Long Island

Empty Nesters Stuck in the Suburbs
Just when boomers are ready to return to the city to enjoy all its cultural offerings, they find themselves priced out. Many do downsize, however, from large single family homes to more urban areas close to home.
Report Details Multi-Family Housing Gap on Long Island
When a region isn't building enough housing to meet the demands of a growing population and shifting demographics, zoning codes reform and infrastructure investment can be the solution.
Gov. Cuomo's 'Robert Moses Wish List' Continues to Grow—But Where's the Payment Plan?
The New York governor continues his tour of New York, promoting his big ticket capital agenda, yet not suggesting any means to pay for them. Worse yet, he restricts new funding options, like increased tolls, adding costs to the transportation budget.
New York Gov. Cuomo Having a Moses Moment
Robert Moses, that is—Gov. Cuomo is looking to the planning icon for inspiration in a package of infrastructure proposals announced this week.

Long Island Searching for Direction
Although it hosts some of the nation’s first and most successful auto suburbs, Long Island has experienced a downturn. This infographic-focused piece delves into the reasons why.
Nor'easter a Dud for New York City, But Not New England
What was hyped as one of the worst Nor'easters to hit New York City left Central Park with less than six inches of snow. However, New England and Long Island were not spared. NYC subway, buses, and rail shut down, and driving bans took effect.
Friday Funny: How Automatic Toll Technology Could Have Saved Sonny Corleone
In a fake editorial on the satirical site The Onion, Charles J. Galvin, CEO, E-ZPass Group, pays homage to the alternative path the Corleone family would have taken in The Godfather if only Sonny Corleone had been driving a car equipped with E-ZPass.
Report: 9.8 Miles of New Train Track on Long Island Could Generate More Than 14,000 Jobs
A report from the Long Island Index explores the economic impact of a new Third Track on the Long Island Rail Road.

Lessons in Planning from the Future Long Island
Andy Freleng recently answered a series of questions about life on Long Island, and its future, from his perspective as chief planner of Suffolk County.
Rethinking Suburban Parking Lots
Fast Co.Exist presents the work of the Long Island Index, which recently undertook a creative problem solving exercise to explore ways that suburban parking lots could encourage more walkable conditions.
Penn Station Access Plan Has Long Island Legislators Worried
While MTA’s East Side Access project, which will bring Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) trains directly to Grand Central Terminal by 2019, has received much attention, less well-know is a complementary plan to bring Metro-North trains to Penn Station.
MTA Commuter Tax Pits New York City Against Suburbs
The 12-county downstate commuter tax is vilified by many living outside New York City - forced to pay a payroll tax to support transit that they may not use. They sued the MTA and won last August, but MTA had the ruling reversed on appeal on June 26.
Sewer Shortage Pits Developers Against Residents on Long Island
Plans to develop eastern Long Island as a thriving tech hub with "bustling downtowns and new apartments for young families" are facing a messy obstacle, the absence of "a basic element of a modern civilization: sewers."
Retrofitting Long Island Suburbs For The Pedestrian
Complete streets, road diets, streetscape improvements - geared to promote suburban downtowns for new residents who seek access to amenities without having to drive is a hit for some towns who have successfully obtained government grants to fund them
Struggling Towards TOD on Long Island
Developers on Long Island are hoping to build transit-oriented developments as a way of keeping young residents on the island and increasing the amount of affordable housing. But some local opposition is standing in the way.
Many Ways to Reimagine Suburbia
The "Build a Better Burb" contest from Long Island Index has chosen 23 finalists with a variety of interesting ideas for redesigning the suburbs for the next century - in this case, Long Island.
Long Island Can Build Up, Or Out
That's the conclusion of a new report by The Long Island Index. Equal development can be achieved by building into the island's last greenfields or upwards from infill opportunities like underused parking lots.
Smart Growth Suburbia?
The Lighthouse at Long Island is a proposed 5.5 million sq. ft. of mixed-use development covering 150 acres of Nassau County. The developers see it as a new form of smart growth suburbia.
Bike-Riding On Long Island
This editorial looks at the hostile environment of bicycling on much of Long Island, and ties it to the precarious life of many immigrant laborers, who already suffer from apparent hate crimes. Sadly, riding a bike only increases their vulnerability
Surprise - Affluent Long Island Hit Hard By Subprime Crisis
Editorial: Long Island is one of the nation's most affluent suburbs. With very high housing values and located by NYC, it would be not expected to be hit hard by the subprime crisis. But it has - and its roots lie in its racially segregated past.
Pagination
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
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Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service