Ads for automobiles have depicted their vehicles swooping through dramatic natural landscapes, but as Catherine Lutz and Anne Lutz Fernandez note, car ads have moved into the city.
Lutz and Lutz Fernandez note that the automakers recognize that the myth of off-road adventure has been replaced with the reality of urban life:
"The auto industry seems to be taking the longer view--advertising not for the recession but beyond. Our push in the past quarter century from town to suburb to exurb helped both automaker and consumer justify the need for outsized vehicles. But the automakers see the future--and the future is in the closer-in suburb, the walkable town, and yes, the transit-oriented city."
FULL STORY: Upstream to Downtown: Car Ads Head to the City
Regulating Car Ads to Discourage Unsafe Driving
Dangerous driving is a common feature of U.S. car ads, but other countries have banned this advertising because it glorifies reckless behavior.
Crisis Response Afforded Aviation Fatalities But Neglected for Automobile Tragedies
The Globe and Mail editorial board points out the obvious hypocrisies of the global response to an aviation tragedy relative to the ongoing tragedies that occur every day as a result of the world's reliance on automobiles.
Learning from the National Household Travel Survey
The Federal Highway Administration's National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) shows that transit use is rising and household vehicle miles traveled are declining—but other data sources paint a more ambiguous picture.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
Understanding Road Diets
An explainer from Momentum highlights the advantages of reducing vehicle lanes in favor of more bike, transit, and pedestrian infrastructure.
New California Law Regulates Warehouse Pollution
A new law tightens building and emissions regulations for large distribution warehouses to mitigate air pollution and traffic in surrounding communities.
Phoenix Announces Opening Date for Light Rail Extension
The South Central extension will connect South Phoenix to downtown and other major hubs starting on June 7.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
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