Highway Widening
Safety or Freight: What's the Top Priority for U.S. 131 Redesign Project in Grand Rapids?
Urban designers are playing the advocate in a Michigan Department of Transportation study that is considering ways to reconfigure U.S. Highway 131 where it curves through Downtown Grand Rapids.
Research Triangle Region Cuts Back Highway Widening Plans
The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization accomplished a major shift in transportation planning priorities.
Houston Interstate Widening Continues To Threaten Communities
The proposed freeway expansion in downtown Houston has faced searing backlash from local residents who see the project as a relic of the era of rampant freeway construction and neighborhood disruption.
Washington Officials Want to Spend American Rescue Plan Funding on Highway Projects
Despite broader intentions, federal economic relief continues to get redirected to automobile-focused infrastructure.
Feds Toss the Environmental Assessment for Portland Controversial Freeway Widening Project
It's back to the drawing board for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project.
California Bill Could Ban Freeway Expansions in Underserved Neighborhoods
A proposed bill in the California State Legislature would bar the state from funding road construction in communities at risk for displacement and health impacts.
Freeway Expansions Continue to Threaten Black and Brown Communities
Despite calls to center equity in infrastructure projects, highway construction and expansion still disproportionately impacts communities of color, according to a Los Angeles Times investigation.
Why Don't State DOTs Believe in Induced Demand?
Despite evidence that widening roadways is only a temporary solution to congestion, a decades-long inertia leads states to continue pushing expansion projects against local opposition.
The Most Unsafe Road in Ohio: A Five-Mile Stretch of Interstate in Columbus
Traffic safety analysis inspires debate about the culprit (drivers or engineers?) on the least safe stretch of road in the Buckeye State.
'Quality of Life' Award for Utah Freeway Widening Prompts Criticism, Debate
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently announced that the Utah Department of Transportation had won the "Quality of Life/Community Development" award. A social media pile on commenced.
Austin Interstate Expansion Plan Draws Opposition
A proposal to widen I-35 has drawn criticism from community members who want to see the city shift away from car-centric development.
Colorado DOT To Study Air Quality Near I-270 Project—Residents Are Skeptical
The Colorado Department of Transportation has pledged to evaluate direct mitigation measures to reduce the impact of construction projects on nearby communities.
Highway Widening and Interchange Improvements a Headache for Atlanta Drivers
A road widening and interchange improvement project in Atlanta will have a dramatic impact on congestion for as much as a year.
TxDOT Moving Forward With Plan to Widen I-35 in Austin
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) wants to spend $4.6 billion to expand Interstate 35 in Austin despite alternative plans proposed by local groups.
Maryland Beltway Project Tentatively Moves Forward
The state transit authority has granted preliminary approval to the revised plan to expand the Capital Beltway and add new high-occupancy and toll lanes.
TxDOT Promises to Reverse Some of the Damage Caused by Urban Freeways in Dallas
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is in the early stages of planning for two projects that could leverage plans to rebuild two freeways in the city with plan to reconnect the neighborhoods they severed.
L.A. Metro Denounces—but Doesn't Scrap—710 Freeway Expansion Plan
The agency's board members spoke out forcefully against air pollution and displacement, but stopped short of completely rejecting the project, looking instead to cleaner vehicles and regulations that mitigate community concerns.
Reconciling Highway Investments With Climate Plans
The Colorado Department of Transportation has plans to expand highways, but it also has a mandate to reduce emissions from the state's transportation systems. Is it possible to do both?
Maryland's Controversial Highway Widening Proposal Scaled Back
Interstate 270, the Capital Beltway, will no longer by widened as part of the I-495/I-270 Managed Lanes Project.
Opinion: Columbia River Crossing Just Another Highway Expansion
Billed as a "bridge replacement," the latest iteration of the Columbia River Crossing project is a costly expansion that will impose new tolls and cost upwards of $5 billion, according to an article by Joe Cortright.
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
