The United Kingdom's major rail company is expecting a 30% increase in freight traffic over the next 10 years, and ideas to help cope with the increase include double-decker commuter trains and altered routes.
Britain struggles with increasing demand on its rails lines, both for commuters and freight. The rail company expects a 30% increase in freight traffic over the next 10 years, and as commuter ridership increases, the company looks for ways to adapt.
" 'There are several ways of dealing with the increase in demand,' the chief executive of the company that runs the British rail network said. 'Some of it can be done through changing timetables or lengthening trains. But if we don't get investment there is a risk, a certainty probably, that we cannot absorb the extra demand and it finds its way on to the roads.' "
"About 1,000 freight trains use the rail system a day, a number that will rise to 1,120 according to Network Rail's forecasts, equivalent to 1m extra lorry journeys. About 12% of all freight traffic in Britain is moved by rail."
FULL STORY: Network Rail freight plans could deliver doubledecker trains

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.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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