St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board formally endorses the removal of elevated and depressed lanes of current I-70 ROW to reconnect city and arch grounds.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board endorsed a highway removal concept publicized by the grassroots-based City to River group. The existing lanes are planned to be duplicated on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River as part of the new Ronald Wilson Reagan Mississippi River Bridge. The existing lanes were planned to become a three digit spur of I-44. City to River has been active in lobbying participants in the international interdisciplinary competition for the redesign of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial grounds and riverfront to consider highway removal as a viable option.
The Post-Dispatch says of this section of highway, "The 1.5-mile stretch of steel and concrete is one of the most heedless examples of highway planning in the age of urban renewal. It forms a forbidding and confusing barrier along the park's western boundary - a dismal counterpoint to Eero Saarinen's transcendent symbol of westward migration."
FULL STORY: Designers should plan removal of I-70’s downtown lanes
Guide to Improved Street Designs: Pay Attention to Precedent
What does a successfully multi-modal and livable street look like? There are examples all over the world, if you're paying attention.
Subtle, Gentle Creep North for Development in San Francisco's SoMa
There is development life in San Francisco outside of SoMa (South of Market). Jim Chappell, former SPUR director, reviews some of the activity in this second installation of a series.
Ranking Freeways Without Futures
The Congress for the New Urbanism releases a Top 10 list highlighting the worst, most ready-to-be-junked urban freeways. New Orleans, Syracuse, and Detroit make the list. Boulevards are a viable and much-needed alternative, says CNU.
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.
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.
Private Donations Propel Early Restoration of Palisades Playground
Los Angeles has secured over $1.3 million in private funding to restore the Pacific Palisades playground months ahead of schedule, creating a modern, accessible space that supports community healing after recent wildfires.
From Blight to Benefit: Early Results From California’s Equitable Cleanup Program
The Equitable Community Revitalization Grant (ECRG) program is reshaping brownfield redevelopment by prioritizing projects in low-income and environmental justice communities, emphasizing equity, transparency, and community benefits.
Planting Relief: Tackling Las Vegas Heat One Tree at a Time
Nevada Plants, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit, is combating the city’s extreme urban heat by giving away trees to residents in underserved neighborhoods, promoting shade, sustainability, and community health.
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.
Ascent Environmental
Borough of Carlisle
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