Safety
The Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act was spurred by the death of a U.S. diplomat who was killed on her bicycle.
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
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland