Transportation Planning
A Reality Check for Driverless Cars
For autonomous vehicles to roam the freeway, infrastructure and the law will need to accelerate and catch up with innovation, experts say.
Charleston Rejects Highway Expansion
Leaders in Charleston County have reversed course on a $500 million highway expansion plan, following public outcry.
Chinese Urban Planning Faces Major Hurdle
China's city planners are busy figuring out solutions to transportation issues at a time when the rapidly developing country has become the world's largest automobile market.
Florida Transportation Planners Still Pushing Roads
In this op-ed, Daniel Shoer Roth says that fast roads are still the be-all and end-all of transportation planning in South Florida.
No Relief For Gridlock
MacDill Air Force Base has created a snarl of traffic in Tampa. Transportation planners are at a loss to find a solution so far.
Planner Malpractice?
Amanda Thompson, planning director of Decatur, GA, suggests that it is a good thing there isn't such a thing as "designer malpractice" or planners would be sued for the horrible impact their work has had on the public health.
Car-Crazy in Canada
A mere 4% of rush hour commuters in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan use public transit, and car-pooling is "non-existent", according to reporter David Hutton. But with traffic at a standstill, transportation planners are changing tack.
Does Portland's Innovative Planning Hinder its Competitiveness?
Wendell Cox questions the economic impact of the city's much-celebrated land use and transportation policies, which are intended to strengthen the urban core and discourage sprawl.
Forward Thinking and Backward Practices
Transportation authorities are working with tools that no longer fit the challenges of modern travel or environmental necessity, says David Kooris, vice president of the Regional Plan Association.
City of Columbus Adopts Far-Reaching Downtown Plan
Building on the urban renaissance of the last decade that saw residential population increase for the first time since 1950, the City of Columbus has set a bold vision for the future with the adoption of the 2010 Downtown Columbus Strategic Plan.
Streetcars Getting Serious Again
Once a major part of cities transportation networks, streetcars have over the last half a century devolved into mere tourist attractions and novelties. But the pendulum may be swinging back.
Preservationists Concerned About Visual Blight from Streetcars
Portland has them. So does Charlotte. But in the nation's capital, streetcar overhead wires are under fire from historic preservationists.
Freeways Responsible For Emptying Out Cities
A recent study shows that for every significant freeway that gets built in a major city, population declines by about 18%. Nathaniel Baum-Snow, author of the study, talks with Planetizen.
'Sea-Change' Coming To Transportation Planning
That's what Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood wrote in his blog after attending the League of Bicyclist's 10th Anniversary Summit, March 9-11 in D.C. And he means it - as reflected in the DOT's Policy Statement on bike and ped accommodations.
Grade Crossing Policy Sparks Debate in Los Angeles
An op-ed by Los Angeles County Supervisor criticizes the Grade Crossing Policy employed by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority in the recent approval of a light rail extension.
Getting the Transportation Glue Back in Philly's Waterfront
Transportation has been called the glue that hold cities together. This oped argues that Philadelphia's waterfront is sorely missing that glue.
Thinking Through the Right Transportation in the Right Place at the Right Time
In an earlier post, I discussed the difference between mobility, accessibility, and transportation technology. In today’s post, I want to discuss what I think is the next step in this taxonomy in terms of the implications for the built environment and urban planning. More specifically, we need to move beyond the idea that certain transportation technologies—whether it is a car, a bus, a train, or our feet—are substitutes.
Intermountain West: Off the Map for HSR Plans
Planners from Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno met this week to discuss plans for high-speed rail between their cities, since they've been left off the map of potential corridors to be funded by the stimulus package.
Wooing Women to Transportation Planning
The Department of Transportation is teaming up with Spelman College in Atlanta for a new program designed to get more women into transportation careers.
Would High-Speed Rail from Dallas to Houston Make Sense?
Edward Glaeser continues his series on cost-benefit analysis of high-speed rail in the US, imagining a mythical route between Dallas and Houston.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
